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MHSL82
Well-Known Member
This is after the fact, but wanted to make a thread for it.
Yes!!! I hate losing by a bucket or two - I'd rather lose by 8 than 1 and winning by any margin obviously beats all.
On ESPN's broadcast, Chris Mullin was saying that Duncan should/could be MVP this year because he's bounced back from a few years ago. I was confused because he's averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.6 blocks. I get that he has intangibles and all, but that's not MVP!
The rest I'm going to say is biased, obviously, but I'll say it regardless. It always bugged me that Duncan has never had great stats and yet was talked about being the best PF ever - fine, but now people ignore Malone in that sentence. People are removing the "possibly" or the "one of" from their statements. I'm fine with him being in the conversation, but I think people forget about Malone's reliability throughout his career in doing what PFs are supposed to do. Malone would never dip to 13.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.9 blocks in Utah. He did better, older with Kobe Bryant and Shaq getting most of the touches.
Stats are not everything, obviously. Winning matters and his team with the Coach of the Decade won a lot (not that Sloan was a slouch or anything). But I feel, the Spurs peaked at the right time, when Michael Jordan wasn't there. True, the Jazz were missing in the Rockets years and only got to the Finals twice, but I think the Spurs would have a few losses if it happened a few years earlier, when the Jazz peaked. Or the Jazz would have a few titles if they peaked after Jordan. If Duncan had been drafted in say 1988, we'd be looking at him differently. Damn Jordan!
I think Duncan is a great guy, better guy by far than Malone was. He's a family man, modest, quiet, respectful, shy, and he wins. I think that's also contributed to this belief that he's a great leader, which I sure he is on the court. Malone too lead by example and teammates worked hard because they saw that he gave his effort and performed night in and night out.
I'm fine with people thinking Duncan was better, despite his team helping more than Malone's did (Jazz did have a superstar in Stockton and after Robinson, there was no big guy in SA - but overall, I feel the Spurs teammates helped more, complimentary). I just get tired that no one mentions Malone anymore when talking about Duncan as the best PF ever. News to you: it's not like how Jordan is consensus #1.
While I am biased for Stockton, I totally understand and respect the consensus that Magic was better - due to his scoring abilities and titles - against big stars (and with them, too). So I'm not so biased that I can't see. I just want Stockton and Malone to perpetually be given their due.
Yes!!! I hate losing by a bucket or two - I'd rather lose by 8 than 1 and winning by any margin obviously beats all.
On ESPN's broadcast, Chris Mullin was saying that Duncan should/could be MVP this year because he's bounced back from a few years ago. I was confused because he's averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.6 blocks. I get that he has intangibles and all, but that's not MVP!
The rest I'm going to say is biased, obviously, but I'll say it regardless. It always bugged me that Duncan has never had great stats and yet was talked about being the best PF ever - fine, but now people ignore Malone in that sentence. People are removing the "possibly" or the "one of" from their statements. I'm fine with him being in the conversation, but I think people forget about Malone's reliability throughout his career in doing what PFs are supposed to do. Malone would never dip to 13.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.9 blocks in Utah. He did better, older with Kobe Bryant and Shaq getting most of the touches.
Stats are not everything, obviously. Winning matters and his team with the Coach of the Decade won a lot (not that Sloan was a slouch or anything). But I feel, the Spurs peaked at the right time, when Michael Jordan wasn't there. True, the Jazz were missing in the Rockets years and only got to the Finals twice, but I think the Spurs would have a few losses if it happened a few years earlier, when the Jazz peaked. Or the Jazz would have a few titles if they peaked after Jordan. If Duncan had been drafted in say 1988, we'd be looking at him differently. Damn Jordan!
I think Duncan is a great guy, better guy by far than Malone was. He's a family man, modest, quiet, respectful, shy, and he wins. I think that's also contributed to this belief that he's a great leader, which I sure he is on the court. Malone too lead by example and teammates worked hard because they saw that he gave his effort and performed night in and night out.
I'm fine with people thinking Duncan was better, despite his team helping more than Malone's did (Jazz did have a superstar in Stockton and after Robinson, there was no big guy in SA - but overall, I feel the Spurs teammates helped more, complimentary). I just get tired that no one mentions Malone anymore when talking about Duncan as the best PF ever. News to you: it's not like how Jordan is consensus #1.
While I am biased for Stockton, I totally understand and respect the consensus that Magic was better - due to his scoring abilities and titles - against big stars (and with them, too). So I'm not so biased that I can't see. I just want Stockton and Malone to perpetually be given their due.
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