Prime Walton vs Prime Duncan

[oolalaa]

Prime Bill Walton (1976/77):

Regular season - 34.8 mpg, 18.6 ppg/14.3 fga on .528%, 14.4 rpg, 3.8 apg, 3.4 bpg
2nd in MVP voting, All-NBA 1st team, All-defensive 2nd team, Rebounding champ, Blocks champ

Post season ---- 39.7 mpg, 18.2 ppg/15.9 fga on .507%, 15.2 rpg, 5.5 apg, 3.4 bpg
Finals MVP

VS

Prime Tim Duncan (2002/03):

Regular season - 39.3 mpg, 23.3 ppg/17.2 fga on .513%, 12.9 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.9 bpg
MVP, All-NBA 1st team, ALL-Defensive 1st team

Post season ---- 42.5 mpg, 24.7 ppg/17.2 fga on .529%, 15.4 rpg, 5.3 apg, 3.3 bpg
Finals MVP


In my opinion, Walton would have been a top 10 player of all time if he stayed healthy. His career would probably have been very similar to Duncans - likely 3/4 rings, a couple of mvps & maybe a couple of defensive player of the year awards aswell. Unfortunately we will never know.

In their primes, who would you take?

[Miserio]

WOULDA COULDA BLABLABLABLABLA.

Duncan > Walton

[chips93]

just the other day i was thinking how similar they were.

walton was more passive, duncan the better scorer

ill take duncan

[colts19]

Career is not close it's Duncan.
Prime is not close it's Walton.

Bill Walton was what playing Center should be. He was the hub of his team on both ends of the floor. It was a beautiful thing to watch.

[colts19]

Career is not close it's Duncan.
Prime is not close it's Walton.

Bill Walton was what playing Center should be. He was the hub of his team on both ends of the floor. It was a beautiful thing to watch.

[Bigsmoke]

Career is not close it's Duncan.
Prime is not close it's Walton.

Bill Walton was what playing Center should be. He was the hub of his team on both ends of the floor. It was a beautiful thing to watch.

STFU.

Duncan better.

[ShaqAttack3234]

Walton's prime was so short that it can really only be compared to Duncan's '03 peak which the OP did.

If you want an idea of the impact Walton made just look at the Blazers with and without him.

The '77 Blazers were 44-21 in the regular season with Walton and of course a championship team. They were just 5-12 without him.

The '78 Blazers were even more dominant and many thought they were better than the champion Blazers. The team was 48-10 with him and 10-14 without him. Before his injury, many thought they were going to make a run at the '72 Lakers then record 69-13 season.

I truly believe that during Walton's short prime he elevated his teammates as much as anyone in the history of the game. The Blazers got contributions from a lot of guys and as you can see by their records with and without Walton, they relied heavily on them. But he didn't carry them by averaging 30, he carried them by making his teammates better. You could say that Duncan did something similar in the '03 playoffs as well.

It really is a great comparison because both were very similar.

Walton's jump hook was almost automatic and he had a great bank shot, much like Duncan who scored mostly on jump hooks/short turnarounds and 15 foot bank shots.

Duncan did have more range though. Duncan regularly hit 18-20 foot jumpers from straight away to go along with the 15 foot bank shots while I haven't seen many games where Walton shot beyond 15 feet.

Duncan was also better at taking his man off the dribble, though I've seen remarkable versatility for a big man of Walton's era. I've seen him hit mid-range jumpers off the dribble and I've seen him use ball fake moves like the one Olajuwon made famous on more than one occasion.

Both were excellent rebounders, very fundamentally sound, though I might give Walton the edge. Both were also elite defensive players, though Duncan may have been even better, but one of the things that made both great defensively was that they were so fundamentally sound and could block shots without biting on fakes.

As good of a passer as Duncan is, I'd give the advantage to Walton who is regularly called the best passing big man of all time(I'm not saying that he is the best, but an argument can be made). Walton was also one of the best outlet passers, Duncan has always been a good outlet passer, but it made more of a difference in the fast-paced 70's than the 2000's.

You could argue that both had top 10 peaks, Duncan was more individually dominant in '03, but I'm not sure if he was any more effective. I'd give the edge to him for being able to play more minutes, but their skill set and ability were very similar.

In a comparison like this, you also have to throw stats out the window. Walton's stats don't do him justice. Bill's stats from his peak are almost identical to '10 Pau Gasol, while it's obvious that Bill was on another level.

I saw some articles from Bill's era where people were calling him the best center ever.

[magnax1]

Everything I read about Walton is exaggerated. He was a good player, but best center ever? Not a chance in hell. To say something like he's a Duncan light with better passing is fair.

[Lucifer]

[ballsohard247]

I've only seen a couple of Walton's games, so I'm definitely not an expert on him, but watching him play his passing is what stands out the most to me. He blocks shots, rebounds, and scores around the basket like you expect a center to but he makes great passes to cutters and when doubled he almost always finds the open man. He was really impressive and it's a shame his body couldn't hold up. That said I would have to take Duncan because of his longevity.

[1987_Lakers]

Everything I read about Walton is exaggerated. He was a good player, but best center ever? Not a chance in hell. To say something like he's a Duncan light with better passing is fair.

Peak Walton is up there with Duncan & Hakeem. Most fundamentally sound player of all time along with Bird. Elite rebounder/shot blocker/defender, greatest passing big man ever, could score (although not like the other dominant centers). Terrific leader & teammate. His teammates loved him & it amazes me how Walton never took credit for his team's success, he just constantly praised his teammates & ignored his impact.

[Pushxx]

It's a close call. I'm gonna go prime Duncan even though his teams had more around him.

Watching Walton in his prime is a thing of beauty though.

[IGotACoolStory]

Peak Walton>Peak any center except Shaq

[Scoooter]

At their respective peaks they played different positions. I'd like to see those two on the same team. I'd give a small edge Walton though, based on what I've seen. Duncan dad one of the greatest centers to ever play holding down the paint with him.

[Bigsmoke]

Peak Walton>Peak any center except Shaq

^ shit like that is why weed is illegal.