Tim Duncan: Silent Legend

The Basketball World was hit with another blow with another legend saying goodbye. San Antonio Spurs Icon Tim Duncan announced his retirement from the NBA with ZERO fanfare, unlike his counterpart and polar opposite Kobe Bean Bryant. Duncan was Drafted 1st Overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1997 NBA Draft. Ever since his time at Wake Forest, Duncan showed signs of future greatness, which is why San Antonio made the investment. It clearly paid off. At the time, the San Antonio Spurs were in a stage of rebuilding as Franchise Star David Robinson was injured during the season with back problems. With Robinson out, their leading scorer was a past his prime Dominique Wilkins. Nique was no longer the Human Highlight Reel from his glory days. The Spurs went 20-62. As a result, it was only fitting that they draft number 21 as their Centerpiece for the future. With Duncan, The Admiral found greater team success. Together, they formed the Twin Towers. Tim was clearly the Rookie of the Year (21.1 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.5 bpg, 55% FG). The Spurs went 56-26. Duncan's impact was a resurgence for not only the Spurs, but the city of San Antonio and State of Texas in general. Next to Shaq & Kobe's Lakers, the Spurs were one of the premiere teams going into the new Millennium. His battles with Shaq & Kobe were legendary in every way. That is what made me truly believe that Tim Duncan was Great. Shaq himself realized that when he gave Duncan the nickname "The Big Fundamental" for his Fundamental approach to the game. The 1998-99 Season witnessed a lockout where the Regular Season was truncated to 50 Games. The San Antonio Spurs were the Best Team in the League with a 37-13 record. In the playoffs, San Antonio wiped the floor with their opponents. In the first round, they dominated the Minnesota Timberwolves 3-1. In the Semi-Finals, they SWEPT a Shaq-led Lakers team. In the WCF, San Antonio swept a loaded Blazers team. In the Finals, they annihilated the New York Knicks in 5 Games. Duncan was Finals MVP (27.4/14.0/2.4). TD won back to back MVP Awards in 2002 and 2003. The Spurs defeated the New Jersey Nets in the '03 Finals with Duncan winning his second Finals MVP Award. This was also his last Championship with David Robinson by his side.

With the Admiral's Departure, the Spurs did not miss a beat. They would return to the Finals two years later to defeat the defending Champion Detroit Pistons in 7 Games capturing his third Finals MVP Award. San Antonio would defeat an inexperienced Cleveland Cavaliers team led by a young LeBron James in the 2007 NBA Finals, 4-0. Duncan solidified his place as not only the Greatest Power Forward ever, but the Greatest Player of the 2000's Era of the NBA. As Shaq would face a steady decline and Kobe would go through three tumultuous seasons, Tim Duncan maintained his consistency by keeping his team in contendership every year. The Spurs were always a team to keep your eye on in the Playoffs because of the leadership of Duncan along with the nucleus of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The Spurs philosophy of winning was very blue collar and methodical. It was the closest thing that we ever had to watching the Boston Celtics of the late 50's/60's starring Bill Russell & co. Duncan can be described as the Modern equivalent of Bill Russell, but with more Offense. Gregg Popovich has definitely been the Commander of the Team, like Red Auerbach. Parker and Ginobili were Duncan's Cousy and Havlicek. The Spurs ran a pure X's and O's style of Basketball. It felt like watching Basketball 101. The Spurs would return to the Finals to face the Miami Heat with a more mature LeBron James. This time, LeBron also had a stronger team with Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen and others. The Spurs came up short to the Heat in 7 Games, the only time San Antonio has ever lost in the Finals. The Spurs would not go down without a fight, as they avenged their loss by dominating Miami in 5 Games. Future Franchise Star Kawhi Leonard won Finals MVP. Tim Duncan was a very selfless legend because of how he was willing to pass the torch to a player like Kawhi.

