Why Tim Duncan was one of the best ever | Greatest Peaks Ep. 12
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- Опубліковано 21 лют 2021
- Support at Patreon: / thinkingbasketball
Find classic games at: usasportsondvd.com -- They have thousands of old NBA games, many of which were purchased for this series and were used to create this video.
In 2003 Tim Duncan won his second consecutive MVP and Finals MVP while leading the Spurs to a title. Just how good was he then? Did his low post scoring game match the all-time greats? What were his strengths and weaknesses as a playmaker? And did his massive defensive impact make him one of the best two-way centers ever?
This is the 12th episode in a series on the greatest peaks in NBA history (focusing on 1977-2020), featuring detailed scouting reports and film breakdown on the best players in NBA history at their best, along with analysis of their impact using historical data & stats to size up the highest peaking players ever.
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Twitter: @elgee35
Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
Stats courtesy:
www.pbpstats.com @bballport
www.basketball-reference.com
stats.nba.com
For more, see the Thinking Basketball stats series: • NBA Stats 101 Series
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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
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Many of you have still asked about where to find old games -- my go-to source for this series was usasportsondvd.com. They have tons of old games (and some more recent ones) and an entire Jordan games collection.
Way too critical and wrong on Timmy. For example, no mention of his ability to NOT be in foul trouble. Explains why he seemed a step slow, he tries to contest at the rim without hitting the body. How did you miss that?
Can you do a video on non-great players who were known for high BBIQ? For example, I've heard a few times during Rasheed Wallace's playing days he would be on Duncan's level if he gave a damn about being the man. He was still a prized asset into his 30s because of his intangibles, as were Iguodala and Billups.
I see you have a clip of Duncan's game against Kansas; even as a freshman, it was obvious that he was the best player on the court, even though KU had two 7 footers (Ostertag and Pollard) who had much more hype and experience. The game that I've been trying to find is from his sophomore year, when he absolutely obliterated Rasheed in Chapel Hill. I think it was after this game where Jerry West made his famous observation.
BEST WAGON U MEAN
IMAGINE GARNETT + OLAJUWON FROM DAY 1 . RIDING ADMIRAL FROM DAY 1 DOESNT MAKES U GREAT
You are one heck of a Wilt Chamberlain hater. I watched your wilt vs russ video and now I'm watching this video and the fact that you're giving tim Duncan all of this praise, yet you trashed wilt, is just ridiculous. Wilt would wipe the floor with tim Duncan in every way, and I love tim duncan
To say nothing of how valuable he was off-the-court. Pop hit the jackpot landing a generational talent that had essentially no ego, instilling a culture of discipline, collectivism, and composure that made them an unstoppable unit every season.
DRob was humble, TD was humble
2 Top 20 players yet humble as you like
🔥
Arguably the best teammate ever, aside best foundational player and almost best 1st overall pick ever (both these two shared with the, in fact, player coming up coincidentally next after this episode lol it's always a classic affinity the one of TD and Lebron).
The Lebron episode after this will be totally insane, from title to content I imagine.
I agree. Similar to Bill Russell, it's remarkable how the Spurs franchise was anchored by a humble and selfless superstar that set the tone for how the franchise would conduct itself for years to come. I agree w/ one of the people above who said David Robinson was humble as well. Tony Parker, Ginobili, Kawhi, and even Bruce Bowen certainly fit the mold.
Yea, to me, I factor in 'locker room presence' into greatness. I know the guy who makes these videos is all about FACTS that can be proven on court, mixed with scouting game footage to assess what stats cannot, especially for older players, and even though he rates Russell so highly based on stats, I really just his PRESENCE, on the court or otherwise, was just as valuable as his GOAT level defense, and probably an even bigger factor of why they won 11 rings, 2 of which he won as player/COACH.
It's also why I knock Kobe, and to a lesser extent, Shaq, LeBron, and Jordan. Phil Jackson was one of the few guys who could grip Jordan, and at least deal with Kobe. Even then, Kobe's off-court presence was still a detriment to his team that can't be measured with stats.
If I want to win, and not stop winning, I want guys like Russell and Timmy. Bird is up there too, great locker room guy, but drank too much. He wasn't an alcoholic, but he literally credits improvement to his game when they traded away his drinking buddy, lul.
