Tim Duncan is undoubtedly one of the very best to ever pick up a basketball. His consistency, ability to win multiple championships, leadership, numbers, and accolades are all proof of that. Year in and year out he always found a way to impact games and was able to dominate by for the most part just keeping his game simple. TD was the last superstar player to stay in college for 4 years before going to the NBA. We might not see that for a very long time, if ever again.
Here is a look at Tim Duncan's draft day scouting report courtesy of Usenet Draft:
Scout: Kevin Lachance
Duncan is the best player available in the draft and a lock to be the first overall pick. He has the ability to become an 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 comparisons I have heard David Robinson and Brad Daugherty. 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 consistently 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 in a variety of ways. He can take his man down low with an assortment of post moves. He uses the glass well on his turnaround 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's greatest attribute is his defense. He averaged double figures in rebounds in his final 3 years of college. This past season he averaged close to 15 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 his offensive game. One concern is his low free throw percentage (64%). However, it was the lowest total of his 4 years.
As NBA scouting director Marty Blake says "He may be the most complete player to enter the NBA in the last 10 years".
Scout: Philip Kasiecki
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 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 3 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 50-mile radius. This holds even if the team selecting first is set at center, as Duncan can play power forward as well.
Scout: mmauer@bellatlantic.net
Duncan is one of college's most dominating centers to play the game since HAKEEM OLAJUWON. Duncan makes all the right plays offensively, which is perhaps his only weakness is that it is raw but still developing.
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 doubting that he is a huge talent that will surely develop into a fine superstar. His averages are 20.8 PPG, 14.7 RPG, 3.2 APG, and 3.3 BPG.
This is the most complete player I've seen in years.
Scout: dedelman@acpub.duke.edu
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.
Emmitt Smith - The Most Underrated Great RB
5/15/18
It's mind-blowing to me how a running back of Emmitt Smith's caliber could be so underrated. It's impossible to have one of the greatest records in all of sports and all of the other accomplishments he piled up and still be underrated, but that 's exactly what he is. In my opinion, Emmitt is undoubtedly a top 3 all-time RB, and a case can be made for him as the greatest of all-time.
What makes Emmitt underrated is that most "experts" have a hard time putting him in their top 3 and possibly top 5 all-time running backs list. So many people have a hard time acknowledging that he was a very special RB. He made it look easy, and so many people took it for granted.
Emmitt Smith was everything you want in a running back. He was the epitome of a complete RB. He was tough as nails, a warrior, a ferocious blocker, a lethal receiver out of the backfield, and if he had an open lane, most likely he would be adding another football to the collection in his storage room. Emmitt was also the Cowboys' best 3rd down back, best goal line back, and best pass protector.....in the good and bad years. I'll just leave his resume right here for you to look at and tell me why he shouldn't be mentioned among the best of the best.
Career Highlights And Awards
-NFL All-Time Leading Rusher
-NFL All-Time Leading Postseason Rusher
-Monday Night Football All-Time Leading Rusher
-Dallas Cowboys Ring Of Honor (2005)
-Pro Football Hall Of Fame (2010)
-NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
-8x Pro Bowl Selection (1990-95, 1998, 1999)
-4x First Team ALl-Pro (1992-95)
-Second Team All-Pro (1991)
-3x Super Bowl Champion (XXVII, XXVIII, XXX)
-Super Bowl XXVIII MVP
-1990 NFL Offensive Rookie Of The Year
-1993 NFL MVP
-1993 PFWA NFL MVP
-1993 TSN NFL MVP
-1993 Miller Lite Player Of The Year
-1994 TSN Sportsman Of The Year
-2x NEA NFL MVP (1991, 1992)
-1993 Bert Bell Award
-5x Galloping Gobbler Award
-3x First Team All-SEC (1987-89)
-1989 SEC Player Of The Year
-1989 First Team All-American
-1987 SEC Freshman Of The Year
-Gator Football Ring Of Honor
-College Football Hall Of Fame (2006)
-Florida High School All-Century Team
-Florida High School Athletic Association Player Of The Century
-1986 USA Today High School Player Of The Year
-1986 Parade Magazine High School Player Of The Year
NFL Records
-Most rushing yards in a career (18,355)
-Most rushing touchdowns in a career (164)
-Most rushing attempts in a career (4,409)
-Most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons (11)
-Most 1,000-yard seasons in a career (11)
-Most 100-yard games in a career (78)
-Most games in a season with a touchdown (15 in 1995)
-Most games in a season with a rushing touchdown (15 in 1995)
-Most rushing yards after turning 30 years old (5,789)
-Most playoff rushing yards in a career (1,586)
-Most playoff rushing touchdowns in a career (19)
-Most playoff total touchdowns in a career (21 - tied with Thurman Thomas)
-Most consecutive playoff games with a rushing touchdown (9)
-Most 100-yard playoff games (7 - tied with Terrell Davis)
Accomplishments
-Only running back in football history to be his state's all-time leading rusher in high school, school's all-time leading rusher in college, and the NFL's all-time leading rusher
-Only running back in NFL history to win a rushing title, MVP, Super Bowl, and Super Bowl MVP in the same season
-Only running back (since the merger) to lead the NFL in carries, rushing yards, all-purpose yards, rushing touchdowns, and total touchdowns in the same season
-First running back to win a rushing title and Super Bowl in the same season
-First running back to rush for 1,400+ yards in 5 straight seasons
-One of 2 non-kickers in NFL history to score over 1,000 points in a career (Jerry Rice)
-One of 5 players with 10,000 rushing yards and 400 receptions in a career
-One of 3 running backs to start their careers with 7 straight 10-touchdown seasons (Jim Brown, LaDanian Tomlinson)
How Is Tim Duncan Not Top 5 All-Time With THIS Resume?
