Tim Duncan still has questions to be answered

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The general feeling is that Tim Duncan doesn’t have much time left with the San Antonio Spurs. That he’s on his last legs. Even Tony Parker said on Monday that 2010-11 is their last year competing for an NBA title due to the decreasing shelf life of their future Hall of Famer.

At the same time you have Duncan talking about how good he feels. About how he actually added a couple pounds this summer, because he thought he was, “a little too light last year.” And then he vowed to keep playing, “’til the wheels fall off.”

Now you don’t know what to believe. In this dimly-lit practice gym where you have to squeeze through the optimism just to find a place in the media scrum, those are the things that need to be said.

What matters more are the visuals, the actions. But on media day, there aren’t enough to go by. Duncan sure does look slimmer. But that could just be my mind playing tricks on me, after Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich commented about Duncan’s physique last week. Or it could be the NBA’s new jerseys, which seem to fit tighter on the players’ torsos.

The definitive answers will come over the next week-and-a-half, on this practice floor scuffed by all the dress shoes orbiting the players. Hope springs eternal on media day, but the determining factor will be how much spring Tim Duncan has left.

  • ITGuy

    “Now you don’t know what to believe. ”

    I believe in the Spurs.

    Go Spurs Go!!

  • DieHardSpur

    I believe Duncan will age as gracefully as a big man can. He will find was to play and be competitive long after “the mainstream” media considers him washed up. The terrible thing is there are only about 5 guys in the league that can give you 20/10 numbers, and Timmy is still one of those guys, even at 34.

    I will take it a step further and say that 75% of the post players in the world aren’t good enough to hold his jock strap. Decline… most players never have the ability to have a year where they average

    21 pts, 11.6 rb, 3.2 ast, 2.3 blk, 50% fg in only 36 min.

    This is Timmy’s CAREER average, so put that in your pipe and smoke it. We are truly witnessing the work of an all-time great.

    Yeah, its too bad that he has declined to a terrible 17.9/10

  • BlaseE

    Duncan sounded sincere when he said that about the wheels falling off and how he wished he could play all 48 minutes of every game. I wonder what kind of salary figure it would take to keep him until the wheels fell off knowing the FO wants to re-sign Tony and would eventually have extend Hill and some other young players. Could we get Duncan for $10-12 million per year (or less) so he and Manu could retire together? I definitely think his skills will hold up that long if his “wheels” do.

  • zainn

    what parker dosen’t realize, is that duncan does have a end of termination player option for about 21 million, so im pretty sure duncan will be around for the 2011, 2012 season as well. and I can’t wait for the season to start!

  • http://www.bpifanconnect.com Alix Babaie

    Duncan is going to be great this year. Tiago will extend his shelf life, which is a topic being WAY overblown. Tim has the heart of a lion, we have some reinforcements and if one or two of these young unknowns we brought on board pan out, we will be serious contenders once again. GO SPURS GO, WIN ONE FOR THE THUMB!!!!

  • idahospur

    He wants at least one more, and will keep playing as long as the Spurs have a reasonable shot at it. I can’t see him going to a different team for this goal, ever. Or a different coach for this either. If we win it this year, he’ll go for one more. If we don’t, I expect one year at a time until he’s 40.

  • Tyler

    For a point of reference, D.Rob’s salary for the last 2 years of his career were $9.5M (01-02) and 10.5 (02-03).

    I’d expect something similar for TD if it comes to that - $11-13M maybe?

  • Tyler

    Just glossed over DRob’s wiki page. DYK:

    - he was known for being a great athlete, but also a great chess player.
    - he scored higher in gymnastics that anyone in his class - crazy considering he was 6’7″ as a frosh. Talk about crazy athleticism
    - apparently the service academies prohibit enrollment of anyone taller than 6’8″ !?! Is that still a policy??

  • Jim Henderson

    Obviously Duncan can still play. The point is he will never again be the TD that led us to 4 titles. He’s simply not the same, dominant player that carried us night in and night out against the stiffest competition. What’s a bit worrisome is that this is particularly evident on the defensive end, which has been a Spur’s trademark for success.