@@willhooke Robinson is not a top 20 player ever
i think i saw a stat that says Duncan had more seasons played than goaltends... insane
jesus...
Yes, an underrated aspect of his defensive game was how little effort he exerted on shots he could not disrupt. It is the same with his foul rate - very low for a big man paint defender.
Duncan didn't really jump high enough to goaltend
For me the most surprising thing was Duncan was never named Defensive Player of the Year. I'm a Suns fan, followed the NBA my whole life and somehow I just assumed he won one because he was Tim Freaking Duncan, how did he not win one.
@@chrisrodriguez1084 Well, when you’re that tall, you don’t need to jump much to interfere with most shots. He just knew when he could or couldn’t do anything about it, which is an underrated aspect of his game that would conserve energy for crunch time.
Walton is officially this channel's mascot
Lol
Reggie Miller would like a word
What if I told you this channel is actually Walton's mascot? 😮
Walton would never betray Dead and Company to be this channels mascot
Insane that he never won a DPOY.
Still a top 4 defender ever, maybe top 3.
@@yd856 100%
@@carusohighlightreel4275 I always thought that Camby robbed him, even though he led the league in blocks, the nuggets weren’t even a top 5 defense that year if I remember correctly.
@@yd856 I have just outside my top 3 of the modern era (all 3 with a shot at the goat title), but it would be so easy to include him in.
@@pedromdcc13 eh, I don’t think anyone has an argument over Russell as a defender. I also think 2 is pretty solidly Hakeem. I think 3-6 is debatable between KG, Duncan, Robinson, and Wilt.
monday’s are like a basketball Holiday
like clockwork
Oh wait, who's that at 14:51?? The second dot from top to bottom?? Oh yeah Charles Barkley with one of the GREATEST PEAKS in NBA history.....nothing to see here.
For real
Big facts
@@OjoRojo40 scoring peaks. But yeah...
One thing a lot of casual fans don't realize Duncan was a very physical player on the offensive end. He was the second strongest player in the post during his era in backing guys down in the paint and scoring. The only guy who was stronger was Shaq. This gets overshadowed a lot when people discuss Duncan's career. Thinking Basketball did a great job in pointing this out.
Yao, maybe? I agree that Duncan was huge and strong and nobody talks about it
duncan looked for contact...he was so good at getting you off balance when single covered in the post due to pushing his body into your arms
Excellent analysis. I think most people would think of TD as a finesse player, but he was pretty much a power player. His base was ridiculously strong. And he was one of the absolute best at guarding Shaq man-to-man
@@TheJesseGladSaget I thought Duncan was the best defender at guarding Shaq. He was the only guy who I saw Shaq couldn't easily run over. I was always amazed at Duncan's strength in defending Shaq's post ups in the paint.
@@doctorx1924 He probably was. I remember Bill Walton always used to say the same thing
I just knocked over a plant liking this video.
Say sorry to the plant. It was just vibing and minding its own business
Was a certain Chicago pg calling you when it happened?
@@Frank-gh3gn I wish I was friends with him enough for him to call me. He seems like a really good guy.
Tim Duncan was the modern day bill Russell, totally unselfish and absolutely lethal on defense
He was a major step down on defense but also a step up on offense plus more longevity. I still have Russell higher though.
@@yd856 I agree. In terms of defensive impact, Russell is in a tier all by himself. A tier above great defensive bigs like Hakeem, Duncan, Thurmond, D Rob, KG, etc.
@joceja23 in an era without a 3pt line, were protecting the paint with some flexibility was the most important skill to have, saying the best paint protector with the highest IQ has the highest defensive impact ever is not an unscientific speculation you know...
@@yd856 Not really. You forget it was much easier to defend in Russell s time then in Duncan s.
@@pedromdcc13 Ya but with no 3 second violation and lack of spacing made it easier to defend. Players couldnt shoot that well so most drove to the net including guards. In todays era he would struggle to defend more.
It’s crazy how Duncan wasn’t a good shooter. My perception of him before this video was that he was money at the midrange.
You can tell Duncan wasn't a good shooter because of the arc of his shot. It was almost completely flat. Good shooters don't shoot that way.
@@tvman099099 MJ? Kawhi?
In 03, Duncan shot 42.2% on 3.9 attempts a game from 10-16 ft, that's pretty good.