Tim Duncan used his mind to break down opponents. He knew how to find weaknesses in his matchup and execute. His Bank Shot became one of the Signature Weapons in NBA History. It was simple, but dangerous. Tim's Basketball IQ was at Genius level, like Batman. His awareness of everything around him kept the Spurs machine running like clockwork. Duncan's consistency, discipline and mind for the game is what set him apart from the rest of his contemporaries. He was one of the best combinations of great Low Post Offense and Defense. The fact that he never won Defensive Player of the Year is mind blowing. During the Tim Duncan Administration, the San Antonio Spurs won over 70% of their games. The Spurs were privileged to not have experienced a Season where they did not see the playoffs. That in and of itself is remarkable. Tim Duncan has left an indelible mark on the game of Basketball and a very large shadow in San Antonio. The Class of 2021 with him and Kobe Bryant together will be spectacular.

Thank you Tim Duncan for all that you have done for the Game of Basketball. See you in the Hall of Fame.

Accomplishments:
NBA Rookie of the Year (1997-98)
5x NBA Champion ('99, '03, '05, '07, 2014)
3x NBA Finals MVP ('99, '03, '05)
2x NBA MVP ('02, '03)
15x NBA All-Star ('98-2011, 2013-'15)
10x All-NBA 1st Team (1998-'05, '07, 2013)
3x All-NBA 2nd Team (2006, 2008-'09)
2x All-NBA 3rd Team (2010, 2015)
8x All-Defensive 1st Team ('99-'03, '05, '07-'08)
7x All-Defensive 2nd Team ('98, '04, '06, '09, 2010, 2013, 2015)
Co-All-Star Game MVP (2000 w/Shaquille O'Neal)
Spurs All-Time Leading Scorer (26,496)
USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (2003)
Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2003)

NBA Playoff Predictions (Conference Finals)

East:
Heat vs. Pacers (4-1)

Last season, the Pacers proved to be the toughest challenge that Miami Heat faced in the playoffs. That is for good reason too, because of Indiana's physicality, and their advantage in the post (Roy Hibbert, David West) Miami has shown that they struggle against teams with big men. Indiana's rebounding proved vital in their series with the Knicks. However, the Heat are a smarter team that limits their missed shots because of their equalizer (LeBron James). Miami is a more efficient team than New York, which will make it harder for  the Pacers to grab as many boards. The Pacers have a very good perimeter defense with Paul George. However, Miami has the superiority in that department because of the lethal duo of LeBron and Dwyane Wade. Shane Battier is another crucial defender on the perimeter as well, which will cause triple teams and multiple rotations to frustrate Indiana. Miami has proven that they can make up for their weakness in the low post, by running fastbreak with their smallball style of play. The Heat's depth is another major threat, with the likes of Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, James Jones, Chris "Birdman" Anderson, and others. Therefore, LeBron's job has become much easier, because he has multiple weapons to kick out to when facing double teams. His ability to create his own shots will be the ultimate factor in this matchup.

West:
Spurs vs. Grizzlies (4-1)

San Antonio's fundamental style of play, and IQ will give them the major advantage over Memphis in this series. Their ability to create screens will give the Grizzlies matchup nightmares, because of their lethal weapon Tony Parker. Parker's IQ, and playmaking abilities have proven to be problematic for Mike Conley. Tim Duncan has proven to still be a serious threat defensively, which creates problems for Zach Randolph. When Randolph becomes a non-factor, that is when the Grizzlies suffer. Players such as Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green will be crucial in this series to round things out for the Spurs to neutralize Tony Allen. The Spurs depth will once again be the deciding X-factor in the postseason.

