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I actually see Manu forced into retirement before Timmy does because his body can't handle it anymore. Timmy has looked really great out there lately and I can see him playing a few more years.
http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/p...-reserve-picks
By Marc Stein
Duncan has never loved postgame media briefings, but he finds that topic particularly annoying these days. He's not about to expend energy in February providing updates on his future when just getting through this lockout-shortened season is demanding enough.
It's a topic that's surely going to keep coming up, with Duncan's 36th birthday looming on April 25 and modest averages of 13.7 points and 7.5 rebounds in 27.2 minutes per game in the final year of his contract. Yet it's clear that Duncan isn't going chime in until he has to, preferring to focus on a schedule he finds to be far more of a grind than the lockout-shortened season in 1999 that ended with the first of Duncan's four championships.
That's not because he finds 66 games in 123 days to be so much more withering than 50 games in 90 regular-season days in '99. Duncan arrived at that conclusion purely because of his age.
"This does not feel like '99," Duncan said. "In '99, I was a deer. I would just run all day. This is a couple years after that."
Duncan's most expansive comments on the subject, offered to the San Antonio Express-News at the start of training camp, would appear to be promising if you're rooting for TD to play on. "I haven't gotten to that bridge yet," Duncan said in December. "I don't even see that bridge yet. When I get there, I'll cross it."
And longtime teammate Manu Ginobili, for what it's worth, told the paper that "I really don't believe it's going to be [Duncan's] last season."
I hope not. I'll be crushed when he stops playing. I'll even miss the short interview answers. I've had the privilege of covering most of Duncan's playoff career from fairly close proximity and thus struggle to imagine life in the wild, wild Western Conference without him, even if it's been four years since San Antonio's last le, which is the longest stretch of Duncan's 14-year career without a ring.
There are still nights, after all, when vintage Timmy reappears, so dismiss the Spurs and their recons uted supporting cast at your peril ... provided that Ginobili makes a full recovery from the broken hand that sidelined him just five games in. Wednesday was one of those nights -- albeit just the third time all season that Duncan was San Antonio's top scorer -- as he rumbled for 25 points in a home win over red-hot Houston.
I actually see Manu forced into retirement before Timmy does because his body can't handle it anymore. Timmy has looked really great out there lately and I can see him playing a few more years.
Last edited by TMTTRIO; 02-04-2012 at 09:41 AM.
Manu is unlucky with injuries. Elbow, ankle, now pinky. Everytime something else. It isnt like, Yao , Oden or Roy, where they couldnt get healthy with one injury.
That is precisely why I see plenty of silver lining in Manu's latest injury. His body is getting oh so much rest and he will come back with just enough remaining regular season time to get ready for one last memorable playoff run. This could be an exciting year for the Spurs after all!
A healthy Duncan's always been one of the better bigs in the league, even last season. Unfortunately he hurt his ankle in the second half of season and tweaked it again in the Grizzlies series. Also going up against the behemoth that is Marc Gasol was going to be a challenge anyway for Duncan since Duncan's been losing some weight and strength.
Duncan's far from done and with Coach Pop's minutes management, it'll stay that way until "the wheels fall off"
Even with the stats down Duncan is loved by the spurs org and fans....many will cry when he finally hangs his jersey in the rafters.
That's just what you call injury prone.
I fully admit that performances, like his most recent one versus the Rockets, are vintage Tim Duncan. It serves notice that he is still one of the better post players in the NBA - on some nights. That's the guy all us Spurs fans used to see almost every night. Howeever, we all must face the reality that THAT player comes around only on occasion.
When the sentimental novelty wears off and you see performances, like the most recent one he had versus the T-Wolves, only serves notice that the end is approaching - whether Tim admits it or not.
I just hope the Spurs can hurry and get another young, athletic PF on this team by next season, so that kid can have the luxury and privledge of playing with and absorbing knowledge and tricks from the greatest PF to ever play this game.
As much as I hate to admit it, he's a rejuvenated bag.
I'd still have Duncan play the 4th qtr of any important game over Dwight Howard or Andrew Bynum...
Just because he doesn't put up bulk stats in the stat sheet doesn't mean he can't provide meaningful minutes.. there's more to the game of basketball than numbers.
If its numbers that all of you go by, then play fantasy basketball. But we all know the Spurs have been built as a team where every player has an important role and that individual egos and stats are not important.
Duncan is still VERY important to the success of this team and is still very useful to the spurs regardless of his individual stats I hope we can keep him for a few more years.
Last edited by G-Dawgg; 02-04-2012 at 03:07 PM.
But it is not the reason to force him to retire.
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