He was a good midrange shooter, especially for a big man with a deadly post game. He shot ~38% in playoffs and ~40% regular season from 10ft to 3pt line for his career. The numbers are lower during these greatest peak years, but that's just randomness
Timmy became elite from the midrange in the second half of his career. This could also be said about his FT% in some of those latter years.
From watching this series, so far what I learned is that
1) 2 way players tend to win more than unstoppable scoring machines.
2) Unstoppable scoring machines, the most efficient ones, tend also be above average passers, which contributes in no small part to making them unstoppable.
The value of 2-way players is keeping their high level offensive kit intact while being assigned to guard the opposing teams' best scorer to some degree and getting results off that. It is also highly moralizing to the teammates of the two-way player because their 'best' player is putting on a star studded effort to try keep the team in the game for 40+ minutes.
It's amazing that the Spurs found and developed 3 of these 2-way championship level studs. DRob, TD, and Kawhi.
This video can make a Spurs fan cry. Someone did Timmy some justice
i think duncan's best traits are how he beat all 18 playoff teams he faced 13 of the 14 west playoff teams in the nba besides the spurs of course who he played with he beat every single one that he played (he never sadly got to play the rockets)...so every city hated him....thats the best compliment...he was so good he beat everyone...oh and he earned three titles as a starter in three different eras/decades of the nba..only player that will ever say that I feel.....salley did it but as a scrub on 2 of the three teams he won with...that shows how dominant he was
I can't stress enough how underrated this channel still is.
The casuals don't like real analysis, they only watch highlights and follow the media
The Tim Duncan of basketball channels.
@@siphillis The *Lebron James of basketball channels
@@sharifbrown3567 no the causals have other things in life then basketball life video games,other sports and other things
It's a good channel I enjoy it, but sometimes is nothing more than a numberphile jerk off.
Never forget how close he was to going 6-0 in the finals!
@joceja23 And they might have won in '06 if Ginobili hadn't inexplicably hacked Nowitzki, and they might have won in '04 if Fisher doesn't hit that ridiculous 0.4 shot.
If they don't lose in 2013 finals in heartbreaking fashion, they might not have the drive and motivation to get back and win in 2014
Yeah, and never forget Pop had him on the bench for that possession where Chris Bosh got the rebound and kicked it to Ray Allen. I wonder if Bosh gets that board with Timmy out there.
Low-key the cavs series was closer than a lot of people think. If LeBron performed like 3/4 of his usual self the cavs might walk away with that ring.
@@ashamael I remember when Pop put him on the bench and saying why did he do that then seconds later Ray Allen hits the 3 on a rebound by Chris Bosh.
Duncan's prime was 98-07, but his peak was definitely 02-03. That was where his athletic prowess met his maturity as a player. In 2004 Duncan had an injury that he never 100% recovered from, although he was probably about 95% of what he was. Spurs fan remember it well. Before that injury the Spurs and Duncan looked utterly unstoppable that year.
if not for the injury in 2000 the spurs may have won another title
Crazy to think he had not one but 2 career altering injuries and still ends up top 5. (2000 MCL and 05ish foot).
Even though that 2003 playoff run had a decent luck factor involved, Duncan floor raising that team to a championship was super impressive! That near quad dub in game 6 will always be one of my favourite finals performances of all time.
actually it was a quad dub since they miscounted one stat. sadly not official
@@peterpan3022 Yeah, it should have been, but Duncan wasn’t credited with two blocks, when he probably should have been. Unfortunate. A quad dub in the finals, to WIN the finals just sounds legendary.
Bro your profile pic is hilarious
@@ireplytostupidpeople4750 haha 😂 thx. The one and only GOAT. I’ve got two videos up if you’re interested in some Alex Caruso highlights.
It's inexcusable that they didn't fix the official stat line. I mean, fixing it has no bearing on the outcome of the game, or even the outcome of any given play on the official record. It's just fixing a stat, like saying 69 years after the fact that Hack Wilson actually drove in 191 runs in his best season, not 190.
All I can think of is maybe some sports book like William Hill would owe a 7-figure payout if Duncan got credited for 10+ blocks, so they ordered the NBA not to change the stats.
The best PF I ever saw. The best leader I ever saw. The best franchise cornerstone I ever saw.
I miss him everyday and I grow even more grateful to him when I see how difficult it is for other small market teams to win a championship let alone build a dynasty.
2 out of 3 aint bad. he wasn't a PF.