NBA Playoff Predictions (2nd Round)

East:
Heat over Bulls (4-3)
Pacers over Knicks (4-2)

West:
Thunder over Grizzlies (4-3)
Spurs over Warriors (4-2)


East:

Heat vs. Bulls:
In Game 1, I was very impressed by Chicago. On the night where three of their best players were out (Rose, Deng, Hinrich), the Bulls regrouped around players such as Nate Robinson, Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, and others in spite of their injury problems. Meanwhile, Miami was fully healthy with their franchise star, MVP LeBron James. However, Chicago came off of a tough 7-game series with the Brooklyn Nets, while the Heat were rusty coming off of an 8-day layoff. What made the layoff rust even worse was the fact that LeBron was openly awarded the MVP trophy the night of the game in Miami. In the first half, LeBron played nothing like an MVP. The first half overall was grueling and low scoring, where both teams were tied at 37 by halftime. Side note: Maybe it was the shoes. Just kidding. The Bulls have constantly had the Heat's number this season. Chicago was the team that ended Miami's 27-game winning streak. (2nd longest in NBA History) Whenever the Bulls play the Heat, they always bring their A game, especially Nate Robinson. Game 1 was no different. Chicago pushed the ball up the court, and knocked down their shots. They knew how to frustrate Miami. Nate Robinson led the way with 27 points, 9 assists. Jimmy Butler stepped up with 21 points, 14 rebounds. Joakim Noah made an impact as well, with 13 points, and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, LeBron led the way for the Heat as he finished with 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Dwyane Wade had 14 points. Everyone else on the Heat were involved, but not enough to get them over. Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers and Ray Allen went cold. In the end, this will be an intriguing matchup.

Pacers vs. Knicks:
These first two games have been up and down. In Game 1, the Pacers blew the Knicks away in Madison Square Garden. In Game 2, the Knicks returned the favor. However, I see Indiana having the advantage because of their physicality, just like it was with the Hawks, and even with the Heat last year. If the Pacers perimeter defense can neutralize Carmelo and JR Smith, this will turn even more in their favor. Overall, the Pacers physical play and big man Roy Hibbert will be the deciding factor.

West:

Thunder vs. Grizzlies:
With fellow star Russell Westbrook out for the rest of the playoffs, Kevin Durant was able to take what little he had and multiply it for victory over Houston in the 1st Round. In Game 1, the Thunder defeated the Grizzlies at home, with Kevin Durant once again leading the troops. (35 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 9/10 from the free throw line) Kevin Martin stepped up to the plate with 25 points, with Reggie Jackson bringing in 12 points. However, the Grizzlies made it even with Mike Conley leading Memphis with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. Marc Gasol scored 24 points, while Zach Randolph brought in 15 points. Kevin Durant dropped 36 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists 11/12 from the foul line. However, he missed 2 crucial shots, and the rest of the Thunder fell short. Gasol and Randolph are two of the best big men today. If they carry their weight like they did against the Clippers, they could have a chance. However, Oklahoma City is still a greater threat than what the Clippers were. I see the Thunder pulling this out.

Spurs vs. Warriors:
Monday Night's opener was incredible. Stephen Curry has really been raising his game, and those around him. Curry was lights out again in Game 1, where he lit up the Spurs defense with 44 points and 11 assists. San Antonio had their back on the ropes by the first half. However, the Spurs had the right answer. This was a Point Guard battle. Tony Parker led the way with 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. Danny Green dropped 22 points. Tim Duncan had a solid game with 19 points, and 11 rebounds. Rising star Kawhi Leonard gave 18 points, and 9 rebounds. Manu Ginobili also added 16 points, and 11 assists. San Antonio's experience, and chemistry will neutralize the youth and firepower of Golden State.

NBA Playoff Predictions (1st Round)

East:
Heat over Bucks (4-0)
Celtics over Knicks (4-2)
Bulls over Nets (4-2)
Pacers over Hawks (4-1)

West:
Thunder over Rockets (4-0)
Spurs over Lakers (4-0)
Clippers over Grizzlies (4-3)
Nuggets over Warriors (4-2)


East:

Heat vs. Bucks:
Miami will skate through the first round through Milwaukee. The Bucks stops with the Heat.

Celtics vs. Knicks:
Even though Carmelo won the scoring title, I believe that Boston's defense will neutrailize New York's ballstopping. The Knicks live by outside shooting, and during the playoffs, teams that live by that more often than not will die by that. Even with Rondo out, Boston will find a way to rally and regroup.

