Was Tim Duncan Traded?

[sheriee84]

Since the Cavs got into the Finals all I've heard is how Cleveland has the best player in the NBA...
Lebron James is good, but TD is, by far, the best player in the NBA. The thing people don't appreciate about Tim is that he is unselfish... He doesn't care what he scores as long as his team comes out on top. He can score 30+ points a game, but no one would notice because he isn't flashy. Lebron seems to be haughty and thinks he can do it all by himself... But he is in for a rude awakening when he finds out that a team can beat a single player any day.

[dbreiden83080]

Because people don't know what to look for anymore in the NBA. They see a guy in James who can dominate on offense and they say wow he is the best player in the league. What they don't understand is Duncan can get double and triple teamed and find the open man while at the same time playing great D and rebounding all night long. If James is not shooting or finding his teamates he is pretty much useless because he is not a big factor on the defensive end. Tim is the anchor of the Spurs D and any educated fan knows he is still the best all around player in the NBA.

[TDMVPDPOY]

wtf is tim duncan anyway?

does he play for the spurs? you talkin about tottenham hotspurs yeh

[sheriee84]

I agree.... everyone wants a flashy offensive player, because they are the ones who get the commercial deals and bring in ratings for ESPN... Duncan isn't flashy and he concentrate on defense more than offense. Unfortunately there aren't many people who ARE educated enough to realize this

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Since the Cavs got into the Finals all I've heard is how Cleveland has the best player in the NBA...
Lebron James is good, but TD is, by far, the best player in the NBA. The thing people don't appreciate about Tim is that he is unselfish... He doesn't care what he scores as long as his team comes out on top. He can score 30+ points a game, but no one would notice because he isn't flashy. Lebron seems to be haughty and thinks he can do it all by himself... But he is in for a rude awakening when he finds out that a team can beat a single player any day.

Dont confuse Lebron with his fans. While they may make stupid commentary James really shows some class. For a guy that has pretty much had anything anyone could ever ask for come to him from the age of 18 and on he shows an immense amount of humility.

[spursjustice]

Lebron may be king but Duncan is God... ok... that's a little too much... but he's easily better than Lebron...

[sheriee84]

Humilitty??? He's told his team that HE would win it for them... that sounds pretty darn haughty to me...

[sheriee84]

Did his comment not sound just a LITTLE y to anyone else???

[sheriee84]

This post isn't really about Lebron though... I just think Tim should get the credit he deserves.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Humilitty??? He's told his team that HE would win it for them... that sounds pretty darn haughty to me...

Hes talking to his teammates and he did win it for them. Hes the best palayer on their team; whats he supposed to say? "Don't count on me. I'll just choke."

Its how he acts when hes talking to other teams and the media that he stands out. Someone had a quote from him earlier where he gave a ton of props to Tim and said he was no Tim Duncan.

Compared him to say kobe or carmelo and its night and day.

[sheriee84]

I don't think he ever disrespected tim or anyone else.... I just think that he thinks he can do everything himself, and that he is the only one on his team worth anything.... If tim thought that way and said something like that to his teammates, Manu and Tony and Bowen wouldn't be what they are now. But, tim has always been a team player, and knows he can'tt win by himself.

[TDMVPDPOY]

tim duncan doesnt have to prove , since he has been there, done that

he came, he saw, he conquered.

yeh thats right a battle of david and goliath.

in this situation duncan>tim>lebronze

duncan = playoff mode
tim = regular season mode
cruise mode is a biatch

[Summers]

Dont confuse Lebron with his fans. While they may make stupid commentary James really shows some class. For a guy that has pretty much had anything anyone could ever ask for come to him from the age of 18 and on he shows an immense amount of humility.

I'll go so far as to say he hasn't been completely y and arrogant about it, but he's hardly been humble. Much props to LeBron--he's an amazing player and seems cool and funny and all that, but I can't help but wonder if his teammates get tired of his being the center of the universe.

[Rummpd]

Mike Wise in Washington Post had article today = Duncan best player in finals and by far!

[Summers]

In fact, I'm probably the most humble person in the nba.

Doesn't he have "Chosen One" tattooed across his back?

[BWJACKETS]

Not sure how you can say that Duncan is better than Lebron when Duncan has all the help that he does and Lebron still does much more with what he does have. If LBJ had Parker and Ginobli to play alongside he would be averaging a triple-double, the fact of the matter is Duncan can only play his unselfish style of basketball, which isn't a bad thing, however Lebron can play that same style of basketball OR pick up the tempo and be the dynamic scorer. Lebron can play either of those styles of basketball, Duncan can only play one...and Duncan has much more help offensively than Lebron has so he doesn't deal with the same kind of doubles (and triples) that Lebron does. Duncan might get triple-teamed two or three times in a game , Lebron periodically is triple-teamed for entire quarters at a time.

It is a tough comparison to make, I am not willing to say that Duncan is better than Lebron or Lebron is better than Duncan. I hear what you guys are saying that Duncan is so consistant because of his unselfishness and talent and skills, but Lebron is every bit as good of a player and I would argue is MUCH more dangerous than Duncan is. Lebron can do it all as well.

