Tim Duncan is the greatest indictment against the modern NBA!!!

[Showtime80']

You always here people talk about the "modern defensively sophisticated" and "uber athletic" full of zone defenses and physical specimens. How come the most successful team from the post Jordan generation is lead by a player that most resembles the pre 1990's NBA?!? And playing THE SAME STYLE he did when he came into the NBA in 1997! If it wasn't for Shaq the Spurs would probably have 7 titles!

Tim Duncan, EVEN IN HIS PRIME, was average athletically even when comparing him to some of the great 60's centers and yet he was able to outduel basically all of his more athletic "modern" contemporaries like KG, Dirk, Webber, Wallece, Howard and Griffin?!?!

You know why? MASTERY OF FUNDAMENTALS!!! Something the "modern NBA" has drifted away from. He made the game EASIER not only for himself but for his team as well!

Just last year at 38 years of age playing only 29 minutes he averaged 14ppg 9rbs 3assts and 2blks on 51% FG shooting.

Can you imagine what a prime version of Tim Duncan would average in the present center and generally low post challenged NBA?!?

Just his mere existence proves that fundamentals will ALWAYS trump athleticism and shows what is severely lacking in today's out of focus NBA where raw "athletes" are coming into the league based on their potential getting paid multi million dollars with LITTLE TO NO INCENTIVE to fully harness their potential.

Just wait ti'll he's gone and the "modern centers" battle it out launching 10 3-pointers a game while trying to convince yourself that it is the "modern way to win" because the defenses are "sooo much better, remember Tim Duncan and his very OLD SCHOOLD style of play proved that notion to be VERY WRONG!!!!

[sd3035]

Are you gonna be ok?

[Chadwin]

Didn't Kobe and an ex-coach talk about this?

They were saying how it's all about showing off first to get exposure (AAU and the like) so they learn how to score first and the rest (team play, defense) lags behind.

[Showtime80']

I will, not sure about the league though.

The college game is already unwatchable, the NBA will soon follow!

They put all their eggs in the "athleticism above fundamentals" I wanna be like Mike generation and it's really starting to bite them in the as!

[He Strong]

The modern big man is just not talented enough to be a Duncan like player, so they compensate with a different style involving range and athleticism.

[Fire Colangelo]

Wtf are you talking about,

Tim Duncan won 5 Championships in the past two decades.

The other 15 championships were won by guys like Jordan, Shaq, Kobe, Wade, Dirk, LeBron and Curry.

[Showtime80']

I said POST JORDAN NBA!

In that time span he's lead the most successful franchise in American sports and won 5 titles in the process while only been equaled by Kobe (3 of his titles were won playing second fiddle to prime Shaq)

[Fire Colangelo]

I said POST JORDAN NBA!

In that time span he's lead the most successful franchise in American sports and won 5 titles in the process while only been equaled by Kobe (3 of his titles were won playing second fiddle to prime Shaq)

Ok....? Using your cherrypicked time line of post Jordan....

Duncan has won 5 championships

and the other 12 has been won by guys like Shaq, Kobe, LeBron and Dirk...

So?

We gonna act like Kobe's championships are less impressive than Tim Duncan's in 07 and 04?

What are you even trying to say? What if I used a cherry picked timeline of post rule change? Tim Duncan would've won 2 out of 10 titles in that time span...... and athletically gifted > fundamentals?

Not to mention Tim Duncan was on a championship team that led the league in 3pt % in 14... which kind of shows how important 3 pointers are in today's league.

[LAZERUSS]

You always here people talk about the "modern defensively sophisticated" and "uber athletic" full of zone defenses and physical specimens. How come the most successful team from the post Jordan generation is lead by a player that most resembles the pre 1990's NBA?!? And playing THE SAME STYLE he did when he came into the NBA in 1997! If it wasn't for Shaq the Spurs would probably have 7 titles!

Tim Duncan, EVEN IN HIS PRIME, was average athletically even when comparing him to some of the great 60's centers and yet he was able to outduel basically all of his more athletic "modern" contemporaries like KG, Dirk, Webber, Wallece, Howard and Griffin?!?!

You know why? MASTERY OF FUNDAMENTALS!!! Something the "modern NBA" has drifted away from. He made the game EASIER not only for himself but for his team as well!

Just last year at 38 years of age playing only 29 minutes he averaged 14ppg 9rbs 3assts and 2blks on 51% FG shooting.

Can you imagine what a prime version of Tim Duncan would average in the present center and generally low post challenged NBA?!?

Just his mere existence proves that fundamentals will ALWAYS trump athleticism and shows what is severely lacking in today's out of focus NBA where raw "athletes" are coming into the league based on their potential getting paid multi million dollars with LITTLE TO NO INCENTIVE to fully harness their potential.

Just wait ti'll he's gone and the "modern centers" battle it out launching 10 3-pointers a game while trying to convince yourself that it is the "modern way to win" because the defenses are "sooo much better, remember Tim Duncan and his very OLD SCHOOLD style of play proved that notion to be VERY WRONG!!!!

Excellent post.

I always get a kick out of those that claim that today's basketball players are vastly superior to those of previous decades. Especially when they use the term "globalization."

Yep...thanks to the world wide explosion, we have guys like the 6-9 1/2 DeAndre Jordan and the 6-9 1/2 Andre Drummond dominating the glass. And just a few years ago the truly physically gifted 6-8 Kevin Love was running away with a rpg title.

And shooting skills? I already mentioned Jordan and Drummond, but look no further at the guard tandem in Minnesota...Zach Lavine and Ricky Rubio. Oh, and don't forget the 6-1 Rajon Rondo, either.

And as in the OP...how do explain Duncan? Just last year, at age 38, he averaged an 18-11 .589 in the playoffs. And if you believe in advanced stats, the guy is having a career year on the defensive end at age 39.

What is puzzling to me is that, with this "globalization," shouldn't we be seeing a plethora of Magic's, Shaq's, Moses', MJ's, Kareem's, and Wilt's? Where are they?

[warriorfan]

http://s22.postimg.org/lm4h9emqp/MELTDOWN.jpg