Why Tim Duncan is still as asset for the San Antonio Spurs? – NBA Feature (Part 1)
When San Antonio Spurs gained the first spot in the Western conference standings at the close of the last season with the second best record 61-21 after the Chicago Bulls, they certainly looked favourites to lift the Larry O’Brian
trophy.
However, that never happened as the best team of the Western Conference were thrown out of the contention in the first round of the 2011 playoffs by the eighth seeded Memphis Grizzlies with a 4-2 record.
Still it was a remarkable effort by the Spurs in the regular-season. In addition to that the Spurs achieved those brilliant figures without receiving much help from their veteran power forward/centre Tim Duncan.
The 6 foot 11, who maintains a career scoring average of 20.6 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, is without a doubt amongst the intrepid leaders on the court. However, this courageous player was found out of form in
the preceding season and tallied points with an average of 13.4 to go along with 8.9 rebounds per game, while spending 28.4 minutes a contest.
Against the Grizzlies in the postseason, Duncan again failed to show his true spark. He scored with an average of 12.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
The reason given for Duncan’s out of form run by most of the NBA analysts was his age. Duncan is now 35 years old and according to several analysts the age has now started showing it’s affects on his play.
Most will agree with these analysts that it may be time for Duncan to say bye, bye to basketball and find other means to earn income. However, I believe that the first overall pick of the 1997 NBA Draft has still fire in his belly
and can help the Spurs in winning another championship.
These are the five reasons, why I believe in Tim Duncan can still be beneficial for the Spurs in bringing the title home.
1. Last season was a stroke of luck
The major reason why I strongly believe that Duncan’s decline hasn’t started as yet is because his stats decline was one off. Before last season, Tim’s average never went below 17 points a game during a single season and as such,
his significance cannot be dismissed on the basis of not performing well in just a single season.
The veteran has been an important part of the Spurs offensive unit for a decade now and his contributions have over the years won the Spurs many laurels.
Another reason behind his poor scoring during the last season was the combination of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The duo had taken most of the offensive burden on their shoulders and therefore Duncan didn’t get enough opportunities
to tally points. This can be judged from the fact that Duncan’s field goal attempts in each game were not more than 11.
However, the 225 pound veteran can make a comeback in the next season, as the long lockout has provided him enough time to rejuvenate his body and gain his lost form in order to once again find his way in the offense of the Spurs,
which also have many expectations from the experience player.
Tags: