[USA Today] One mind-blowing stat to sum up Tim Duncan's dominance

Quote from Popovich...

Even Spurs coach Gregg Popovich seemed to acknowledge the charade on the eve of last year’s playoff series against Utah. When asked who the Spurs would start at center, Popovich said, “Tim Duncan, like we have for the last 15 years.”


Duncan...

"It's great. I have an opportunity to make the team now," Duncan said after the Spurs 128-110 win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. "To have an opportunity to be back on the ballot and to be at the forward, and to have a chance to start, it's an honor."


Another media quote...

For years, the San Antonio Spurs’ mellow superstar has masqueraded as a power forward really by name only. When Yao Ming entered the league in 2002-03, he generated such an enormous number votes from his home country that there was no way Duncan, who broke in with the Spurs alongside 10-time All-Star center David Robinson, would have ever started an All-Star game if classified as a center. As a power forward, Duncan started 12 consecutive All-Star games from 2000 to 2011.


http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/2000208-sports-and-racing-nba/67291721



Duncan is without doubt an all-time great (top 10er), but his PF label is a myth.

Life goes on though

 

these quotes are not facts, TNT crew (charles barkley) calls him the greatest pf of all time but that's not a fact either. BTW he also played pf next to nazr mohammed and Kurt thomas at center to name few other more centers. Yes he played center occasionally but just watch the spurs u'll figure it out by ur self. Another dumb sentiment to say he was listed pf to get in the allstar game. Like pops cares about allstar games.

 

Duncan is a product of a great system. No better than Karl Malone. Only thing is San Antonio's system had better players than the Jazz. Please do not compare him with the Shaq, Wilt, Russell, Hakeem tier of big men - it is a great disservice to basketball fiends like myself.

 

Tim Duncan was the system, not a product of it. His defensive presence, and offensive reliablity is why the Spurs have been successful.

 

Same Kirk Thomas who mostly played PF his career?
The All-Star situation is true, sorry if you can't handle it.

Not sure why you're defending Duncan so hard.

 

This explains why SA plays so well without their Big 3.

 

Are they counting the lockout year? If so he could just as easily have 17.

 

Tim Duncan's role on the court is way more center like than PF like.

Now, if Durant plays the same way but starts every game the rest of his career at PF... Should I call him a PF or a SF. Is he just then a revolutionary PF or just a SF playing PF For matchup purposes?

I'm of the camp that Duncan is really a center. Doesn't matter if he played with Rasho or Tiago, etc. to the exten you want to list those guys as centers, the Spurs are just doing the two center lineup they've done since Duncan entered the league.

I think KG or Amare or Dirk are "revolutionary" type PFs. Is it because they play more SF ish then any PFs before them? YES. Center and PF have always been somewhat interchangeable, just as SF/SG have been. So when Duncan is playing PF it's just what position they list him as. Game wise they could just have easily listed the other guy as PF and Duncan as center. But clearly they couldn't list Dincan as SF and Leonard as PF as an example. That's not what is happening.

Now he may be a little different than a Shaq, in the sense that Duncan at least had "some" SF like capabilities. Offensively hitting a mid range shot or doing a little ball handling if necessary. Defensively guarding a pick and roll. But he's no different from an Olajuwon l, who was just as capable of playing PF in the sense that Duncan has. Really more capable. Otis Thoroe really had more of a center game for example than Hakeem.

 

Good point! Pops and the FO were up late nights trying to figure out which players would make TD appear more as a PF. All knowledgable fans know that!

And if we're pretending that there's some way you could actually know that to be fact, then sign me up for that strategy... let's sign players to make Howard look like a PG because apparently it wins championships.

 

The beauty of Pop and the Spurs' system is that Duncan bought into it early on. He sets the example for the rest of the team. Otherwise, it would never work. Duncan could be on almost any franchise and find a way to be great. Maybe not as dominant, but still great or at least pretty damn good.

 

Tim Duncan has a higher PER than Howard. Think about that. I guess we will see if pop coaches after Duncan.

 

?? Who is making comparisons to Howard? Nobody on this planet thinks Dwight Howard is on the same level as Duncan.

 

It's Kurt Thomas not Kirk. i'm not sure how old you are but you never watched NBA until lately probably. Hey lets list Harden as a SF so he can get in allstar game. BTW i'm not defending Duncan but ur comments are hilarious

 

LOLOLOLOL

 

Here's to hoping for his retirement and the demise of the San Antonio sperz.

 

Duncan won four championships as the clear cut best player. Kobe was second fiddle for three chips. If Duncan played with Shaq its a five peat at the bare minimum. He isn't a diva or cancer like Kobe and is the more dominant player.

Pretty pointless argument.

 

Duncan was better than Parker by a large margin in 05 and 07. Its not really debatable at all. And when I mean by a large margin its a really dam large margin. The difference between a superstar and a low level star.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SAS/2007.html

Compare the stats its not even close. Winning FMVP doesn't make you the best player on your team just in the Finals and frankly TD deserved even then. Parker was the 3rd best player on the Spurs in 07.

 

Duncan is way better than Malone who is a perennial playoff no show. Not to mention he is 5x the defender and didn't have Stockton spoon feeding him.

 

i agree