@@afterthought6889 He was in his peak, he became a centre from 09 on, but 98-07 he was a PF
@@hardwoodthought1213im willing to bet Tim had as many or more back to the basket low post possessions than most centers from 99-09. Name any C not named Shaq and im pretty sure Tim scored more from the low post than them. Also, im willing to bet David Robinson scored more from mid-range than Tim during his (Robinson) prime. Tim was a C.
@@afterthought6889 Since when does your primary scoring ability being post moves automatically make you a C? The era Duncan dominated is probably the weakest era for centres, outside of Shaq you had what? A broken Yao Ming, a young Dwight Howard, and ancient versions of Zo/Mutombo, so it’s not a fair comparison. Had Duncan played in the 80s, Hakeem, Robinson, Ewing and Ahaq all would have scored more inside the paint that Duncan
Defensive matchups, offensive matchups (who guarded Duncan v Robinson) and measurables all tell you Robinson was the teams C, Duncan the PF. As I said after 07 Duncan was a C, before that he was guarding OFs, being guarded by PFs, playing alongside dudes who weighed 25/40 pounds more than him. Simply being a post player doesn’t make you a centre
@@hardwoodthought1213 moving the goal post i see. All good, we can limit the scope to pre-07. Let's 1st agree on what constitutes the C position. I say its where u score. I accept who you defend as well. Who on the Spurs in 01-06 (after Robinson) was defending opposing Centers? Was Duncan guarding Webber or Divac? Did he handle the opposing C on defense more than the other bigs on their team? Nesterovic - C - 7'0, 03-06, 20+ mpg / Nazr Mohammed 6'10, 04-06 / Oberto - C - 6'10 05-09 / Elson 7'0 - C - 06-07 (those are the only guys who were listed at C who played more than 10 mins. Only Nesterovic, played more than 20 mpg (2 seassons at most). So who waa guarding the opposing Cs?
As a Suns fan, even though he broke my teenager heart during Nash era many times, i have anything but respect for this man. His prime was scary good.
You mean "nothing but respect"?
The Suns were the Spurs true rival in the mid 2000s it was some the greatest basketball games ive ever seen in some ways better than the finals
i was in high school during these years, and sadly spent more time resenting tim duncan bc i'm a nets fan, than actually watching and enjoying how freaking good he was. what a special guy. i used to root for any team but the spurs to come out of the west lol. now that i'm looking back on those years, i'm seeing how amazing the players from the 80s, 90s, and 00s really were. there are gems in every generation os players, some shine brighter over time. tim duncan has my eternal respect and appreciation. i wish i had been smart enough to celebrate his career along with him in the moment, instead of letting my hurt feelings get in the way.
on a similar note, i've been hate ignoring lebron for most of his career, and i am starting to see that even though he's just not my flavor, he really is an unbelievable joy to watch. nowhere near as fun to watch as steph, but that a conversation for a different day. i'm just tryna say that i can't wait for the lebron episode of greatest peaks... i'm hoping to fall in love more with lebron by appreciating what i'm guessing will be the miami years +/-- but i guess we'll see next week. thanks as always, brother ben. your voice is supple like kd's touch from that one spot from deep. . . you know where his only options are just varying degrees of swish or swoosh, but he never in the recorded history of the game of basketball has ever missed a shot from there, or even grazed a hint of iron from there. . . yes, your voice is that supple, that automatic, and i don't want you to become the tim duncan of nba youtubers, so i want to send you these roses while you can still smell them. thank you for being your wonderful self, bc Thinking Basketball has brought me joy, and brought me closer to the game when i was in danger of falling out of love with it. . . so all your effort into these projects has been great and i thank you so very much.
also can lucious harris get some love for how many times he ended up punked by tim duncan on national tv during the nba finals? oh man. it was like when duncan was about to do something dirty, kenyon martin would magically disappear and somehow lucious harris would be there getting stepped on or big brothered by timmy. he's still having flashbacks.
I did the same thing with Jordan
I wasn't a fan of any team, I just wanted him to lose 😬
Funny times, being a teenager 😅
Lebrons is next. KD and Curry are my guesses for the other two
Agreed, literally resent lebron back in his heat days but man, I wish I would have payed more attention with all the highlights Im probably missing. Appreciate greatness...your missing out if you don't 😂
I respect both lebron and curry but neither are that entertaining for me to watch aside from their pure godlike IQ. I just dont find their games aesthetically pleasing like I'd say Kobe, Kawhi, or prime d rose.
