The San Antonio Spurs are currently ranked number one in the western conference among power houses such as: Thunder, Nuggets, and the Memphis Grizzlies. They have annihilated several powerhouses without the assistance of major players. Tony Parker received an ankle sprain from continuous playing. They went exactly 6-2 without their star point guard, and they faced some very harsh competition. Mainly because Tim Duncan played like a 2002 Tim Duncan and is possibly running for the defensive player of the year.
The San Antonio Spurs have a changed defense this year, and their return to the league’s defensive elite has been anchored by a fresh Tim Duncan. He is having a career year in terms of defensive statistics. Tim Duncan is having a career year. In terms of per minute numbers, a man who has made eight NBA All-Defensive 1st teams is posting career-bests in blocks, defensive rebounding, and steals. Tim Duncan is the Defensive Player of the Year.
Tim’s blocking this year has been beyond exceptional. It’s a combination of footwork, positioning, overall awareness and basketball savvy… At 36, Duncan has schemed his way onto the shortlist of this year’s blocks leaders. Currently he has 2.7 blocks per outing, good for 3rd in the league, behind Larry Sanders and Serge Ibaka, who are 24 and 23, respectively. Tim Duncan blocks more shots per game than Roy Hibbert, Dwight Howard, Joakim Noah, and Brook Lopez.He says in an interview that he is lucky to be in the teams he has been in.
“Unlike some other guys, I’ve been lucky,” he said. “With the teams we’ve had, with the focus of the people here wanting to put winning teams together, of having a system and sticking to it. There’s no better way to do it. It’s a special situation, obviously, and everybody can’t have it.
“In other places, coaches come in and out, and there are guys who have four or five in the same amount of years, and that’s a situation I can see why you’d want to get out of. But people changing for size of market? That I really don’t understand.”
Greg Popavich, head coach of the Spurs, gets on Tim Duncan’s case more than any other player on the team. That may explain his superb performance.
“I probably get on him more than I get on, say, Gary Neal,” Popovich said, referring to a Spurs reserve guard. “‘Timmy, you getting a rebound tonight or are we just going to leave and go to dinner?’ He’ll look at me say, ‘Hey, I’m trying,’ but he can be criticized. He’s not embarrassed to be called out in front of the team.”
Greg also explains why he is one of the greatest players that ever played.
“He’s got that kind of character, and a lot of people don’t understand what that means life-wise,” Popovich said. “You’re taking on a personal challenge. You put it on yourself. ‘No, I don’t need to be with so-and-so, and I don’t need to go someplace else. I’m going to do what I have to do, and I want to get it done here.’”
