Just saw it on ESPN. Anyone with insider care to share it?
Duncan playing more than expected?
8:31PM ET
Tim Duncan | Spurs
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Before the season started, ESPN the Magazine's Ric Bucher wrote an article detailing Gregg Popovich's planned usage for Tim Duncan.
Essentially, the plan was to try and limit Duncan's minutes this season to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Bucher wrote this at the time: "Duncan likely won't play in back-to-back games all season. Manu Ginobili may not either. Of course, none of this matters if you don't win enough games to make the playoffs."
None of it matters now, because the Spurs are struggling to play .500 ball at 9-9 and are currently ninth in the West. As such, in the 16 games Duncan has played this season, he's seen over 30 minutes of action in all but two of them.
As ESPN Affiliate site 48 Minutes of points out, Duncan is putting the team on his back right now.
"But through 18 games, those horses have come up lame. Rather than getting a lift from the supporting cast, Tim Duncan is playing with MVP-efficiency and barely keeping the Spurs at a half-respectable .500," writes Tim Varner. "If the Spurs recover from their start of sputter and stall, Tim Duncan ought to be placed at the center of the MVP conversation. He's threatening a career season, at least in terms of efficiency. And it's all lost on a 9-9 start."
If the Spurs aren't coasting, Duncan's load will continue. And that means less fresh legs come playoff time ... if the Spurs are even there.
Thanks Fdawg07
So 'Insider', at least as it pertains to the Spurs, is nothing more than some good pub for 48MoH, huh..
He always has.
I didn't know 48MOH was affiliated with espn
yeah they're affiliated with the ESPN's TrueHoops blog network
48MOH better be getting a check in the mail
Duncan deserves better. He got the offensive firepower from the rest this game.
Tim's jump hook from the right base line last night was NBN and so efficiently, effortlessly beautiful.
The team, again, doesn't have another typical big man that can help Duncan in the post. McDyess and Blair, though talented in some aspects as undersized role playing bigs, are not going to be what Duncan can provide all around in the same position. And for their size, Bonner and Ratliff don't have that skill set as well.
If Duncan has to do all season what he's doing now, (minutes played), this is taking a huge risk at not being able to do what he's doing now as effiectively at the end of the season.
Does that mean the Spurs, if they can, pull the trigger on a deal to get another athlectic typical big?
Tough call. IMO, it would depend on what the team would be willing to give up in other areas where they have abundant strength. And that would mean having to give up Parker or Ginobili.
Would you do it if it meant getting that prototypical athlectic big to help keep Duncan fresh for the playoffs?
Though I would hate to see either leave...I would if it meant increasing the team's chances of keeping Duncan fresh and greater odds in competing for another le.
48MoH has nothing to do with what ends up on Insider.
Maybe there is an argument about the "difficulty" of the minutes played, but as far as total minutes I think Pop is managing Tim as planned. He's only averaging 32.4 minutes per game.
I still laugh when sports writers pull the "if they even make the playoffs"... that is funny to me.
if Tim could play as little as 29-30 minutes a game, i think he'll be completely rested up come playoff time.
but in order for that to happen, RJ and Manu have to step it up big time.
Timmy not what he was but still a great great player. People writing him off were wrong..
Duncan playing more than expected?
8:31PM ET
Tim Duncan | Spurs
Top Email
Essentially, the plan was to try and limit Duncan's minutes this season to keep him fresh for the playoffs. Bucher wrote this at the time: "Duncan likely won't play in back-to-back games all season. Manu Ginobili may not either. Of course, none of this matters if you don't win enough games to make the playoffs."
None of it matters now, because the Spurs are struggling to play .500 ball at 9-9 and are currently ninth in the West. As such, in the 16 games Duncan has played this season, he's seen over 30 minutes of action in all but two of them.
As ESPN Affiliate site 48 Minutes of points out, Duncan is putting the team on his back right now.
"But through 18 games, those horses have come up lame. Rather than getting a lift from the supporting cast, Tim Duncan is playing with MVP-efficiency and barely keeping the Spurs at a half-respectable .500," writes Tim Varner. "If the Spurs recover from their start of sputter and stall, Tim Duncan ought to be placed at the center of the MVP conversation. He's threatening a career season, at least in terms of efficiency. And it's all lost on a 9-9 start."
If the Spurs aren't coasting, Duncan's load will continue. And that means less fresh legs come playoff time ... if the Spurs are even there.
That's how I knew this was the work of espn
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