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you stop him by kicking him between the legs not that difficult
How to stop Tim Duncan
Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 2 hours ago
Forget about all those power rankings that don't have the Spurs towering above the rest of the league.
Because Ray Allen can be bullied into marginality, the Sonics are not designed to excel in the rough-and-tumble playoffs. Because the Suns bench is so thin, the starters are playing too many minutes to keep all of their body parts intact. (Ditto for Miami.) Because the Kings are still soft around the edges (to say nothing about Bobby Jacskon being out for the duration), Sacramento is fatally inconsistent. Because Detroit thinks they can turn on their championship game plan whenever the spirit moves them, the Pistons are living in a dream world.
Forget about records and winning streaks, the best team in the NBA is the San Antonio Spurs. Period.
While we're at it, forget about Manu Ginobili's crafty creativity, Tony Parker's improved shooting accuracy and fleetness afoot, Bruce Bowen's defense and long-range shooting, Malik Rose's ressurection, Brent Barry's kinetic 3-ball power, and Gregg Popovich's genius. The Spurs' destiny rides on the performance of the NBA's most supreme player — Tim Duncan.
This guy is so good that his brilliance was even foretold by Shakespeare:
"Besides, this Duncan ... hath been so clear in his great office, that his virtues/ Will plead like angels ... "
Even so, TD is still a "human mortal" with all the weaknesses attendant to that condition. So here's how to take full advantage of those weaknesses to control Duncan and defeat the Spurs:
One option is to simply play Duncan straight-up, concede his 40 points, and try to shut down everybody else. The biggest danger here is that Duncan might very well shoot 20 free throws (and if his current numbers hold true, make 13 of them), and cripple the Spurs' opponents with foul trouble. This tactic can work but necessitates a deep bench and a game-long commitment.
Zones can be effective if used sparingly — especially a 2-3 alignment to surround Duncan and deny him the ball. The trade-off is that a pass covers more ground more quickly than a defender can shuffle, slide, or even run full-speed.
One way to stop Tim Duncan is to muscle him off his favorite spots. (Steve Yeater / AP)
Accordingly, snappy reversal passes will easily uncover an unguarded shooter (Bruce Bowen, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Robert Horry, and/or Brent Barry). If their shots are falling, then so will their opponents.
Another way to reckon with Duncan is for his opposite numbers to muscle him off his favorite spots — a tactic that's more difficult this year because of the NBA's newly-mandated no-defense rules. It's still possible, however, to overplay Duncan's top-side shoulder as soon as he receives the ball (his left shoulder when he's on the right box, and vice versa). The idea is to deny him the middle, force him to turn baseline, then quickly plug the paint with another big man.
Hopefully, Duncan will suc b to the temptation to shoot jumpers without benefit of the backboards-or else have to pass through or over four long arms.
If done correctly, doubling Duncan in the low-post is always a sound strategy. However, he should be jumped on the move and not on the catch because he has considerable trouble picking up his dribble (especially going left) and making the right pass. Also, Duncan is so big and so long that doubling him after he catches an entry pass enables him to calmly scan the floor until he can identify (and unload the ball to) an open teammate. Because TD is much better at passing to perimeter players than to cutters, the player guarding the weak-side big man should jump into the middle while the other three play denial defense.
Furthermore, when TD is double-teamed on either block and subsequently unloads the ball to a perimeter player, he sometimes gets too lazy to re-post.
It also should be noted that Duncan needs to set up his favorite moves by executing a single dribble in the low-post. This maneuver allows him to stretch forward or pull-up for a short jumper or jump hook, step through and under for a flipper, or make a reverse spin to find an appropriate angle for one of his bankers. That's why the timing of the double-team is crucial-the doubler should be moving before Duncan's initial dribble hits the floor.
Duncan has a much stronger presence on the left box than on the right. In the latter position, he's wont to dribble once toward the middle, then pivot baseline for his deadly right-handed jump hook. That's why, whenever TD does plant himself on the left box he should be overplayed baseline, sent to the paint, and quickly two-timed.
Here's your chance to fire back at Charley Rosen. Got a question or a comment? Submit it below and Charley will respond to the best ones in regular mailbag features.
Subject:
Duncan can also be fronted. Defenses can put maximum pressure on the erstwhile passer and compel him to execute the perfect pass, i.e., one that is not just looped over the post-defender, but is thrown higher, deeper and aimed toward the lower-front edge of the backboard, allowing Duncan room to separate himself from his man and move to meet the ball.
This is a difficult touch-pass to throw, even for hardened NBA veterans. It's also a risky business since the Spurs are one of the league's most intelligent squads, and will undoubtedly shift the weak-side big man to the foul line. As long as Duncan can turn and seal his own defender on his back, a pass to the high-poster creates a clear lane for another pass into TD for a layup. Still, just to keep the Spurs from getting too comfortable, TD should be fronted every few minutes.
Of course, the best way to slow down a scorer is to make him work harder than he wants to work on defense. For sure the refs are always reluctant to saddle Duncan with early foul trouble (being fully aware that he's a Double-MVP), yet he should be frequently posted and iso-ed. And when driving to the bucket, the ball must be taken into Duncan's body to cramp his reach and diminish his shot-blocking capabilities.
Should Duncan catch the ball fifteen feet or so from the basket, then let him shoot, shoot, shoot until his right arm gets weary. Jump shooters don't nab too many offensive rebounds. Also, if his shooting angle is less than 45 degrees (computed from the horizontal plane of the backboard), Duncan is often unsure whether to bank his shot or shoot it clean.
