Tim Duncan All Time

[Hornsstampede2.0]

This "myth" that he plays center makes no sense. I have no idea why people think that way.
Duncan is and has always been a power forward.

He plays a low post style of the power forward. It doesn't make him a center.
Dirk Nowitzki plays a perimeter style of the power forward. It doesn't make Dirk a swingman.

David Robinson was the center for 1998-2003
Rasho Nesterovic was the center from 2004-2006
Fab Oberto took over from 2006-2008
All 3 were very effective and classic centermen.

Oberto starting totally sucking ass around 2008.
They got an aging McDyess and a young Dajuan Blair to try and replace him. Neither really worked.
None of the options were ideal, so Popovich rotated 4 players at PF and Center all the time.

2008-2011 was the only era where Duncan was forced to play out of position a lot.
Not surprisingly, the team had some of its worst post-season runs in that era.

Once Tiago Splitter got here in 2011, Duncan has exclusively played Power Forward again.
Timmy has played 90% of his entire career at forward.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Here's my question... Do you HAVE to put Magic ahead of Timmy? Seriously? I would put Magic ahead of him. But I think an argument for Timmy can be made.

Yes, no question imo Magic over Duncan. Magic made himself into a complete player by adding the outside shot...there was Gervin, but in terms of a true PG...the game had never seen that kind of talent, and really hasn't since.

In fact I would have Kobe over him as well...Shaq is below Duncan imo.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

This "myth" that he plays center makes no sense. I have no idea why people think that way.
Duncan is and has always been a power forward.

He plays a low post style of the power forward. It doesn't make him a center.
Dirk Nowitzki plays a perimeter style of the power forward. It doesn't make Dirk a swingman.

David Robinson was the center for 1998-2003
Rasho Nesterovic was the center from 2004-2006
Fab Oberto took over from 2006-2008
All 3 were very effective and classic centermen.

Oberto starting totally sucking ass around 2008.
They got an aging McDyess and a young Dajuan Blair to try and replace him. Neither really worked.
None of the options were ideal, so Popovich rotated 4 players at PF and Center all the time.

2008-2011 was the only era where Duncan was forced to play out of position a lot.
Not surprisingly, the team had some of its worst post-season runs in that era.

Once Tiago Splitter got here in 2011, Duncan has exclusively played Power Forward again.
Timmy has played 90% of his entire career at forward.

idk about that...in the Robinson era...Duncan was still back to the basket, low block player...does that make him a C? imo not entirely, he had a mid range jumper, PF range.

I'm saying he's the best PF of all time, but he wasn't a pure PF imo.

 

[tducey]

8th or 9th all time.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

He is in my top 5 of the greatest players ever who were also not a douche.

 

[HammerDown]

 

[Kold]

Best PF of all time, and top 2 in his era

 

[Rockinkuwait]

This "myth" that he plays center makes no sense. I have no idea why people think that way.
Duncan is and has always been a power forward.

He plays a low post style of the power forward. It doesn't make him a center.
Dirk Nowitzki plays a perimeter style of the power forward. It doesn't make Dirk a swingman.

David Robinson was the center for 1998-2003
Rasho Nesterovic was the center from 2004-2006
Fab Oberto took over from 2006-2008
All 3 were very effective and classic centermen.

I call him a PF/C, but I can see why they officially list him as a PF all those years, especially when Yao came into the league and had a billion Chinese voting him as an all-star starter (Shaq went to the bench for him in the AS game), and well, best center of all time is a very busy group. Have no issue calling him the best PF of all time even if he played a lot of C because he is better at PF than anyone I've ever seen.

Fab was a 15 min a game guy. And he always had that rotation where he was the minimum minute starter. In to start for 2-3 mins and a quick pull, and would come back to replace Duncan later on his rest rotation, while Duncan was spending more minutes on the floor with Bonner and Horry spreading the floor around him. 08 actually Fab went to the bench and came in for Duncan, Bonner was the "starting Center" for them that year. And of those guys you listed. They were mostly out on the baseline or top of the key with a PF guarding them while Duncan was spending the most minutes in the paint.

04/05 I think is where I really noticed him playing more of a center on both ends, defended by the center, and less on the stretch 4's. Marion at PF out at the 3pt line and Duncan was down low with Stoudemire and vice versa. Horry/Mohammad on Sheed and Duncan mixing it with Ben Wallace on both ends.

If you want to know where the "myth" started, when asked who the Spurs would start at center, Popovich said, “Tim Duncan, like we have for the last 15 years.” Look the story is pretty well known, Duncan hates being called a center. He made sure he was measured for his NBA career barefoot (most players measure in shoes) to keep his height under 7' for that reason.