I can't upvote this enough. Timmy has always been my favorite player ever. To me, he's top 5 all time. And damn, what a class act on and off the court.
2 important notes:
On the all-time Defensive Win Shares list, there are 2 players with a career DWS figure greater than 100 - Bill Russell and Tim Duncan. Even if the gap between 1 and 2 is nearly 30 points, that's still impressive.
Also, in the 2003 playoffs Duncan posted Win Shares of 5.94 - the most for a single postseason ever.
He also had a quadruple double to finish those playoffs but the score keepers credited some of his blocks to Robinson. Regardless the man was a monster most of his career.
Win shares a terrible stat LMFAO
@@johndolo853 Such an erudite critique of Win Shares, we're all so much smarter for having read it MORON
Has half the blocks of Olajuwon and a tenth of steals...there's ur goat.
Trae Young also does that little hop every time he throws a lob to a big, but I've never noticed it with Duncan. These are the type of gems that push this channel from strong MVP to all time great.
Timmy’s mid range and turnaround bank shots may have come from Walton, but Walton got it from Wilt. The turnaround fall-away was lethal from Wilt and he wasn’t shy about kissing it off the glass either. It’s such an underrated part of his game and it hardly gets talked about
shedding a tear every single time the Suns/Steve Nash is used as an example here
I HAVE WAITED ALL WEEK FOR THIS
Big fundamental!
Tim’s defensive game all come down to being able to block shots without leaving the floor. That’s why his prowess lasted for so long. When you combine his read ability with his hand dexterity (not to mention his incredible physical gifts), you get something that outlasts the gradual loss of athleticism, putting him in that other worldly tier.
Finally some love for fundamentals
When you combine an all time great 2-way peak, with staying with his original team, no drama, and 19 years in the NBA, I don't see why you would pick anyone else to start a franchise with. San Antonio was exceedingly lucky to get Tim Duncan.
russell?...mj?...curry?..magic?...
@@razkable Only Russell, MJ, and Kobe, and Duncan belong in that conversation for now. In terms of longevity, loyalty, and how much they improve a team on their own from their defense and offense
How is Kareem not on that list?
@@chiggsytube Duncan never defended any of his titles and Kobe was the superior player.
I still can’t believe there are people in this world who actually believe Ad is better than Timmy🤦🏾♂️
Probably better defensively in the modern era, given Timmy's slower foot speed. But Timmy was certainly a better post threat
Different eras, if there's anything i have learned from Ben is that context really matters and i have now a hard time saying who's greater between players who peaked in completely different eras. But I'm a moron so yeah
@@JudoMoniz no you're right. The whole point is to try to provide context but you realise he never says who the best is right? It's cause you really can't compare between eras.
@@MrPlow-jc4cr don't know man, a mobile rim protector on the Jazz is doing very well in today's game
Let AD play out his carrier, then we will make the call. For sure TD gave crazy two-way impact but AD has the talent to get there. Also AD has better off-ball movement (Best lob threat of all time, can shoot the 3).
I've been waiting for this video, Duncan is my favorite player ever. I'm convinced that the analytics underrate how dominant Duncan could be on offense. I don't know if it is a rational belief, but I believe that Duncan got better offensively the deeper a series went (the opposite of the James Harden pattern, who gets worse on offense as a defense gets better at not fouling him).
Finally... The player I've been waiting for since the start of this series
Every time you say use "swim" as a verb to describe a Duncan move it's just *chef's kiss* perfect.
He’s insanely underrated and imo he’s top 5 no question and I don’t understand why he’s not talked about in the GOAT debate
2007 should've been Duncan's DPOY. At the very least Bowen should've won that one, but the media saw Camby had a high number of blocks per game and gave it to him when the Nuggets weren't even top 10 in defensive rating and the Spurs were second.
Just so you know, Duncan led NBA in defensive rating the year he turned 40...just insane!!!!!!!