Bulls vs. Nets:
Tough series for me to call, but I see Chicago finding a way to regroup after that humiliating loss in Game 1. Even with their franchise player (Derrick Rose) out for such a long time, the Bulls have proven that they can be a down and dirty team that will fight even harder with their back against the wall. Noah has been battling injuries, while Deng, Hinrich and Gibson fell flat in Game 1. Boozer led with 25, while Nate Robinson came off the bench with 17, along with Marco Belinelli had 13. The Starters have to raise their game to give Chicago a stronger chance. Meanwhile, the Nets had six players in double-figures: Deron Williams (22), Brook Lopez (21), Joe Johnson (16), Gerald Wallace (14), Former Bull C.J. Watson (14), and Andre Blatche (12). If Chicago's nucleus can pull their own weight, this will be the blue-collar matchup that will be right in their favor.

Pacers vs. Hawks:
Indiana's nucleus of Danny Granger, Paul George, Roy Hibbert, David West, George Hill, and Tyler Hansborough will be too much for the Hawks to handle. The Pacers have been a more proven playoff team for the past two years. In 2011, they were a tougher matchup for the Bulls than the Hawks were. In 2012, they put Miami against the wall in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Pacers are too physical for the Hawks to overcome.

West:

Thunder vs. Rockets:
This will be a very interesting matchup, with former Sixth Man James Harden facing his former team as a star for the Houston Rockets. This storyline will be the focus of the series. In the season opener, Harden made his own statement versus the Thunder, with a career-high 46 points in Houston's only win against Oklahoma City during the season. The Duo of Harden and Jeremy Lin have led the Rockets to the 8th Seed in the West. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City will zero in on James Harden, after Harden hit a wall in the Finals against the Heat, costing them the series. James Harden has averaged 25.9 ppg in his first season as a starter. Meanwhile, the Thunder have not missed a beat with new addition Kevin Martin (the very player they traded Harden for). Kevin Durant led the team in Scoring (28.1 ppg- 2nd in NBA), with Russell Westbrook finishing 2nd on the team in Scoring (23.2 ppg). Kevin Martin sacrificed his scoring, with 14.0 ppg, while Serge Ibaka put in 13.2 ppg. The games themselves will be pretty tough, but Oklahoma

Spurs vs. Lakers:
Both teams have been battling health issues. Clearly, the Lakers lost their franchise player for the next 6-9 months. However, San Antonio has proven to be a more effective and devastating team, when both are healthy. The Lakers have greatly underperformed all season long, with the team that they have assembled. (Kobe, Dwight, Nash, Pau Gasol, Artest) San Antonio's chemistry and Basketball IQ will exploit that massive weakness. However, I see the Lakers pulling out at least 1, as they will find a way to move the ball around more without Kobe. The Spurs will pick them apart with their superior ball movement, defense, and other strategies.

Clippers vs. Grizzlies:
I see this series being more of the same from last year's series. In Game 1, the Clippers had their way with Memphis (112-91), with Chris Paul leading the way with 23 points, Eric Bledsoe with 15, Chauncey Billups with 14, Caron Butler and Jamal Crawford both with 13, and Blake Griffin and Matt Barnes both with 10. Memphis has the advantage inside (Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol), but the Clippers perimeter will find a way to neutralize them.

Nuggets vs. Warriors:
This will be a battle of two great small ball teams. Led by 3-point marksman Stephen Curry along with the likes of David Lee, Klay Thompson and co. Golden State will be a very intriguing matchup for Denver. However, the Nuggets have a  more well-rounded team in my view. Denver has a very dangerous combination of guards (Ty Lawson, Andre Miller) star wingman (Andre Iguodala), along with an interior presence (Javale McGee). The Nuggets can not only run the table on fastbreaks, but can dominate inside as well. As I have said about the Knicks, teams that live too much by the three will die by it in the playoffs. I see this happening with the Nuggets using their size to take great advantage as well.