Best Player Since Jordan: Tim Duncan


K

Kendrick

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When Michael Jordan retired — hell, even before Michael Jordan retired — the NBA and its fans spent countless hours trying to identify and pledge allegiance to an heir. It has to be somebody’s league, the thought process went. When the dust settled, and candidates named Penny, and Grant, and Vinsanity, and A.I. faded into the background, we were essentially left with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Both were worthy. Both were deserving of the throne, so to speak.

Shaq won three titles with Kobe, one without him, was All-NBA 1st Team eight times, and was the most dominant presence in the game. Kobe, of course, won those three rings with Shaq, two without him, was All-NBA 1st Team 11 times, and was the best post-MJ wing in the game. Ultimately, the greater basketball universe just kind of collectively shrugged and agreed Kobe was the one, and the “best players of their era” cannon was then complete: Bird and Magic, then M.J., then Kobe (and now LeBron).

Alas, we were wrong. Kobe wasn’t the one. And neither was Shaq. It was Tim Duncan.

It was always Tim Duncan.

https://medium.com/the-cauldron/the-best-player-since-jordan-3da47f9ca3e1
 

Tim Duncan has been the most consistent player/winner/champion.

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The Spurs have not missed the playoffs since drafting Duncan and have won 50 more games 17 seasons. The only other season they didn't win 50 was the strike shorted 1999 season.
 
Kobe Has gone to 4 Finals with Shaq and 3 without him...Some of the teams he help drag to the finals were pure suspect.. Tim Duncan is a great player, anchor of that team but it's Pop system and the players he continues to add around Duncan that make them great...
 
97JSULEGEND said:
Kobe Has gone to 4 Finals with Shaq and 3 without him...Some of the teams he help drag to the finals were pure suspect.. Tim Duncan is a great player, anchor of that team but it's Pop system and the players he continues to add around Duncan that make them great...
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Kobe has had all of his championship success with Phil Jackson, though. So what about that system?
 
Kendrick said:
Kobe has had all of his championship success with Phil Jackson, though. So what about that system?
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Kinda the point. You can't present all of the Spurs' success as being because of Tim, when we all know the coach and supporting cast play a major part as well.
 
While it is true that the coaching a supporting cast play a huge role in the Spurs' run, the team has been one of the best in all of sports since Duncan got there.

He's been the one constant. It's hard to overlook. They go from the lottery to championship contenders ever year for the last 18 years.
 
Isn't having good coaching and a supporting cast applicable to everyone....including Jordan?
 
Kendrick said:
While it is true that the coaching a supporting cast play a huge role in the Spurs' run, the team has been one of the best in all of sports since Duncan got there.

He's been the one constant. It's hard to overlook. They go from the lottery to championship contenders ever year for the last 18 years.
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He hasn't been the only constant. Popovich has been there longer. His system has helped many players that have come through.
 
Kendrick said:
What's his system?
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Aren't you supposed to be a sports writer? You don't know?

He's a system coach, and the Spurs' continuity offense is a thing of beauty. The system requires players to be in perpetual motion and doesn't rely on individual shot creation. Instead, ball movement and space dictate attempts. For all the precision he demands of his players within the system, Popovich doesn't commandeer every set from the sideline. In recent seasons, he's tailored many of his actions to maximize Tony Parker, who's now the Spurs' offensive catalyst. Defensively, there's little guesswork within the system: No middle, fill-and-sink on the back side, and get into bodies (not just space).

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/43724/the-book-on-gregg-popovich
 
Sting said:
Aren't you supposed to be a sports writer? You don't know?

He's a system coach, and the Spurs' continuity offense is a thing of beauty. The system requires players to be in perpetual motion and doesn't rely on individual shot creation. Instead, ball movement and space dictate attempts. For all the precision he demands of his players within the system, Popovich doesn't commandeer every set from the sideline. In recent seasons, he's tailored many of his actions to maximize Tony Parker, who's now the Spurs' offensive catalyst. Defensively, there's little guesswork within the system: No middle, fill-and-sink on the back side, and get into bodies (not just space).

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/43724/the-book-on-gregg-popovich
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The system requires players to be in perpetual motion and doesn't rely on individual shot creation. Instead, ball movement and space dictate attempts.
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So, what almost every coach in the NBA preaches?
 
Kendrick said:
So, what almost every coach in the NBA preaches?
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Ummm you do realize there was more to the article than the part you tried to highlight, right? That's why it's called a system. It's not just offensively based, it's also based on defense.
 

Storm96 said:
Isn't having good coaching and a supporting cast applicable to everyone....including Jordan?
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That's the point I'm trying to get. Jordan didn't even get the Wizards to the playoffs without Phil.

Duncan has been the most consistent player during this time. Only time they didn't win 50 games was the strike season (they still won the title). It's not his fault that he has had a coach and franchise that knows how to build a team and keep the right pieces around him.

Lebron is the only one in the convo now because IF Cleveland gets to the Finals, that would be the 5th straight year he's been to the finals. That's something that shouldn't be overlooked.

Duncan is definitely a top ten player all time. Maybe the best power forward of all time.
 
Sting said:
Ummm you do realize there was more to the article than the part you tried to highlight, right? That's why it's called a system. It's not just offensively based, it's also based on defense.
Click to expand...

So what almost every NBA coach preaches?
 
In_The_662 said:
That's the point I'm trying to get. Jordan didn't even get the Wizards to the playoffs without Phil.

Duncan has been the most consistent player during this time. Only time they didn't win 50 games was the strike season (they still won the title). It's not his fault that he has had a coach and franchise that knows how to build a team and keep the right pieces around him.

Lebron is the only one in the convo now because IF Cleveland gets to the Finals, that would be the 5th straight year he's been to the finals. That's something that shouldn't be overlooked.

Duncan is definitely a top ten player all time. Maybe the best power forward of all time.
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And he would have gone to the Finals with three different head coaches, none of them considered HOF-caliber either (at least NBA-wise)
 
and while some of yall were ignoring the Spurs game last night, Duncan posted his 28th double-double to make him tied for the 10th most in the NBA this season. the dude is practically 40 and still producing quality.
 
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