Im Still Ballin
02-03-2024, 10:48 PM
Some cool stuff here. From an old Usenet page. Getting comparisons to Hakeem, D-Rob, and Brad Daugherty. It's nice to see that people back then saw the similarities with Brad, although Duncan clearly was more explosive.
https://www.ibiblio.org/craig/draft/1997_draft/scout/c.html
Duncan is the best player available in the draft and a lock to be the
first overall pick. He has the ability to become a NBA superstar.
Scouts have mixed opinions on Duncan's NBA position. He may be a more
dominant player early on in his career at power forward but has the
tools to be a dominant center. His position will depend on the team
that selects him.
In terms of comparisions I have heard David Robinson and Brad Daughtery.
I feel Hakeem Olajuwon is a closer comparison because of his mobility
and size.
In terms of physical skills Duncan has great mobility. He is capable of
consistantly beating his man down the court. He has long arms and
excellent timing for blocking shots. His footwork on post moves is
constantly improving.
In terms of basketball skills, Duncan has the total package. Duncan can
score is a variety of ways. He can take his man down low with an
assortment of post moves. He uses the glass well on his turn around
jump shot. He can also step outside and hit the mid-range jumper.
Duncan's passing ability is incredible for a player of his size and
experience. He led Wake Forest in assists. Duncan handles the ball
better than most post players.
Duncan greatest attribute is his defense. He averaged double figures in
rebounds in his final three years of college. This past season he
averaged close to fifteen boards a game. Duncan can swat shots with the
best of them. He is the all-time blocked shots leader in the history of
the NCAA.
Despite his overall game he has a few things to work on. His biggest
need is adding strength and weight. He will need to adjust to the power
of the NBA. He needs to continue to develop is offensive game. One
concern is his low free throw percentage (64%). However, his was his
lowest total of his four years.
As NBA Scouting Director, Marty Blake says "He may be the most complete
player to enter the NBA in the last ten years".
Tim Duncan is not the most talented player in this draft. However,
he is the best player in it, and he will be a successful NBA player,
both because of his style of play. For Duncan, it is simple: he plays.
He plays hard every minute, with confidence and emotion, at both ends of
the floor, and he plays to win. He has a winning attitude that will
greatly help the team that drafts him, going beyond what he will do that
shows up in the box score.
Duncan is the type of player who can lift his team with his play,
as he can take over games at either end of the floor, and is the
consummate team player. He can dominate defensively, as he is an
excellent shot-blocker and rebounder. At the offensive end, he is
constantly adding to his game, as he has expanded his shooting range
with time. When double-teamed, he will pass the ball back out to an
open teammate; he involves his teammates as though he were a point
guard, as he realizes that he alone will not win ball games.
Duncan will be a franchise player because he makes his teammates
better, in addition to being a great individual talent. He averaged a
double-double in each of his last two seasons in college, in scoring and
rebounding.
If Tim Duncan is not the first pick in the draft, the GM doing the
selecting will be referred to the best psychologist within a fifty-mile
radius. This holds even if the team selecting first is set at center,
as Duncan can play power forward as well.
Duncan is one of college's most dominating centers to play the game since
HAKEEM OLAJUWAN. Duncan makes all the right plays offensively which is
perhaps his only weakness is that it is raw but still devloping.
He is a HUGE defensive presence in the paint as a rebounder and a
shot-blocker. He isn't the kind of leader that some coaches would prefer.
But if you look at wake forest's record you'll see that he did just fine.
If he had desired to go into the past 2 drafts he would have been number
1 overall. But there is no douting that he is a huge talent that will
surely devolp into a fine superstar his averages
20.8 PPG, 14.7 RPG, AND 2.9 APG. This is the most complete player i've
sen in years
Tim Duncan-- An extraordinary college ballplayer; if you haven't seen
him night in and night out you can't appreciate it. Needed badly to
stay the extra year to work on his offense, but now has excellent
footwork inside. Can nail the mid-range J. Good rebounder, both
athletic and technical; reasonably good shot-blocker. Man defense not
really tested in the ACC (no other centers of note). Starts as a 12/10
guy like Mutombo (fewer blocks) but his work ethic could make him into
an Olajuwon type. To my mind a very easy #1 pick, the only guaranteed
star and the most probable superstar in the draft.
