Danny Green " Anthony Davis is more Athletic Tim Duncan"

[Nike D'Antoni]

https://heavy.com/sports/2020/02/lakers-anthony-davis-tim-duncan/

“AD is high IQ and a good communicator,” said Green. “I think me and him, in pick-and-roll situations, has been a very good scenario for us most of the time. Because he’s able to switch. I’m able to switch on the big and try to keep him off the glass.”

The most notable comment Green made was when he said Davis is “like a younger version, more athletic version of Tim [Duncan].”

[Nike D'Antoni]

Do you agree with Green?

[Akeem34TheDream]

Athleticism wise it makes sense, they have similarities.

[FultzNationRISE]

Well theyre both gay, right? So in that sense it seems reasonable.

[ShawkFactory]

Athleticism wise it makes sense, they have similarities.

Completely different bodies though. Davis has those wide shoulders and long arms.

Duncan was relatively thin up top but had a wider base. That's why he was way better in the post than Davis could ever be but Davis is probably stronger with a head of steam moving downhill.

[PeroAntic]

Man, Green really likes to compare NBA players. Likes being wrong too it seems. theyre not even similar lol

[angelinajolie]

Highlighting his athleticism as a key difference between the two players. blossom word game (https://wordlewebsite.com/blossom-word-game)

[rmt]

Do not agree with the "like a younger version" - other than the disparity in accomplishments between each by the time they're 30 (or 10 years into career - however you're judging), TD didn't have these "phantom" injuries where his can't feel his arm or spend so much time writhing on the floor. Maybe AD enjoys having Laker Nation hold their collective breaths before he gets up.

[HoopologyPhD]

Street Clothes would probably dislocate his shoulder if he attempted a bank shot.
Hakeem is probably the only comparable player in NBA history that is a more athletic Duncan and look how good he was.

[Im Still Ballin]

Completely different bodies though. Davis has those wide shoulders and long arms.

Duncan was relatively thin up top but had a wider base. That's why he was way better in the post than Davis could ever be but Davis is probably stronger with a head of steam moving downhill.

Duncan wasn't thin up top. He had the build of a swimmer: long arms, broad shoulders, and a relatively long torso. The biggest difference between the two is the relative length of the legs. Duncan's lower center of gravity gives him a more stable base.

[tpols]

AD has significantly better offensive ability than Duncan. Prime for prime scored more and on way better efficiency (in the playoffs). There's never been an athletic 7 foot player who had elite physical ability and also had an elite jumper. Unless you consider KD to be 7 foot.

And he's a dominant defensive player just like Duncan, so yea... that's what it is. The only thing he lacks in comparison is being banged up more often while Duncan rarely got hurt.

[Im Still Ballin]

It's not a bad comparison; there are clear archetypal similarities. It doesn't necessarily mean AD is better than Duncan. How close does the comparison need to be? No two players are the same.

They're physically similar regarding height, wingspan, and probably standing reach. Duncan's legs are shorter, so his center of gravity is lower and his stride is shorter. Athletically speaking, Davis is more explosive and agile, but not as strong and balanced. Durability is the obvious major difference.

The difference in athleticism and anthropometry influences the nuances of each player on both sides of the court.

Davis' longer stride and superior mobility allow him to cover more defensive space and defend more positions effectively. That's not to say Duncan couldn't; he was actually good at roaming and switching out to the perimeter earlier in his career. AD is more like KG in this aspect. He's like a mix of Duncan and Garnett defensively but without the durability.

Duncan's lower center of gravity and greater strength and balance makes him a better post-up player.

[Carbine]

They don't play the game similarly IMO, so the comparison is off base.

If you're going to compare AD to a past big man it's gotta be KG.

[bison]

Tim Duncan might be the greatest role player/system player of all time, but top 10 he ain't.

AD would have a legit shot at top 10 center of all time if he stayed healthy.

[ShawkFactory]

AD has significantly better offensive ability than Duncan. Prime for prime scored more and on way better efficiency (in the playoffs). There's never been an athletic 7 foot player who had elite physical ability and also had an elite jumper. Unless you consider KD to be 7 foot.

And he's a dominant defensive player just like Duncan, so yea... that's what it is. The only thing he lacks in comparison is being banged up more often while Duncan rarely got hurt.