The result is frequently a glass-breaker.
Duncan's influence can also be minimized if the pace of the game can be stepped up. Instead of letting them wheel their offense around TD and inexorably dissect a defense, force the Spurs ball-handlers to make decisions on the run. Both Parker and Ginobili are always on the verge of warp-speed anyway, so any encouragement will tempt them into foolish moves and silly turnovers. The Spurs will certainly look to run out for easy scores, but this is not what they want to do for 48 minutes.
Not easy? Hey, if stopping Duncan and thereby defeating the Spurs was easy than TD would be just another ordinary seven-foot multi-millionaire.
http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3306172
you stop him by kicking him between the legs not that difficult
Cliche' but the only person who can stop Tim is Tim. Otherwise, he is unstoppable.
Then what happened in Athens????
Fox Sports is about truth as much as Fox Cable is about "Fair and Balanced News".
Duncan is very stoppable, not that teams have the discipline and energy outside of the playoffs to do it. Run a zone. Front Duncan/deny entry pass. Clog the paint, get Duncan to set up way out of the wing (LAL last May). Have the near defender semi-sag so the double team is close (LAL last May). And of course, when teams really concentrate on Duncan, we insist on killing our offense by ALWAYS trying to go to Duncan as first option, and running 4-down.
Duncan this year looks very stoppable, his numbers and minutes are down and i think he is suffering from some form of injury. At the very least he hasnt been as dominate down low as i have come to excpect from him. Old age catching up with him perhaps, Pop has made Tim's body a punching bag for the entirety of Tim's career.
I think pop is saving him for the playoffs
he played this summer and wants to keep him fresh and spurs have been able to sit parker and duncan alot in the 4 due to big leads.
it has been a blessing
possibly, but duncan looked awful in the olympics
due to terrible refs
and duncan has been SICK
Posts like these are running rampant, and they are a little off-base. Yes Duncan's minutes were down a bit when he was sick. But look at this season compared to last year.Duncan this year looks very stoppable, his numbers and minutes are down and i think he is suffering from some form of injury. At the very least he hasnt been as dominate down low as i have come to excpect from him. Old age catching up with him perhaps, Pop has made Tim's body a punching bag for the entirety of Tim's career.
2003-04
22.3 ppg
12.4 rpg
2.68 bpg
.501 FG
.599 FT
36.6 mpg
2004-05
21.9 ppg
11.9 rpg
3.06 bpg
.503 FG
.639 FT
34.8 mpg
Not much difference at all. And the Spurs have won so many games by such a big margin that he hasn't had to play as much. That's a blessing. Not something to complain about.
Let me qualify, in the NBA where the officiating is fair Duncan is unstoppable. In the olympics where there was a world wide conspiracy IMO, Duncan and the US team didn't stand a chance.
did i sound like i was complaining Kori? Honestly? all i am saying is that i think that he is either injured or having a slow year, and seems a little stoppable. His stats are also pretty off base also becasue he had very good numbers in november and early december, but for three or four weeks now he hasnt been.
My real contention is that i think Pop's game plans may be beginning to take effect on Tim's body.
Anyway, i wasnt trying to sound like i was complaining, and you are right, his season sats arent that bad.
A conspiracy eh? I think your overrating US basketballs importance.
Yep sure all the nations got together and decided to screw the US bball team with crap officiating...
Statistics wise Duncan has been as good if not better than he has ever been.
Don't see how anyone can say he is doing worse this season? Maybe he is a little less efficient scoring wise, but thats nitpicking. Everywhere else he has gotten better pretty much (see the BLOCKS especially).
Also his rebounding rate has been better than its ever been.
In the Olympics, no one else was doing anything so the opponents collapsed on Duncan and dared the U.S. to shoot from the outside. USA Basketball was responsible for not creating a team more suited for the international style of play. No conspiracy, just a different style of play. Individually, no country can touch US players. However, the international game is built more around a team game, unlike the NBA. The Spurs being the one glaring exception.
Historically how have Duncan's 2nd half been vs. first - I recall he like David Robinson had reputation as a slow starter? My guess is he will be back to averaging 22.5 by end of year.
I see last 10-12 games as kind of a blessing as Parker and Manu have really re-stepped up but expect a lot of 25+ games from TimVP down the stretch.
MadDoc
Who cares?
We have the second best record in the league and he doesn't have to play that much.
I would have said hit him with a bus, but kicking him would prob. work.
If they get into early offense, I'd actually LIKE to see Tim kick it out and repost more. Drives the help defenders crazy. If they can do it consistantly in a game, they can wear out the help D, because as everyone knows, no player is as fast as a pass. It wouldn't happen all the time, though. Your playmaker would have to be ready to initiate the halfcourt offense by probably 15 on the shotclock. That's pretty quick, but with the Spurs pushing the ball a LOT more this year, they could work it in. Post. Kick out (quickly). Repost, then either make your move, kick out again, or hit a cutter.
I like the post/repost offence just so long as Duncan doesn't put the ball on the floor too early.
Only the refs can stop TD, just like in Athens.
the 6 legged freak with 3 heads can only stop TD...you're correct JImsc50...they're the refs...
Fiba fouls. Right or wrong...Tim watched the game from the bench a little more than he would have liked.Then what happened in Athens????
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