[easjer]

I think the fact that LeBron does work so hard to get his teammates involved and is generally willing to step up and take blame and push other people forward for praise is a big thing, especially in such a young kid. I'm not going to say he's the most humble player in the NBA - he's definitely got a high evaluation of his own talents - but he tries. And I think that says a lot about him and I think it's the right at ude.

It's at least far enough away from the Jordan or Kobe at ude to make me marvel at him.

Regardless, Duncan is perfectly happy to be out of the spotlight - I think he prefers it. He'll be very happy to have the light shine on LeBron until he's holding up the trophies, I think.

[easjer]

Not sure how you can say that Duncan is better than Lebron when Duncan has all the help that he does and Lebron still does much more with what he does have. If LBJ had Parker and Ginobli to play alongside he would be averaging a triple-double, the fact of the matter is Duncan can only play his unselfish style of basketball, which isn't a bad thing, however Lebron can play that same style of basketball OR pick up the tempo and be the dynamic scorer. Lebron can play either of those styles of basketball, Duncan can only play one...and Duncan has much more help offensively than Lebron has so he doesn't deal with the same kind of doubles (and triples) that Lebron does. Duncan might get triple-teamed two or three times in a game , Lebron periodically is triple-teamed for entire quarters at a time.

It is a tough comparison to make, I am not willing to say that Duncan is better than Lebron or Lebron is better than Duncan. I hear what you guys are saying that Duncan is so consistant because of his unselfishness and talent and skills, but Lebron is every bit as good of a player and I would argue is MUCH more dangerous than Duncan is. Lebron can do it all as well.

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69939

The above post from yesterday is how you can say Tim Duncan is better than LeBron James. Perhaps in 10 years time, when LeBron has had more success and a better supporting cast things may be different. But it's not just about team wins/championships - those are individual statistics.

No one (except Ducks a few others) are denying that LeBron is a talented, gifted basketball player. But people are already, well before the end of his career, talking about Tim Duncan as one of the best players in his position ever, and among one of the best basketball players of all time. Lots of people like to think (with good reason) that LeBron might get there, but Timmy is there.

You may not get to watch him much, so you may not realize . . . there is certainly something to be discounted from his fanbase. He himself is not one to parade it about and it rarely gets mentioned because he himself is so quiet and unassuming. But look at the stats, read that post. It tells the tale.

Additionally, Duncan is ENTIRELY capable of taking over a game. He most certainly CAN be a scorer. I think that it is all the more impressive for him to have ac ulated the stats he has given that he does generally play such an unselfish style of basketball and does have the supporting cast he has.

Because LeBron does not have that cast, it is not possible to say whether or not he will develop the ability to know when to flip the switch back and forth and be able to do it easily and gracefully. It's not something that Jordan or Kobe ever mastered imo. It certainly seems LeBron might be more capable than either of them because he has a team mentality that they lacked - but that can go too far in the other direction to the point of stifling his natural talents. It's another reason that it's fruitless to try and compare - with LeBron it's speculation, with Duncan, it is.

[mabber]

This post isn't really about Lebron though... I just think Tim should get the credit he deserves.

How much more credit do you want Duncan to get??? He gets plenty of credit for being one of the top players in the league and having 3 rings (soon 4). The NBA is just trying to make money. It's an easy call to promote LeBron over Duncan just cuz of their style of play. It has nothing to do with credit It's all about MONEY!!! The NBA is trying to reel in the casual fan who doesn't follow the NBA year around like most of us do.

[BWJACKETS]

http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=69939

The above post from yesterday is how you can say Tim Duncan is better than LeBron James. Perhaps in 10 years time, when LeBron has had more success and a better supporting cast things may be different. But it's not just about team wins/championships - those are individual statistics.

No one (except Ducks a few others) are denying that LeBron is a talented, gifted basketball player. But people are already, well before the end of his career, talking about Tim Duncan as one of the best players in his position ever, and among one of the best basketball players of all time. Lots of people like to think (with good reason) that LeBron might get there, but Timmy is there.

You may not get to watch him much, so you may not realize . . . there is certainly something to be discounted from his fanbase. He himself is not one to parade it about and it rarely gets mentioned because he himself is so quiet and unassuming. But look at the stats, read that post. It tells the tale.

I've gotten to see Duncan play, and yes, he is very good, but I would not say for a second he is better than Lebron. Strictly based on talent/skill and what each guy does on the court, you cannot say for sure who is better. You are simply trying to fill in the blank by saying "Duncan has been around longer, therefore he must be better," and it just kind of seems like you have thrown your own bias into the equation for good measure.

[sandman]

LeBron is an amazingly gifted player who took some major steps in his level of play this post season. He is a generally likable guy and does display a respect for the history of the game and for his peers.

Some of his fans on the other hand...