The concept of comparing numbers across eras is such a wild topic on here for me. Often times you'll have the same person completely ignore it, as you're done here, but then turn around and maintain that you can't have an argument without discussing it when the agenda fits them. As I'm absolutely positive you would do if we were to compare Kobe to say...Dame Lilliard.

As for the bold...absolutely false. They are completely different players offensively. AD is quicker and more explosive, and is thus better at getting looks in the midrange area. He's also better in transition and thrives catching lobs (although the spacing of the era certainly helps that aspect).

But AD's back-to-the-basket game and passing abilities are a joke by comparison. Dude still struggles when he's double-teamed. You can really confuse him with how you play him and you couldn't do that with Duncan. I don't know if you consider intelligence to be "offensive ability", in which case fair enough. But I do.

[SouBeachTalents]

Tim Duncan might be the greatest role player/system player of all time, but top 10 he ain't.

AD would have a legit shot at top 10 center of all time if he stayed healthy.
AD on that '03 Spurs team is a first round exit at best. No chance in hell he's beating the Shaq/Kobe Lakers :lol While Duncan would've led the Pelicans to the playoffs on a more consistent basis, in large part due to being able to stay healthy.

[RRR3]

AD on that '03 Spurs team is a first round exit at best. No chance in hell he's beating the Shaq/Kobe Lakers :lol While Duncan would've led the Pelicans to the playoffs on a more consistent basis, in large part due to being able to stay healthy.
AD was a lot healthier on the pelicans tbh.

[tpols]

AD on that '03 Spurs team is a first round exit at best. No chance in hell he's beating the Shaq/Kobe Lakers :lol While Duncan would've led the Pelicans to the playoffs on a more consistent basis, in large part due to being able to stay healthy.

Duncan wouldn't have done anything with the pelicans though either. The west was brutal in the 2015-2020 West and the pelicans are a way shittier franchise than the spurs who at least had elite coaching and teamwork and up coming star talent.

That '03 run the spurs faced the Mavs with Dirk out in the WCFs, and Jason Kidd Nets who had no real star help of his own at the time. Duncan averaged 28/12 in the Laker series on good efficiency but AD has done lines like that plenty of times. And on even higher efficiency because hes a better shooter and athlete. He produced on 130 ORTG for the entirety of the 2020 playoffs and led all players in points scored so it's not an unattainable production for him.

[JohnMax]

Duncan would've been great on all 30 teams. Certain stars are chosen specifically by God to succeed. It's no coincidence Warriors drafted two greatest shooters ever. God made it happen that way.

God made Duncan's greatness happen. Nothing was going to stop it. Of course when I say God I mean MY God and not YOUR God. Your God is weak and is being conquered by our God through stars like Duncan, Curry, Tatum, and Wembenyama. There's nothing you or your God can do about it.

[SouBeachTalents]

Duncan would've been great on all 30 teams. Certain stars are chosen specifically by God to succeed. It's no coincidence Warriors drafted two greatest shooters ever. God made it happen that way.

God made Duncan's greatness happen. Nothing was going to stop it. Of course when I say God I mean MY God and not YOUR God. Your God is weak and is being conquered by our God through stars like Duncan, Curry, Tatum, and Wembenyama. There's nothing you or your God can do about it.
In a board full of mental illness, he definitely has the worst case of autism.

[Im Still Ballin]

Duncan wouldn't have done anything with the pelicans though either. The west was brutal in the 2015-2020 West and the pelicans are a way shittier franchise than the spurs who at least had elite coaching and teamwork and up coming star talent.

That '03 run the spurs faced the Mavs with Dirk out in the WCFs, and Jason Kidd Nets who had no real star help of his own at the time. Duncan averaged 28/12 in the Laker series on good efficiency but AD has done lines like that plenty of times. And on even higher efficiency because hes a better shooter and athlete. He produced on 130 ORTG for the entirety of the 2020 playoffs and led all players in points scored so it's not an unattainable production for him.

AD is a better shooter, but he's not a good shooter at all. How much of an advantage is this really? The 2020 playoffs were the outlier of all outliers. He shot 55.2% FG from 16ft+ when he normally shoots 37.8% FG. Tim and AD are both like 40% FG from the mid-range in the regular season. He's undoubtedly a better 3pt and free-throw shooter though.

[DMAVS41]

Duncan wouldn't have done anything with the pelicans though either. The west was brutal in the 2015-2020 West and the pelicans are a way shittier franchise than the spurs who at least had elite coaching and teamwork and up coming star talent.

