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Brutalis
"Take heart, or I will take it from you." - BN
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- Jan 20, 2011
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I have been hearing a lot lately from my friends and a little on this board that Duncan had suddenly fallen off and is nowhere near the player he used to be. Well let me, a life long Spurs fan and someone who is an original member on SpursTalk.com fill you in on some things.
1. No, Duncan is not 26 and the player he used to be. He is slower, lost a lot of quickness, but that is about it.
2. Duncan is not a scoring option in Pop's new offense this season that has put up 36 wins to only 6 losses. He has switched to a up tempo speed after the Suns debacle in the playoffs last year. Now Starting Ginobili and going to him and Parker first, then rotation transition guards like Neal and Hill along with small forward underachiever Jefferson. This is old news to Spurs fans. This explains his scoring drop.
3. Notice when the Spurs are blowing a lead in the 4th or trying to make a comeback who comes into the game? TIMMMAAAYY!! And the ship gets righted because of his defensive presence is the same as always, and because of his rebounding. Without Duncan the Spurs would be playing .500 ball right now. Pop and Parker have expressed that already this season when asked if Duncan is the same caliber player he used to be.
I feel a little defensive yes, because my boy has been getting dogged all year. But the facts remain. When your minutes are down and you're not even a scoring option what do you expect?
No Spurs lover will deny his foot speed is slower, but his hand quickness is not. He still hits his career average in blocks and is only 1.5/2 off his rebounding mark.
Duncan has never been a popular player. The Spurs have never been a marketable popular team. So there has always been more haters than lovers, yet the respect for Duncan has always been there. And this season that respect is getting knocked so considered all these points and watch the Knicks @ Spurs tonight on ESPN if you think I'm full of it.
You'll see how the Spurs run the offense through Duncan, and if he is not doubled he will try to do something with the ball, but if he is doubled he will pass off and continue the pick and roll-wheel barrel offense they have installed this season. Pop is a genius because he knows teams still go into the game respecting Duncan and what he is capable of, so he uses that distraction to get everyone else involved and it has worked to perfection. That cannot be denied or disputed, just look at who's atop the standings guys.
Anyways I had to vent a little. Charles Barkley, Bill Walton, Chris Webber are just a few names who have claimed Duncan is a top ten player of all time. Of course that can be debated, but top 15 is a sure thing. Best PF of all time is a sure thing. Based on stats, accolades, and accomplishments that is another thing that can hardly be disputed.
The end!
1. No, Duncan is not 26 and the player he used to be. He is slower, lost a lot of quickness, but that is about it.
2. Duncan is not a scoring option in Pop's new offense this season that has put up 36 wins to only 6 losses. He has switched to a up tempo speed after the Suns debacle in the playoffs last year. Now Starting Ginobili and going to him and Parker first, then rotation transition guards like Neal and Hill along with small forward underachiever Jefferson. This is old news to Spurs fans. This explains his scoring drop.
3. Notice when the Spurs are blowing a lead in the 4th or trying to make a comeback who comes into the game? TIMMMAAAYY!! And the ship gets righted because of his defensive presence is the same as always, and because of his rebounding. Without Duncan the Spurs would be playing .500 ball right now. Pop and Parker have expressed that already this season when asked if Duncan is the same caliber player he used to be.
I feel a little defensive yes, because my boy has been getting dogged all year. But the facts remain. When your minutes are down and you're not even a scoring option what do you expect?
No Spurs lover will deny his foot speed is slower, but his hand quickness is not. He still hits his career average in blocks and is only 1.5/2 off his rebounding mark.
Duncan has never been a popular player. The Spurs have never been a marketable popular team. So there has always been more haters than lovers, yet the respect for Duncan has always been there. And this season that respect is getting knocked so considered all these points and watch the Knicks @ Spurs tonight on ESPN if you think I'm full of it.
You'll see how the Spurs run the offense through Duncan, and if he is not doubled he will try to do something with the ball, but if he is doubled he will pass off and continue the pick and roll-wheel barrel offense they have installed this season. Pop is a genius because he knows teams still go into the game respecting Duncan and what he is capable of, so he uses that distraction to get everyone else involved and it has worked to perfection. That cannot be denied or disputed, just look at who's atop the standings guys.
Anyways I had to vent a little. Charles Barkley, Bill Walton, Chris Webber are just a few names who have claimed Duncan is a top ten player of all time. Of course that can be debated, but top 15 is a sure thing. Best PF of all time is a sure thing. Based on stats, accolades, and accomplishments that is another thing that can hardly be disputed.
The end!
