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Meh. Tim Duncan will no doubt, even at 35 heading into his last season, be worth $21M. If they want to look at regrettable big man extensions, put a microscope up Shaq's ample overpaid ass.
This is a blog, and I know we're trying not to post Bleacher Report type stuff, but I'm curious about people's thoughts on the piece. Forgive me, and please, indulge me. Thanks.(The site is Daily Basketball)
Thoughts?
Will Duncan be worth $21.3m in 2012?
By Jarrad Todd
Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward the game has ever seen. He is a perennial Allstar and MVP candidate. He has won four championship rings and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But will Tim Duncan be worth $21.3 million in 2012? The short answer - no.
During last season Duncan signed an extension that will see him don the Spur’s silver and black until 2012. At the time the general consensus was he did the Spurs a favour, by electing not to sign for the maximum allowable amount. However, the fact remains that he will be owed $62 million from 2010 to 2012, with a whopping $21.3m owed in the final year.
If Duncan really was genuine in his desire to assist with rebuilding he should have negotiated an extension that would pay him max money over the next year or two, then gradually decrease, so by 2012 his salary would be $12-13 million. This would have allowed the Spurs to re-tool around their aging, but relatively inexpensive big man.
As great as he still is, there is no doubt that by 2012 the Spurs will regret the extension that allows a 36 year old Duncan to eat up a third of their entire salary. Case in point, Shaquille O’Neal. When Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004, a year later at the age of 33 he signed a massive five year extension totalling $100 million. Seemed like the smart thing to do at the time, but two years and one championship later, they tried desperately to rid themselves of his rapidly diminishing skills and cap-killing contract. Fortunately for them, Phoenix took the bait and is now stuck with him for two more years at $40 million. Whilst it is unlikely that Duncan will meet the same fate as Shaquille O’Neal, due to the respect afforded to him by the city of San Antonio (and rightfully so), the San Antonio Spurs will ultimately suffer as a result.
One would have to assume that Duncan’s play will gradually fall off over the coming years, and by 2012 there is little doubt he will be nearing the end. But such a decline is natural, especially when you consider the amount of basketball his body has endured over the last decade.
So why did the Spurs feel it was necessary to pay him top dollar over the next five years, when his game is sure to decline? My guess, it was more of a ‘thanks for the memories’ gift, rather than good basketball business.
Over the last decade the Spurs have prided themselves on making smart basketball decisions both on and off the floor, which has directly led to their success. However, through the trading of Luis Scola, the passing up of legitimate talent in the 2008 Draft (Arthur, Greene, Chalmers, Chris Douglas-Roberts), and the overly generous extension to Duncan’s contract, it seems as though complacency has finally crept in to the San Antonio front office. These decisions will haunt the Spurs over the coming years and will ultimately lead to their gradual decline.
Meh. Tim Duncan will no doubt, even at 35 heading into his last season, be worth $21M. If they want to look at regrettable big man extensions, put a microscope up Shaq's ample overpaid ass.
yeah newsflash the spurs will gradually decline no matter. Duncan is one of those once in a lifetime players for the Spurs. Ofcourse the Spurs will decline once he gets older and retire. Oh and to me he is worth 21.3! If KG was worth whatever he was when the twolves were not even making the playoffs, then I think Tim deserves what he gets.
s yeah!
Yes
Maybe. I don't know yet.
Marbury has been making like 20 mil a year forever and he has never been worth it. Duncan will still be worth it for sure. Spurs will be in the le hunt i believe until he retires.
Spurs should pay duncan the rest of his life for all he's done.
Is it too much to say that the day he announces his retirement will be one of the worst days in my life... I said one of the worst, not the worst.
How can one put a worth on a person?
You can't like....own the beach, man. This is God's beach.
What movie is that from?
Probably not, but I don't think many Spurs fans or even people in the organization will have a problem with him making that much. Even if he's not worth it then, it was a great investment at the time considering everything he's meant to the team and community.
I wouldn't make any bets based on this article. I don't remember the poster who made the Nostradumbass joke last month, but it probably applies here too.
For starters, Arthur, Greene, Chalmers, Chris Douglas-Roberts haven't proven a single thing yet except that two of them are good at scoring weed in a new city, which isn't a particularly rare skill, and all of them didn't do what was necessary to impress teams less talented than the Spurs to draft them before they got passed over by San Antonio.
Duncan's skill set of finesse and intelligence is much closer to Kareem's than to Shaq's, and Kareem showed a much smaller decline between the ages of 30 and 35 than Shaq. He actually had a slightly better year statistically at age 37 than he did at 35 & 36. Shaq's decline from 30 to 35 has been steady and dramatic. Look at video of Shaq when he was with Orlando. His transformation is almost Barry Bonds-like (no, I'm not making a steroid accusation). Shaq is so big now that it looks like he ate Danny Fortson and Oliver Miller. Duncan has essentially the same body that he had in 2000.
Easiest question ever...yes! Sure he isn't going to average 23ppg and 12rpg but the thing that makes Tim a special basketball player is that he's smart and can adapt to whatever type of player the team needs him to be. He's gone from being the leading scorer and a good help defender to a defensive ace and more of a facilitator on offense.
It's not too much to say from where I am. Duncan is the reason I watch this game, he has been for a long time. I'll still watch after he retires, I love the game, but I know I'll never watch the same way.
I don't know why people evaluating the last year salary against expected performance in the last year when the contract was signed for many years to begin with.
The cashflows could be front-loaded or end-loaded. So, the evaluation should be based on the performance of the players over the years under contract.
And for a player like Duncan which is so critical, you have to consider the impact of keeping him in the team and his appeal in attracting other players. We do not even count the damage to public image if SPURS underpay Duncan.
People writing this thing is dumb unless the team is considering to trade Duncan, then you could compare what you paid for what you get.
Oh, I agree that Duncan will be worth the money. (Did anyone think I'd say he wouldn't be?)
As has been pointed out, Duncan's game has never been dependent on athleticism alone. His skills will hold, if he stays healthy, through his contract. What he brings to this team is worth every penny.
Pay the man. He's built a HOF career on being worth every penny he's paid. A safe investment IMO.
Skrull!Oh, I agree that Duncan will be worth the money. (Did anyone think I'd say he wouldn't be?
As has been pointed out, Duncan's game has never been dependent on athleticism alone. His skills will hold, if he stays healthy, through his contract. What he brings to this team is worth every penny.
i dont regret it, his leadership will be better, his defense wont fall off too much either. i dont think many spurs fans regret that decision to extend him.
What a stupid question. what kind of bull is this? Revisionist History Hoopla, I believe.
It is way the contract game works. Real Good players are rewarded at the their end of the term. This is nothing new.
Shaq didn't bring Miami 4 les and become the best player in the history of their organization when they signed his extension. Different situation here. This is like DRob II, just as important to keep in this tight knit Spurs family atmosphere.
Duncan will put 20/10 as long as he wants. He doesn't fully use his body to play great.
Lol, are you for real?
In the end TD's skills may decline but the leadership and intangibles he bring will remain.
You have a man who brought 4 championships, and without a fail brought this team to the playoffs year in, year out. , that to me makes real basketball business sense, because you tell the fans out there that as an organization, the Spurs give credit where credit is due. And the fans will continue to support the franchise for that.
Basketball isn't always about winning, and I can guarantee you that Tim Duncan has put a lot of money in HoltCats pockets...
It's a little backwards but there were a few years we were underpaying him, if there are a couple we overpay him, that's fine by me.
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