Have you considered that for those years, the Spurs actually had 2 centers in their starting lineups?
IMO, when he was with us, he played like a SF, but after he left, he bulked up and became more of a PF.
To be honest I always did consider him more of a PF in style (but, Olajuwon had more moves down low imo), and sometimes a player is so great that you can put him anywhere and he'll be successful. I think Duncan is similar. If you look at the sorry crop of C's we've had recently it only makes sense to move the best PF over and play another PF next to him. I think the Spurs eventually went with that concept. The Rockets will probably be doing the same thing this season, playing PF's at center because the options at center are poor. Maybe I'm just thinking of the lower levels (grade school, college, etc.) where height has less to do with a players position, it's more about their style and what they're best at.
I think they chose PF because Duncan is thier golden child. They even cried to label him as a PF on all star ballots so he wouldnt get snubbed from the team. To the Spurs, "greatest PF of all time" sounds a little better than "top five center of all time"
Yup, sure did, but quickly dismissed that idea b/c its incorrect. Out of curiosity, what do you think the differences are between a PF and a C?
the guy who plays pf is the pf, the guy who plays center is the center And if you so quickly dismissed the idea of them using 2 PFs, I too immediately dismissed the idea of them playing 2 centers. if you are so set in your belief of the traditional roles of position, how can you also believe that they play 2 centers?
How about answering the question? In your opinion, what are the differences between a power forward and a center?
The difference to me is whoever plays that position, plays that position. There is no definition of guidelines to them. Tim Duncan has always been considered a PF, he is widely considered the best PF to ever play the game, end of story.
So if the Spurs listed Duncan as a pg, you'd believe him to be one? He's widely considered the best PF to play the game b/c most people are like you. They believe what they're told and refuse to think critically.
Look at some of the best power forwards the game has seen: Barkley, Malone, Webber, Rodman. They relied on speed, strength, athleticism, and outside shooting (except Rodman) to be effective. They were all very mobile and often ran the court during fast breaks. IMO, Duncan's success comes from his height and his methodical, dependable post game. He has nowhere near the athleticism nor mobility of the players I previously mentioned. In fact, his skillset and overall game are consistent with those of a center. Not to mention the fact that he's the defensive anchor, which is another characteristic of a center. In your opinion, why shouldn't he be classified as a center?
Olajuwon has attributes of both PF and C. In addition to his speed and athleticism, he also had a methodical, dependable post game and relied on his height. If I had to pick one or the other, I'd say he was a center due to his post game and defensive presence. How about answering the last question I asked? In your opinion, why shouldn't Duncan be classified as a center?
Who ever said Marion was better? I did say that, over a 1999-2009 sample size, he contributed far more than Brand, Webber, or Bosh. Brand has essentially missed the last two seasons. Bosh debuted in 2003 and didn't play big minutes until the next year. Webber's last full phenomenal year was in 2002-03. It's 2009, and Marion has been contributing in all the years since that at a high clip while Webber was injured/ineffective/retired. Why is it so hard for people to understand this?
They don't understand that you factor in injuries. 10 years is a long period and people tend to remember certain periods of a players career.