Assuming this is the same ReneRod from Twitter, what up. And I remember during that era Bowen actually got more shine from the media on defense than Duncan did. In reality he wasn't nearly as impactful on defense as TD. That's a huge reason why he never won a DPOY. Sad but true
@@TheJesseGladSaget What up! You're right, the media adored Bowen while Tim seemed like an after thought
I want to see the ultimate crossover: Thinking Basketball, Clayton Crowley, and Jonny Arnett
Jonny arnett? He doesnt even want per 36 minutes stats, let alone per possession statistics.
Nice!
Jxmyhighroller?
It might be cool in terms of combining video production and what not, but Ben’s analysis is on another level. These videos are enough for me. As long as I get to see Ben Taylor talk about basketball, I’m happy :)
AFunkyDiabetic
It takes me an hour to watch these videos because I am backing up every ten seconds to replay and try to appreciate the incredible highlight moves the GOATs make. Glad to see the Big Fundamental got a video. As someone who grew up in Austin in the early 2000s worshipping the Spurs, Timmy is my man! Thank you so much for the awesome content. I’ve learned so much because of this channel.
every time a notif for one of these pops up in my phone i smile automatically
I still have nightmares of Duncan in that 05 finals series against my pistons, he even hit a damn 3 late game 5 lol Timmy was just such a steady clutch player
He missed a wide open layup vs the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals in the clutch
@@koolkai4299 Okay, the guy misses one layup in 19 years in the league and suddenly he's no longer clutch lol?
@@koolkai4299 And?
"he never jumped himself out of a play"
those little nuggets are one of the reasons this channel is so good
I love this series so much, the style and everything makes it such a unique series on youtube
The magic is that, I start playing basketball since high school when Tim has got his first championship. I really really like him. After so many years, I came to the United States and has even got my PhD here. Guess what, he is still playing and got another championship~!
loving this chronological series!!! can we get a ranking list of the peaks when we get to the end? and perhaps rank in the honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the cut?
He said he'd rank the top 10 in the finale.
TD decimated LeBron lead teams but never made me hate him or his teams. Dude's game is just too good to hate
Classic TD-Lebron battles
That 07 Finals was just bullying. The Cavs had no reason even being in that series, Bron just willed that team to the Finals.
@@smolaether True that, Lebron carried probably the worst team to ever make it to the finals.
@@smolaether tbh the series wasn't as lopsided as you think. All the games were close and I think they tied the season series. The cavs had a legitimate shot of winning that finals.
@@smolaether Tony Parker made Lebron quit in each the four fourth quarters of the series.
Love the detail and (insane) amount of work you must put into these videos. Thank you.
That "training exercise" got me falling out of my chair. Beautiful tribute to TD (every Celtics fan I know is definitely weeping) and thanks for the hard work you put into making this series.
Thank you Ben! You're the greatest basketball youtube channel that gives us great lessons in a non-boring way and thanks to you we can understand how great all these players are and that they are the products of an era. Context matter!
This series is the GOAT of in-depth, objective, extremely well-considered analysis. Loving it, keep up the great work!
This series is by far some of the best analysis done of basketball ever. Great job Ben.
I've been watching nba content on youtube for 14 years (i think), and this series is by far one of my favourite things ever. Thx a lot for all the effort, keep it going!
Crazy thing is 03 Duncan offensively is very different from 99 Duncan.
Amazing content as always! Duncan is my favorite player so it’s always a treat to hear you talk about him
duncan always scarred foes...no one was happy to play the spurs
Been waiting for this. Thank you so much!
This channel just earned another sub. Very informative
Finally, I've been waiting for this
This channel is for real Hoop Heads and I love it
LONG WAIT IS FINISHED THANK YOU BRO
Finally been waiting for Duncan to get some love! Such an amazing ball player and so underrated imo. Love Timmy!!
He was still killing people with one knee. 2014 Game 6 OT versus OKC was vintage Duncan.
Went down swinging! Like Tom Hanks in saving private Ryan.
Finally! My favorite player. This is going to be my lunch break show.
I’ve been waiting so long for this part to come out
Dude dis channel is awesome. The content is top notch and the point of view is mind blowing. Easily the best content on basketball EVER. Being completely honest.
This series is excellent.