4/25/18
Tim Duncan is widely recognized as the greatest power forward of all-time and generally considered one of the 10 players of all-time regardless of position. I personally believe that he's the most underrated and underappreciated superstar that the NBA has ever had. Most all-time lists have TD in the bottom half of the top 10 in their rankings. I know these lists are subjective, but to me, there's NO WAY he should be lower than 5. In addition to being one of the 5 greatest ever, I consider him the greatest of his generation.
I can go on ALL DAY LONG about why Tim Duncan is worthy of being in the pantheon of basketball's all-time greats, but for right now I'll leave you with his resume and dare you to come up with a good reason for why he shouldn't be mentioned among the best of the best.
Career Highlights And Awards
-Naismith College Player Of The Year (1997)
-AP College Player Of The Year (1997)
-John Wooden Award (1997)
-Adolph Rupp Trophy (1997)
-USBWA College Player Of The Year (1997)
-Sporting News Player Of The Year (1997)
-ACC Male Athlete Of The Year (1997)
-2x Consensus First Team All-American (1996, 1997)
-3x NABC Defensive Player Of The Year (1995, 1996, 1997)
-2x ACC Player Of The Year (1996, 1997)
-Honored By The U.S. House Of Representatives
-Jersey #21 Retired (Wake Forest)
-ACC 50th Anniversary Men's Basketball Team (2002)
-College Basketball Hall Of Fame (2017)
-5x NBA Champion (1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014)
-3x NBA Finals MVP (1999, 2003, 2005)
-2x NBA MVP (2002, 2003)
-NBA All-Star MVP (2000)
-15x NBA All-Star (1998, 2000-2011, 2013, 2015)
-15x All-NBA Selection (10 First Team, 3 Second Team, 2 Third Team)
-15x NBA All-Defensive Selection (8 First Team, 7 Second Team)
-NBA All-Rookie First Team (1998)
-NBA Rookie Of The Year (1998)
-NBA Shooting Stars Champion (2008)
-NBA Teammate Of The Year (2015)
-Sports Illustrated Sportsman Of The Year (2003)
-USA Basketball Male Athlete Of The Year (2003)
-NBA Community Assist Award (2003)
-Sports Illustrated NBA Player Of The Decade (2009)
-Jersey #21 Retired (Spurs)
Here are some of the countless milestones and achievements Tim Duncan had piled up by the time he retired:
-Had a 20+ PER (Player Efficiency Rating) in each of his first 18 seasons. (NBA Record)
-Received MVP votes in 16 of his first 18 seasons.
-Only player in the last 35 years to be selected to the All-NBA 1st Team as a rookie.
-Only player in the modern NBA era to lead a team to a championship with his team's 2nd through 5th scorers all shooting under 42%.
-Only player in NBA history to start on an NBA championship team in 3 different decades.
-Only player in NBA history with 15 All-Star selections, 15 All-NBA selections, and 15 All-Defensive selections.
-Only player in NBA history to be selected to an All-NBA and All-Defensive team in his first 13 seasons.
-Only player in NBA history with 100 offensive win shares and 100 defensive win shares.
-Only player in NBA history to average at least 13 points and 9 rebounds at age 38 or older.
-Only player in NBA history with 5,000 points, 2,500 rebounds, and 500 blocks in the playoffs.
-Only player in NBA history to win 1,000 games with 1 team.