Worst he could be: Otis Thorpe with a few assists thrown in.
Best he could be: Olajuwon.
https://www.ibiblio.org/craig/draft/1997_draft/scout/c.html
Duncan is the best player available in the draft and a lock to be the
first overall pick. He has the ability to become a NBA superstar.
Scouts have mixed opinions on Duncan's NBA position. He may be a more
dominant player early on in his career at power forward but has the
tools to be a dominant center. His position will depend on the team
that selects him.
In terms of comparisions I have heard David Robinson and Brad Daughtery.
I feel Hakeem Olajuwon is a closer comparison because of his mobility
and size.
In terms of physical skills Duncan has great mobility. He is capable of
consistantly beating his man down the court. He has long arms and
excellent timing for blocking shots. His footwork on post moves is
constantly improving.
In terms of basketball skills, Duncan has the total package. Duncan can
score is a variety of ways. He can take his man down low with an
assortment of post moves. He uses the glass well on his turn around
jump shot. He can also step outside and hit the mid-range jumper.
Duncan's passing ability is incredible for a player of his size and
experience. He led Wake Forest in assists. Duncan handles the ball
better than most post players.
Duncan greatest attribute is his defense. He averaged double figures in
rebounds in his final three years of college. This past season he
averaged close to fifteen boards a game. Duncan can swat shots with the
best of them. He is the all-time blocked shots leader in the history of
the NCAA.
Despite his overall game he has a few things to work on. His biggest
need is adding strength and weight. He will need to adjust to the power
of the NBA. He needs to continue to develop is offensive game. One
concern is his low free throw percentage (64%). However, his was his
lowest total of his four years.
As NBA Scouting Director, Marty Blake says "He may be the most complete
player to enter the NBA in the last ten years".
Tim Duncan is not the most talented player in this draft. However,
he is the best player in it, and he will be a successful NBA player,
both because of his style of play. For Duncan, it is simple: he plays.
He plays hard every minute, with confidence and emotion, at both ends of
the floor, and he plays to win. He has a winning attitude that will
greatly help the team that drafts him, going beyond what he will do that
shows up in the box score.
Duncan is the type of player who can lift his team with his play,
as he can take over games at either end of the floor, and is the
consummate team player. He can dominate defensively, as he is an
excellent shot-blocker and rebounder. At the offensive end, he is
constantly adding to his game, as he has expanded his shooting range
with time. When double-teamed, he will pass the ball back out to an
open teammate; he involves his teammates as though he were a point
guard, as he realizes that he alone will not win ball games.
Duncan will be a franchise player because he makes his teammates
better, in addition to being a great individual talent. He averaged a
double-double in each of his last two seasons in college, in scoring and
rebounding.
If Tim Duncan is not the first pick in the draft, the GM doing the
selecting will be referred to the best psychologist within a fifty-mile
radius. This holds even if the team selecting first is set at center,
as Duncan can play power forward as well.
Duncan is one of college's most dominating centers to play the game since
HAKEEM OLAJUWAN. Duncan makes all the right plays offensively which is
perhaps his only weakness is that it is raw but still devloping.
He is a HUGE defensive presence in the paint as a rebounder and a
shot-blocker. He isn't the kind of leader that some coaches would prefer.
But if you look at wake forest's record you'll see that he did just fine.
If he had desired to go into the past 2 drafts he would have been number
1 overall. But there is no douting that he is a huge talent that will
surely devolp into a fine superstar his averages
20.8 PPG, 14.7 RPG, AND 2.9 APG. This is the most complete player i've
sen in years
Tim Duncan-- An extraordinary college ballplayer; if you haven't seen
him night in and night out you can't appreciate it. Needed badly to
stay the extra year to work on his offense, but now has excellent
footwork inside. Can nail the mid-range J. Good rebounder, both
athletic and technical; reasonably good shot-blocker. Man defense not
really tested in the ACC (no other centers of note). Starts as a 12/10
guy like Mutombo (fewer blocks) but his work ethic could make him into
an Olajuwon type. To my mind a very easy #1 pick, the only guaranteed
star and the most probable superstar in the draft.
Worst he could be: Otis Thorpe with a few assists thrown in.
Best he could be: Olajuwon.