Saturday, July 18, 2020
The San Antonio Spurs were founded in 1967 and since then, they have been extremely successful. They have only missed the playoffs six times in their 53 years of being in the league. Yes…SIX TIMES! They also have five championships to their name. The Spurs have had a lot of great talents on their rosters but Tim Duncan is the greatest Spurs player of all-time, in my opinion.
Not only is Tim Duncan the greatest Spurs player of all-time but he’s also regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all-time. He can do everything a power forward is supposed to do. He can score and defend in the paint, grab rebounds, and block shots. Duncan has also become a very clutch performer but the one thing he could never improve on was his free-throw shooting. Other than that, Tim Duncan is the prime example of a power forward.
Tim Duncan played with the San Antonio Spurs for his entire 19-season career. During his time with the Spurs, was a 15-time All-Star who won league MVP twice in a row. He made the All-NBA First Team ten times, the All-NBA Second Team three times and the All-NBA Third Team twice. He also made the NBA All-Defensive First Team eight times and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team seven times.
While playing in San Antonio, Duncan averaged 19.0 points per game, along with 10.8 rebounds per game, 3.0 assists per game, 0.7 steals per game, and 2.2 blocks per game. He was efficient at scoring, as well. He shot 51% from the field but only knocked down 18% of his three-pointers. He finished his 19 seasons with a true shooting percentage of 55%.
Currently, Tim Duncan is the San Antonio Spurs’ all-time leader in points with 26,496. He is also their all-time leader in rebounds with 15,091 and blocks with 3,020. He is their third in assists with 4,225, their fifth all-time leader in steals with 1,025, and their 69th all-time leader in three-pointers made with just 30.
Duncan helped the Spurs reach the playoffs 18 times (only missing one playoff appearance) and won five championships. During the postseason, he averaged 20.6 points per game, along with 11.4 rebounds a game, 3.0 assists a game, 0.7 steals a game, and 2.3 blocks a game. He shot 50% from the field but shot only 14% from beyond the arc. He finished with a combined true shooting percentage of 55%.
As of right now, Tim Duncan is the San Antonio Spurs’ all-time leader in points scored in the playoffs with 5,172. He is also their all-time leader in rebounds with 2,859 and blocks with 568. He is their third all-time leader in assists with 764, their third all-time leader in steals with 168, and their 47th all-time leader in three-pointers made with just five.
The Spurs were such a great franchise because they’ve had a lot of great players on their rosters. Not only did they have Tim Duncan but the Spurs also had guys like David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard. But, in my opinion, Tim Duncan is the greatest San Antonio Spurs player of all-time.
AllBallTakes 