That '03 run the spurs faced the Mavs with Dirk out in the WCFs, and Jason Kidd Nets who had no real star help of his own at the time. Duncan averaged 28/12 in the Laker series on good efficiency but AD has done lines like that plenty of times. And on even higher efficiency because hes a better shooter and athlete. He produced on 130 ORTG for the entirety of the 2020 playoffs and led all players in points scored so it's not an unattainable production for him.

It's almost as if there is more to leading teams than just producing points and rebounds.

The notion that Anthony Davis deserves to even be considered as a player capable of doing what Duncan did in 03 is so ****ing stupid. He has done nothing as the leader of a team to warrant that kind of talk. Dude can't even string together 4 good games in a row against the Grizzlies with Lebron at his side...but he's going to lead that 03 Spurs past Shaq/Kobe????

[warriorfan]

It's not a bad comparison; there are clear archetypal similarities. It doesn't necessarily mean AD is better than Duncan. How close does the comparison need to be? No two players are the same.

They're physically similar regarding height, wingspan, and probably standing reach. Duncan's legs are shorter, so his center of gravity is lower and his stride is shorter. Athletically speaking, Davis is more explosive and agile, but not as strong and balanced. Durability is the obvious major difference.

The difference in athleticism and anthropometry influences the nuances of each player on both sides of the court.

Davis' longer stride and superior mobility allow him to cover more defensive space and defend more positions effectively. That's not to say Duncan couldn't; he was actually good at roaming and switching out to the perimeter earlier in his career. AD is more like KG in this aspect. He's like a mix of Duncan and Garnett defensively but without the durability.

Duncan's lower center of gravity and greater strength and balance makes him a better post-up player.

tbh i see more similarities in AD with David Robinson then Duncan. He has more of a similar build of Robinson with his athleticism and higher center of gravity which isn’t ideal for low post play and both with their face up game.

[tpols]

AD is a better shooter, but he's not a good shooter at all. How much of an advantage is this really? The 2020 playoffs were the outlier of all outliers. He shot 55.2% FG from 16ft+ when he normally shoots 37.8% FG. Tim and AD are both like 40% FG from the mid-range in the regular season. He's undoubtedly a better 3pt and free-throw shooter though.

Being a much better 3pt and FT shooter matters a ton though. Duncan had 0 3pt game and free throws are a big % of most superstars games. You're talking half the battle right there.

Just watching the games. Duncan doesn't have ADs first step, his explosiveness, his length, his high arcing (instead of line drive) jumper, his tear drop, his fadeaway etc. Have you ever heard of a playoff point leader doing it on 130 ORTG? That's never happened before.

It's not a stretch at all to say Davis is a more athletic Tim Duncan. Danny Green is a professional basketball player who played with both guys and says as such.

[Im Still Ballin]

It's almost as if there is more to leading teams than just producing points and rebounds.

The notion that Anthony Davis deserves to even be considered as a player capable of doing what Duncan did in 03 is so ****ing stupid. He has done nothing as the leader of a team to warrant that kind of talk. Dude can't even string together 4 good games in a row against the Grizzlies with Lebron at his side...but he's going to lead that 03 Spurs past Shaq/Kobe????

On paper, AD should be better, but it plays out differently in reality. It comes down to durability and intangibles - two things that are underappreciated.

It's always hard to compare guys from different eras. AD could very well face the same problems David Robinson did on offense in the playoffs. Duncan's more robust post-up game proved invaluable in that era. More than Robinson's face-up protomodern attack.


tbh i see more similarities in AD with David Robinson then Duncan. He has more of a similar build of Robinson with his athleticism and higher center of gravity which isn’t ideal for low post play and both with their face up game.

Yeah, that's probably a more accurate comparison.


Being a much better 3pt and FT shooter matters a ton though. Duncan had 0 3pt game and free throws are a big % of most superstars games. You're talking half the battle right there.

Just watching the games. Duncan doesn't have ADs first step, his explosiveness, his length, his high arcing (instead of line drive) jumper, his tear drop, his fadeaway etc. Have you ever heard of a playoff point leader doing it on 130 ORTG? That's never happened before.

It's not a stretch at all to say Davis is a more athletic Tim Duncan. Danny Green is a professional basketball player who played with both guys and says as such.

