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Duncan: I expect him to be better than Chris Webber
I know he hates being called a 5, but he in all reality plays like one, so once Ian gets here, is he going to be the 4 and Duncan going to be the 5?
Also, if he is as good as I am getting the impression the Spurs think he is going to be, which due to the general lack of literature on him it's been slightly diffucult to gauge, is Duncan going to begin deffering to Ian the way Robinson was deffering to Duncan? Bilieve it or not, Duncan's apex is fast approaching, he is going to be 32 in 4 years, by which time Ian will be 22, and generally speaking 32 is the point at which many big men begin to decline. Even shaq's numbers were down significantly this year, after he turned 32 years old.
I intent this thread to be about Duncan more than this Ian chap, so tell me what you think about where he will be as a player when Ian gets here.
Duncan: I expect him to be better than Chris Webber
Ask me in about 3.8 years.
I expect by then we will know if rasho is still a spur along with nazr
Uh, it's a little early to project Mahinmi into the starting lineup. Let him get a full year starting in France before you even think about him coming to the NBA.
The Spurs are good in the draft but to expect any 28 pick to start is foolish. If he's an NBA player in five years, it was a good pick.
I predict this guy will end up being a C...
Oh and Duncan is going to be an MVP candidate well into his thirties IMO...He's built to last better than Drob...and Drob lasted a long time.
I still haven't seen anyone explain how Duncan's game would change if you started calling him a center.
#1, he might not make ALL NBA for the 9th time, because there is only one center on the team...that is why.
It doesn't change. Tim plays 4 and 5 all the time. He's a pivot and always will be.
Mahinmi turned 18 in November so the kid may still grow an inch or two. You never know. He may turn out to be so-so as an NBA player. Let's not put much thought into him right now and let the colt become a thoroughbred (we hope).
That's not his game. RIF.#1, he might not make ALL NBA for the 9th time, because there is only one center on the team...that is why.Bingo.It doesn't change. Tim plays 4 and 5 all the time. He's a pivot and always will be.
Mahinmi will do the jumpball so he's the center.
Spurs undoubtedly x-rayed him and know if his growth plates are open or not. DRob was what, 6'7 or so when he was 18.
Mahinmi may grow another couple of inches, but his wingspan and current style of play better fit a center. Duncan's been a 4 occasionally switching to 5 for a long time and I don't expect that to change. Mahinmi is much more likely to a center than Scola, from what I can see, but I doubt he'd be starting soon enough to matter what Duncan does.
As for Duncan, I expect when he gets there that he will decline gracefully - he clearly learned how to do that from the best. Apart from that, while many big mean hit their apex around 32 or 33, Duncan is built to last longer than the average big man because his game is based on fundamentals instead of athleticism. When your game is based on pure athleticism or even 50% based on that, you begin to decline in your athleticism in your thirties. Duncan's game is based more on skill and that skill will serve him his entire career. He'll be around into his late thirties, maybe longer.
The boy (Timmy) needs to get him some different shoes. Too many ankle sprains in those models.
Wasnt Tony a 28 pick?
Yes, but the Spurs didn't know he was going to start in his rookie year. They knew he was a good prospect ... but he turned out to be a great prospect.
You can't assume the same will happen with every pick the Spurs make from now on.
you needed to ask something like this:
after Scola & Ian join Duncan on the 1st team all NBA which one do we bring off the bench as the energy guy?
when you dream... dream big
Yes we can. [/homer]
If we pick up Webber after he gets cut, I say R2D's name be officially changed to Webber2Duncan.
I think that it makes more sense to think that Duncan would gradually cede more and more of the scoring load onto Parker and Ginobili, rather than a 22 year old who if you squint at the video, looks like a young Kevin Garnett out there (in terms of physical build). With that said, Tim is going to age better than your average bear. If he can get his ankles back to full strength this summer and avoid picking up any more nagging injuries I think he'll be an MVP candidate well into his thirties.
Kareem was the same way. Not too athletic, but very fundamentally sound. He was great into his 40s. I'm not saying Duncan will be good that long, but barring any major injuries, he has a chance.
People lose athleticism, but the fundamentals are always there.
I can't say for certain anything would change(IMO Duncan is and always has been a C)...but Duncan obviously feels that it would...he is on record as saying he doesn't want to be the C...Tony Parker has repeated this...
There are two reasons I can think of...
1.Ego and status...Duncan can never be considered the greatest C of all time...he might not even be able to say he's the greatest to play for the Spurs....He also will have to fight China to make the All Star Game....
As a PF he owns the NBA and it's history books.
2.What's the name of Pop and Duncans favorite play(you know, that one AHF is always complaining about)? I am just going to assume you know it.
So that means...the answer(for what Duncan feels will change if he moves to C full time):
#2.
Why?
Let's a take a look at what has historically made a player a C or a PF...
Defense:
Difference between a C and a PF...if the guy can block shots he's usually considered a C on D....no matter what he does on offense...I am pretty sure Duncan is the greatest shotblocking PF ever...He's been in a unique situation...C usually takes the toughest C PF defensive assignment(always with exceptions). Either way...Duncan is a C on defense already...The C and PF slots on the Spurs are totally interchangeable.
Offense:
If a guy has a good mid J and can dribble and drive he's usually a PF...
If he can't he's a C...Get the ball closer into the paint and basket, backing down your defender...limited chances for dribble penetration...score primarily off layups, dunks and hooks...
Historically the C has been the biggest guy on the court...although that's not really the case anymore...
Since I know Duncan doesn't even want to play the All Star Game...and doesn't care what people think of him...#1 isn't the reason he doesn't want to play C...
Defensively he pretty much is a C...a damn good one in fact......and it makes no true difference on the Spurs anyway...
So that leaves offense...it has to be offense...
Duncan's favorite play is 4 down...that is a PF play...he gets the ball in postion to drive, to dunk, can back his man down(this is why Barkley calls Duncan the greatest PF ever),to shoot straight from mid range, to bank it, it's the play he is best able to draw fouls out of..
Regardless of how brilliant Duncan is working under the basket with his putbacks and garbage work(not mention his awesome scoring moves that any C in the NBA would kill for)...
Duncan likes getting the ball in the traditional 4 spot the best...he's most comfortable getting the ball there...he feels he can do more things getting the ball there.
That's why he doesn't want to play C...he thinks if he moves to C he will get the ball closer to the basket and won't have as much flexibility to score as he does at the 4 spot.
That's the only logical reason for Duncan to feel the way he does about moving to C...
I know you'll say that Pop isn't going to run 4 down less for Duncan just because he's calling himself a Center...
But obviously Duncan feels that he's not going to get as many opportunities to get the ball using his pet play...or else he wouldn't be against playing C.
That's my take anyway...
4 down...
They would just call it 5 down.
They don't call it 4 down because of Duncan...4 being the key word there....
And you need to tell that to Duncan...he's the one that doesn't want to do it.
And the Spurs already have a play called 5 down anyway...
True.
But I think Duncan likes getting the ball pretty low, depending on the matchup.
Can you imagine Duncan thinking "I can't get the ball to close to the basket against Reggie Evans -- someone might call me a center!"
Dude, whottt. Are you trying for the record or something? You put the "super' in the word superfluous.
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