I'm glad that this covered how good Duncan was going at the basket and at getting free throws. He was the only guy I can remember who would score going at prime Shaq, everyone else would retreat from Shaq (I was too young to remember Olajuwon).
ben wallace did it once in the 2004 finals
@@razkable Ben Wallace guarded Shaq well but didn’t do anything offensively against him like Duncan did
New sub, I've been watching all of these the last few days. I really love all this and how deep you've gone into each of these player's strengths and weaknesses and how they cover up those weaknesses. I hope you keep making more of these. I'd like to see you do one on Chris Mullin. Anytime I hear or discuss the '92 dream team and Isiah Thomas I hear folks say they'd replace Mullin with Thomas, as Laetner isn't an option. Mullen was nice and underrated, would love to see that highlighted.
Nice analysis. You know the NBA game and it's modern history. I'm glad I've subscribed.
I think a big lesson that comes from this series is the 2 way off ball big man is probably the best abstract player in basketball. The combination of skills that scale is off the charts. Timmy isnt even that wild off ball and he still added immense value. Cant wait for the king next.
Super excited for next week!!
Great video and great series too I've been learning alot about all these great players thanks to you 🔥 Good work!
2:25 "Swimmer's Reach" Nice little nod to Duncan's original aspirations to be an Olympic Swimmer as a kid
This channel deserves a million more subs.
Sir, this is the best basketball channel, hands down. You analysis is always deep, detailed yet never boring. You seem to have caught everything that sports analysts miss time after time after time. Your analysis of steph curries gravity needs to be shown on every sports network, to everyone who says he hasn’t been robbed of a finals MVP. But it was your analysis of Kevin garnets defense that really won me over. I have been a fan of “the big ticket” since the 90s, but I had no idea how cerebral a defensive mind he was. Well done.
Quickly has become my favorite series on UA-cam. Easiest Sub of my life
Tim Duncan was an all star level player for 18 years and on top of that he has a top 10 peak. Borderline top 5 player ever.
Barely top 10.
@@Zamppa86 You're high.
@@Zamppa86 it’s always the soccer fans
@@egg8133 I'm also a huge basketball fan, but thanks :D
Tim Duncan is a top 10 all time but not top 5, that's just a fact. There just happens to be better and more flashy players than him who drop him down a bit.
1. Michael Jordan
2. Magic Johnson
3. Larry Bird
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
5. Kobe Bryant
6. LeBron James
7. Hakeem Olajuwon
8. Wilt Chamberlain
9. Shaquille O'Neal
10. Tim Duncan
11. Bill Russell
12. Oscar Robertson
13. Jerry West
14. Julius Erving
15. Elgin Baylor
@@Zamppa86 flashiness doesn’t matter when describing greatness and Duncan’s better than Wilt, Hakeem, Kobe (arguable), and Shaq
The next two videos will be on Lebron and Steph. And then that’ll be the end of this great series 😫
Edit: Watch the trailer, all the players that u see highlighted will be the ones coming. James and Curry were the only two to be depicted and not have a video on them yet. Hence my prediction 🤷♂️.
Nah we need more
I need more like Dirk, Durant, Wade, etc. I most looking forward to Curry tho.
@@carusohighlightreel4275 Now that i think about it, some players may not appear here despite their greatness, because the series is about greatest peaks
Lebron and kd 2012 season
@@clipperfan1714 Bron definitely will be here, his peak is with no question the longest one, like, we don’t even know when is going to stop. And just one season doesn’t count. Don’t get me wrong, I love KD’s America, watching him is beautiful, but I don’t think his peak is among the greatest, maybe if he can keep his level for a few more seasons.
I’ve been waiting for Tim Duncan 😇😇 thank you my favorite player
always loved watching Tim handle the doubletime always stayed composed
Timmy this week and Lebron next, incredibly psyched to see what you have to say Ben. Awesome videos
Timmy might be the most underrated and underappreciated of all the all-time great NBA big men.
Nah KG is for sure.
@@yd856 na its Duncan.
@@yd856 Agree. TD always seemed to be labeled "Greatest PF of all time" while KG was not mentioned in GOAT discussions prior to the small ball era.
@@Agelastic_LuCi facts, I got Duncan over KG but I think KG’s game would fit today’s NBA much better.
@@dasupremegentlelad4321 nah. There are a lot of casuals saying Dirk is better than Kg💀
This Series is absolutely Golden ⭐️🤝
I know there’s only a few videos left in this series, but I’d love a quick honorable mention list with guys like Barkley, Wilkins, Payton, Kidd, Penny, Moses, Karl, Miller, Iverson, Ewing, etc... Love these!!