[implacable44]

Not sure how you can say that Duncan is better than Lebron when Duncan has all the help that he does and Lebron still does much more with what he does have. If LBJ had Parker and Ginobli to play alongside he would be averaging a triple-double, the fact of the matter is Duncan can only play his unselfish style of basketball, which isn't a bad thing, however Lebron can play that same style of basketball OR pick up the tempo and be the dynamic scorer. Lebron can play either of those styles of basketball, Duncan can only play one...and Duncan has much more help offensively than Lebron has so he doesn't deal with the same kind of doubles (and triples) that Lebron does. Duncan might get triple-teamed two or three times in a game , Lebron periodically is triple-teamed for entire quarters at a time.

It is a tough comparison to make, I am not willing to say that Duncan is better than Lebron or Lebron is better than Duncan. I hear what you guys are saying that Duncan is so consistant because of his unselfishness and talent and skills, but Lebron is every bit as good of a player and I would argue is MUCH more dangerous than Duncan is. Lebron can do it all as well.

Duncan can score at will and has proven that fact many times. See the WCF last year when he just dominated the Mavs on one foot. As far as double or triple teams - Duncan sees them all the time -- it is actually easier to double or triple TD because of the spots where he gets the ball. It is more difficult to run at Lebron because he typically gets isolated at the top or on the wing. ( I Think the Pistons didn't double him hardly at all the first 4 games until he burned them in game 5 right ?)..

I am not sure what "talent" you are talking about that surrounds Duncan either. I mean you got the Big Z, two hustle players in Crazy e and Gooden who clean up the boards forhis highness -- Damon JOnes and Gibson who must be "great" because that is all I have read lately is how "great" he is and how Cleveland knew he was "great" when they drafted him. There is Donyell Marshall who has always been a quality player in the L and of course Larry Hughes who was good for 21 ppg with Washington - incidentally he comes to Cleveland and can't get 13 per...Did Lebron make him better or worse?

The Spurs are the oldest team in the league with the most predictable offense since Stockton to Malone....They have a PG that is a shoot first and dominate the ball dribbler name PArker - Manu who is erratic and a flopper - Bowen who is one dimensional and virtually u seless in this series because he cannot hold Lebron. Fransisco Elson at center and a pump faking - fade-a-way shooting 2 guard in Finley who plays no D. LEts not forget about Horry who can give you 15 minutes every other night and has been reduced from big shot bob to designated thug according to most - Bones who registers as many DNP's as he does good games... Jaque Vaughn who is most famous for being clowned on Sportscenter for not scoring in some 20 or so straight games ....Fabio and some red headed dude who comes in for a minute or so every now and then.

How do the Spurs have a better roster? This is contrary to everything Cavs fan has said lately on this board.

Best player in the world is debatable - Some would say TD - some Lebron and most would say Kobe.

At the end of the day Lebron is a beast - just as much as Shaq is. You are not supposed to be a very quick 6'8" - 240 with handles - a jumper, court vision AND HOPS? He is a physical beast - too strong for anybody that guards him and too quick for most. He is the perimeter Shaq. Shaq got swept his first finals though.....

[reddog 99]

Apparently so and we now have an impostor on our roster!


NBA.com current vote tallies?


Who will win MVP of the 2007 NBA Finals?
LeBron James

60%

Tim Duncan

29%

Manu Ginobili

5%

Daniel Gibson

3%

Tony Parker

3%

[sandman]

I've gotten to see Duncan play, and yes, he is very good, but I would not say for a second he is better than Lebron. Strictly based on talent/skill and what each guy does on the court, you cannot say for sure who is better. You are simply trying to fill in the blank by saying "Duncan has been around longer, therefore he must be better," and it just kind of seems like you have thrown your own bias into the equation for good measure.

It is tough to compare each of their bodies of work when they are still playing. IMO, some are saying that right now today Duncan would be considered the better player because he has proven himself at every level ( les, MVP's, All-NBA) for a decade. At some point LeBron may surpass those accomplishments in his career, but he has not at this point. Arguing about whether someone is a superior player cannot be based on potential. In their respective current bodies of work, Tim is the better player. The conversation may very well be different in 10 years as LeBron is a great player with great potential. But right here, right now, the nod has to go to Tim.

[MadDog73]

How much more credit do you want Duncan to get??? He gets plenty of credit for being one of the top players in the league and having 3 rings (soon 4). The NBA is just trying to make money. It's an easy call to promote LeBron over Duncan just cuz of their style of play. It has nothing to do with credit It's all about MONEY!!! The NBA is trying to reel in the casual fan who doesn't follow the NBA year around like most of us do.

The problem with this line of thinking is: what happens when Lebron (or another superstar), is not in the playoffs. The casual fan thinks Duncan is boring. It's not being a homer saying this is a bad idea in general for the NBA, it's just being observant.

Ask yourself this question: If the league had been promoting Tim like Lebron since 1999, do you the ratings would be so bad?

Look, I have no problem with Lebron, and as a basketball fan, I'm glad he'll be in the Finals so the ratings will be high.

But, I have to say, the NBA misses great opportunities for marketing. ie, 2003, they could have gone into great detail into David Robinson and his story during the Finals. They didn't. Instead, they decided to review summer movies during halftime (no joke!).

In short, the current NBA ratings slump was in part created by the NBA by hyping teams and players that very rarely make it to the Finals.