Duncan Would Have Fit With Celtics

[duncan228]

With Duncan taking the heat tonight for an off game it seemed like a good time to remember what we are so lucky to have, and how he's seen by others.

From the Detroit News, December 31, 2008.

Duncan would have fit with Celtics
Chris McCosky

AUBURN HILLS -- Don't show this to former Celtics coach and president Rick Pitino; he might just hurl himself to the floor and assume a fetal position.

Veteran NBA writer Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News recently hit Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and Timberwolves coach Kevin McHale with this question: How would Tim Duncan's career have gone had the Celtics got the No. 1 pick back in 1997?

Pitino, who now is at Kentucky and was running the Celtics at the time, already knows the answer, of course. He had two first-round picks that year and thought for sure he had enough ping-pong balls to get the No. 1 pick and a quick trip to the NBA Finals. He wound up instead with Chauncey Billups at No. 3 and Ron Mercer at No. 6.

"Tim plays a little like (Larry) Bird and (Kevin) McHale played," Popovich told the News-Express. "He has an innate understanding of the game and spatial relationships, what teammates are going to do and what's needed at a certain time. Never in a hurry. Always a patient, skillful player who understands the situation.

"I think that's how Kevin played, that's how Larry played. He's almost an anachronism. He's a throwback. He'd have been a great Celtic with those guys."

McHale, a sixth man on those great Celtics teams of the '80s, didn't dispute that.

"There's guys that transcend whenever you play, and he's one of those guys," McHale said. "He could have played in the 1960s, '70s or '80s ... the '90s, 2000s, 2020, 2030.

"He's a very gifted, smart basketball player, and if you take the gifts you're blessed with and put some intelligence on top of that, which he's done, the game becomes very simple."

Since drafting Duncan, the Spurs have won four NBA championships. It took the Celtics six seasons just to get into the playoffs after the 1997 draft and 11 years to finally win a le.

"Tim's the wise old vet," McHale said. "Some guys aren't blessed with both the mental and physical capabilities of great stuff. Tim has them, and that's what makes him so effective."

[m33p0]

le implies he would have a fit playing against them


Nice article 228

that's how i read the le.

wasn't this interview published just prior to 1st spurs-wolves game?

[mrspurs]

No idea how Timmy would have played in Green. Would he have as many les? I know he plays perfect in San Antonio. And its easy to say we wouldnt have any les without him. Of course Timmy alone isnt gonna bring ya les. But in Boston, they're serious about basketball. So Id have to believe they would have put all the pieces around Timmy to make him successful. Something the FO hasnt done around here as of late imo.