Maybe not the "best" of all-time... but not really many others you would want to build a franchise around besides Timmy D.
Oh wait, who's that at 14:51?? The second dot from top to bottom?? Oh yeah Charles Barkley with one of the GREATEST PEAKS in NBA history.....nothing to see here.
@@OjoRojo40 Barkley isn’t close to Duncan
@@hardwoodthought1213 And who's comparing Barkley to Duncan?? ?//??
@@OjoRojo40 Barkley wasnt in the series because his defense wasn't good enough apparently.
@@davidyang438 Yes that's OP argument, but it's flimsy at least. Defense can't really be measured specially in the case of Barkley who played in teams who had 0 defensive mentality. The old 76s and the Suns.
He's offensive and rebounding ability from 86 to 91 is out of the chart. One of the greatest peaks in NBA history.
Cheers!
www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/bg85d3/charles_barkley_is_probably_a_top_10_player_of/
www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/bfldof/charles_barkley_is_probably_a_top_10_player_of/
Cheers!
Loving this series, thank you! Should’ve definitely had Moses Malone there, though. Also maybe Dr J (even if in his ABA days). Plus, since you’ve had David Robinson, Barkley and Karl Malone should’ve made an appearance...
Ben's model doesn't place heavy value on rebounding, and in today's game the spacing and mindset is such that once a shot goes up, everyone on offense runs away from the basket to play defense. Moses was so dominant because in the 70s and 80s, the lane and the power slot were the key (ha) to victory, and the winner of the battle for rebounds usually won the game. For instance Moses seemed to come out on top of Kareem in their matchups because of his greater desire to rebound, and his single-minded focus on getting better at what, at the time, was the premier skill for winning team bigs. Today it would be crazy to expect someone to average 16 or 17 rebounds a game for a season.
Karl Malone is a trash human though regardless of what he did on the court in no rush for the deep dive of his game
@@ryandick9649 they would still have to find someone that could stop Moses. The fly in the ointment. Malone was very mobile, quick at 270lbs. Quick off his feet, multiple jumps before most big men can gather themselves for one jump. Malone would often throw the ball off the backboard and go get it. He wore down defenders, took their will..
As soft at the game is today Malone would have a field day. He foul most of these kids out have them totally nullified.
Man, I've been waiting for someone to do thia kind of video on Duncan for a WHILE. Because he was labled "boring" early on and the stigma of "he only scored over 25 once" stopped people from talking about his game, especially his offensive game. So I thank thee for thy wisdom and for sharing with this humble young fan.
was waiting for this episode!!
Looks like dirk wont be here which makes me sad but Im loving this series
Yah Dirk’s defense is most likely what held him back, otherwise his offensive dominance is top 10 all time
@@kooch1938 He had some subpar passing as well
does that mean it's Lebron, Steph, and KD?
Hes underrated. If we are talking about Peak Effectiveness Id pick him over KG and thats an unpopular opinion.
@@franzralphuy6826 me too because he has a heart of champion. He can carry a whole team which KG can't do the same.
Well, if the people who produce "The Great Courses" videos were to put together a series on basketball this would be the outcome: A PHD level course on the NBA's greatest. Simply amazing and I offer the sincerest of gratitude.
I've been anticipating this episode for so long, wonderful job
Also the many swimming references are a nice touch
Was waiting for the TD episode!
Me: "Wow, another excellent piece of basketball analysis, great stuff, so much to learn!"
Also me: "That TIMMY joke though ^_^"
This the one I’ve been waiting for #gospursgo
That KG all the smoke interview is amazing. Had me in stitches
Tim Duncan will forever be my favorite nba player ever. Feels great to be from San Antonio 🔥
Overall the difference doesn't matter when you have a good team, which the warriors tend to have most years. But, in close games and in the playoffs against better competition. Those 3-5 pts should become more important and noticeable.
It’s a shame you didn’t highlight his amazing footwork some of the best for a big man
This series is so good ❤️
This is the best basketball series on youtube
Never forgot the time KG made fun of Timmy for his mom dying and never got mad at him. He is a true kind giant
KG didn't know his Mom died.
The footage of Duncan arguing with the refs should also be in the hall of fame.
Duncan actually won the hamburger bet with the ref Dick Bavetta and got a Happy Meal out of it.
Finally! My favorite player of all time. Thanks Ben 🍿🐐.
man these videos are so good