![]() 1 I converted both metrics to a figure representing wins above replacement (WAR), and broke down each into its offensive and defensive components, zeroing out seasons where a player dipped into negative-value territory. To measure this, I used a couple of statistics from : value over replacement player (VORP) and Win Shares, both of which strive to capture a player’s total on-court influence over his team’s success. Put it all together, and it’s hard to find a modern player with a better combination of offensive and defensive résumés than Duncan. He’s undeniably on the shortlist of the best defenders in basketball history. And even in the twilight of his career, Duncan consistently ranked among the league’s top five defensive players according to the plus/minus metrics. In terms of suppressing offensive efficiency (relative to league average), Duncan’s Spurs were the NBA’s best defensive dynasty since Bill Russell’s Celtics. He was named to 15 All-Defensive teams - the last of which came at age 38 - and led the league in defensive Win Shares five times, to go with nine other top-five finishes. But Duncan augmented his point totals with good efficiency, great rebounding and a nice passing touch for a big man that allowed him to anchor the Spurs’ offense even when his days as a big-time scorer were in the past.Īnd on defense, Duncan was uniformly incredible throughout his career. ![]() His low-post game, premised around that classic bank shot, was solid but rarely feared, particularly later in his career. All-around greatnessĭuncan never scored more than 25 points per game after age 25, and he didn’t crack 20 PPG after turning 30. So here are a couple of ways in which he made a case for being the best player in modern NBA history. But for whatever reason - be it playing in small-market San Antonio, his relatively low-key public persona or all the things that go into a nickname like the Big Fundamental - Duncan’s greatness remains undersold in many quarters. Duncan was at the forefront of the league for the past two decades, winning five championships and a pair of MVPs as the best player of the generation that entered the league as MJ was on his way out. The post-Jordan NBA era unofficially ended Monday, when San Antonio Spurs legend Tim Duncan announced his retirement after 19 seasons as a pro.
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