    The key will be do we have enough emerging horses around TD to make a bonafide run at a title this year. In my view that is unlikely this year, and in any event it is certainly a BIG question mark. But I’m not worried about TD’s contribution. He’ll efficiently give us whatever is left in his tank. He’s still a big factor on our ball-club, no doubt. However, he’s no longer able to carry the team. That’s just a basic reality we have to fully come to terms with.

    All that said, this does not mean that the Spurs won’t be fun to watch this year. They will. And we’ll certainly have our share of success. But getting a title? Well, we can hope for the best, but I think we’re just starting to fully realize how special and elusive those rings can be. And let’s face it, the competition is only getting fiercer as we speak. It’s not standing still.

    With the start of camp now here, I think we all hope that things go as well as possible for the Spurs this year. There is some rational basis for good things to happen, but there’s also plenty of reason to tread with a bit of trepidation, with all of our unknowns as a team. After all, just one of thirty teams gets the privilege of raising a banner each year. Obviously, we can’t always be the “top dog”, but we can still respect and enjoy the ride even if we don’t cross the finish line ahead of the pack. We always seem to field a competitive team that plays with heart and character, and for that alone we are very fortunate fans indeed.

    Good luck to the 2010-11 SA Spurs!

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  • DorieStreet

    This will be an intriguing season for Spurs fans in many aspects. Tim Duncan’s performance this year will both reveal whether the epilogue of his career is cast, and the stellar run of this team has run its course. Can the youngsters and newcomers create a dynamic mix that reverses the declining win total and continue the streak of 50+ victories? I forsee an uptempo style, with lots of movement in half-courts sets. I hope Duncan’s assessment of his body and his determination to go full-bore is rewarded with an outstanding season (injury-free, of course) and that more minutes among the other big men keep him fresh the whole season and into the playoffs.

  • Mackattack

    Tyler, the service academies set that height limit to make sure their officer candidates can fit into airplane cockpits and even on ships in the navy, as it is difficult for a 7 footer to thrive in either one of those situations.

  • Jim Henderson

    I do appreciate the effort that RJ made in the off-season. I hope he and his coaches put a lot of emphasis on the defensive end. I’m not as concerned about him offensively, other than his consistency, and I’m confident they can iron that out in year two. But I’ll be looking for the mental focus, effort, and aggression on the defensive end, which of course includes the defensive boards. That will be key for us.

    http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/spurs_jefferson_devoted_summer_to_basics_103836154.html?c=y&page=1#storytop

  • ThatBigGuy

    @ Tyler

    The Navy had a 6’6″ height limit, although there was an exception that allowed 5% of an incoming class to be up to 6’8″. Robinson fell into that 5%, but then grew 4 more inches during his freshman and sophomore years, ending up as the 7 footer we know and love today.

    I vainly hoped and wished for a 4 inch growth spurt in college, but alas, I was not destined to be one of the greatest basketball players in history.

  • Manolo Pedralvez

    Age notwithstanding, let us all see Tim Duncan play first before measuring what he has left in the tank. Certainly, it won’t be half-full, as the naysayers might believe.

  • Jim Henderson

    Manolo Pedralvez
    September 29th, 2010 at 3:17 am

    “Age notwithstanding, let us all see Tim Duncan play first before measuring what he has left in the tank.”

    We know what he had in the tank last year, and it was less than full compared to what he had in his prime. And no “naysayer” that I know suggests that his tank is anywhere near just half full. So, just what is your point?

  • Hunter

    Jim Henderson , I am a common reader of this blog and i’ve noticed you have posted alot of comments for this last one i couldnt agree with you more. To him and all other spurs fans i will be at the staples center on november first to watch the spurs kick the living crap out of the clippers. GO SPURS GO

  • jawo

    panalo to

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  • BankShot21

    As a die hard Spurs fan I truly don’t understand all of this “end of Duncan era” crap. What this man did in the 1st half of last season was short of a miracle. At the age of 33 he carried his team with averages of 20 and 11. He posted a career high 27 rebounds and his PER was 2nd only to LeBron James before the All-Star break. Yes his numbers dipped to 17 and 10 but that’s in part to the resurgence of Manu and George Hill and an all time low in minutes played. Is he still the anchor of the defense? Yes. So what’s all this “he’s a step slower” talk?…Who isn’t a step slower at 33 (excluding Steve Nash)? Let’s stop being coerced into believing he (Duncan) is less relevant to our success now than he was in title years. GO SPURS GO!!!!