But just how much value is AD getting from his three-point shooting? He's never been good at it; I don't think it adds much. The free-throw shooting? Of course. No arguments there.

[ShawkFactory]

On paper, AD should be better, but it plays out differently in reality. It comes down to durability and intangibles - two things that are underappreciated.

It's always hard to compare guys from different eras. AD could very well face the same problems David Robinson did on offense in the playoffs. Duncan's more robust post-up game proved invaluable in that era. More than Robinson's face-up protomodern attack.



Yeah, that's probably a more accurate comparison.



But just how much value is AD getting from his three-point shooting? He's never been good at it; I don't think it adds much. The free-throw shooting? Of course. No arguments there.

Yea I would say AD is more of a slightly smaller David Robinson than an athletic Tim Duncan.

[Wardell Curry]

If AD was a more athletic Tim Duncan, he'd be the GOAT. And the Lakers would be the clear favorites to win the title, which they are not.

[bizil]

It's not a bad comparison; there are clear archetypal similarities. It doesn't necessarily mean AD is better than Duncan. How close does the comparison need to be? No two players are the same.

They're physically similar regarding height, wingspan, and probably standing reach. Duncan's legs are shorter, so his center of gravity is lower and his stride is shorter. Athletically speaking, Davis is more explosive and agile, but not as strong and balanced. Durability is the obvious major difference.

The difference in athleticism and anthropometry influences the nuances of each player on both sides of the court.

Davis' longer stride and superior mobility allow him to cover more defensive space and defend more positions effectively. That's not to say Duncan couldn't; he was actually good at roaming and switching out to the perimeter earlier in his career. AD is more like KG in this aspect. He's like a mix of Duncan and Garnett defensively but without the durability.

Duncan's lower center of gravity and greater strength and balance makes him a better post-up player.

Well said! I see a lot of KG due to his defensive versatility and athletic ability. Those two and Giannis are the rare 6-11 - 7'0 players who are POSITIONLESS types of superstars two way wise. Giannis and KG have played as SF, point forward, PF, and C at various points. They defend swingmen, PFs, and Cs as well. AD OFFENSIVELY (even though he has the same versatility) doesn't serve the swiss army knife role that KG and Giannis have. Because his teams didn't employ him like that for whatever reason. BUT defensively he's every bit the swiss army knife those guys are.

Duncan on the other hand is more similar to the guys like the Dream. HIGHLY SKILLED technicians on the block who can ALSO control the paint on defense. And from there are very effective facing up and dominating in the midrange. Duncan in a sense was like a mix of the Dream and Bill Walton. More of a true LOW POST ANCHOR than KG and AD! When certain PF's ARE ASKED to more primarily to center, they are often NEVER THE SAME AGAIN. Bosh and AD are examples.

While their teams benefit from their versatility at the 5, they are NOW RELIED upon to be the PRIMARY low post MUSCLE for their teams. Those guys are more from the KG tree than the Duncan tree. Duncan can FLOAT between C and PF better. While AD can put up those impressive numbers at the 5, we NOTICE how his durability is shaky. And how he can be inconsistent MORE OFTEN in terms of results. When the Lakers won the bubble ring, the PF was his PRIMARY POSITION! While McGee and Dwight ran the 5. SURE AD would still play the 5 at times. BUT he wasn't relies upon to play the 5 as his PRIMARY POSITION all the time! Once again, AD is a BEAST at PF or C. I just prefer him at the PF. Giannis DOESN'T have to play the 5 exclusively because Lopez and Portis are there. AD should BE IN A SIMILAR SITUATION!!

[nayte]

Ehh Duncan would have won against miami.dunno about ad. And as we seen Giannis couldn't.
I like all three but Duncan was just better I guess

[ILLsmak]

Man, Green really likes to compare NBA players. Likes being wrong too it seems. theyre not even similar lol

They aren’t that different other than skill. It’s just weird at a teammate doing this. It makes you wonder if some of the guys in the nba aren’t too smart haha. I mean if U play w td and ad, even late old td 13 or 14 w e ring, and you play w d and then it’s like ya he’s like a better td. He’s not. He’s a wep in ways Duncan could never be, but as a ball player Duncan is securely top ten. To everyone.

-Smak

[Im Still Ballin]

Tim did so many things that you can't see on a stat sheet. Things that casual fans miss when watching games. His intangibles were great. His multi-year RAPM numbers are some of the best ever on record.