-One of only 3 players in NBA history with 1,000 wins. (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Robert Parish)
-One of only 2 players in NBA history with 25,000 points, 15,000 rebounds, and 3,000 blocks. (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)
-One of only 4 players in NBA history with 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists, and 2,500 blocks. (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal)
-One of only 3 players in NBA history to win the Wooden Award, NBA Rookie Of The Year, NBA MVP, NBA Finals MVP, and NBA All-Star Game MVP. (Michael Jordan, Larry Bird)
-One of only 5 players in NBA history to win 3 NBA Finals MVPs. (Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James)
-One of only 3 players in NBA history with a championship, NBA Finals MVP, MVP, 10 All-NBA selections, 10 All-Defensive selections. (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant)
-One of only 4 players in NBA history to be selected to the All-NBA 1st Team in each of his first 8 seasons. (Bob Pettit, Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird)
-One of only 6 players in NBA history to ever win Rookie Of The Year and all 3 MVP awards. (Wilt Chamberlain, Willis Reed, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal)
-One of only 5 No. 1 overall picks in the last 25 years to win a championship with the team that drafted him. (Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving)
-NBA record for most seasons played by a No. 1 overall draft pick for the team that drafted him. (19)
-Most consecutive seasons of at least 50 games played for the same franchise. (19 - tied with John Stockton)
-Most All-NBA selections in a career. (15 - tied with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar & Kobe Bryant)
-Most NBA All-Defensive Team selections in a career. (15)
-Most career defensive rebounds in All-Star Game history. (98)
-Oldest player in NBA history to record 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game. (23 points, 21 rebounds vs Hawks on 12/3/13)
-Has a winning record, regular season and playoffs, against every single franchise in the NBA. No other player is closer than 8 games under .500 during that span.
-Has beaten 18 different teams in the NBA playoffs. No other player in history has done this.
-He has a winning head-to-head record against every top power forward of his generation.
-Co-anchored a Spurs defense that finished the 1998-99 season with an NBA-record .4016 opponent field goal percentage.
-In his first 10 seasons, the Spurs were either No. 1 or No. 2 in the NBA every year in points allowed and opponent field goal percentage.
-He, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili have the NBA record for most regular season wins (575) and most playoff wins (126) by a trio.
-Had 5 lottery picks from his draft class as teammates, which is the most for a No. 1 pick. (Antonio Daniels, Ron Mercer, Tracy McGrady, Austin Croshere, Derek Anderson)
-Had 9 players from his draft class as teammates, which is the most for a No. 1 pick. (Antonio Daniels, Ron Mercer, Tracy McGrady, Austin Croshere, Derek Anderson, Charles Smith, Jacque Vaughn, Stephen Jackson, Ira Newble)
-He and Gregg Popovich outlasted some historic teams in his 19 years: Shaq/Kobe Lakers, (1st) LeBron Cavs, Dirk Mavs, Larry Brown Pistons, 7 Seconds Or Less Suns, Kobe Lakers, Pierce/Garnett/Allen Celtics, The Heatles, Durant/Westbrook Thunder
Here is an overview of the impact Tim Duncan had on the Spurs organization:
-The Spurs had only been to the conference finals 4 times in 30 years before he joined them.
-The Spurs had a .600 or above winning percentage in all 19 of his seasons.
-The Spurs won 50+ regular seasons games in 17 consecutive seasons. (NBA record)
-The Spurs never finished a regular season with worse than the 2nd best record in their division in that span.
-The Spurs made the playoffs all 19 years he played. That's the most ever for 1 player with 1 team in NBA history.
-The Spurs won 35 of the 48 (73%) playoff series that he played in.
-The Spurs' .710 winning percentage with him is the best 19-year stretch in NBA history and the best of any franchise in all 4 major pro sports leagues.
-The Spurs have been the most successful organization in the history of North American team sports.
The GOAT Power Forward also made a huge impact on the NBA as well, but that's another story for another day. He played his game in a way where he could shine and his teammates could shine as well, and do their own thing without getting in each other's way. He also found ways to impact the game with his intangibles, putting his team in the best possible position to come away with a win. Winning was the most consistent thing TD did. Most of all, he continued to be a gracious mentor to his teammates and was willing to help them become better overall basketball players and people.
Tim Duncan was a constant for the Spurs no matter who his teammates happened to be, and was the common denominator for all 5 championships.....with different supporting casts for all of them. He welcomed them all and found a way to help them fit in and feel comfortable in their roles. Not a lot of players can do that. The "boring" label that was attached to TD was probably meant to be endearing, but it tended to overshadow how great he was. In other words, he was sold short throughout his career. I believe it's safe to say that there will never be another Tim Duncan. Never again will the NBA have anybody with the transcendence of his skills packaged quite like that.
Again......how his he not top 5 all-time?
