How about Tim Duncan?

Check out his per-minute stats. He's improved on every category over his career averages other than FTA. His PER is currently at a career high. It looks like the reduced minutes are helping him.

Code:

[SIZE=1][B]Season    Age  G     MPG    FGA     FG%     FTA   FT%     ORB    TRB     AST   BLK   TOV    PF    PTS[/B]
1997-98   21   82    39.1   14.5    0.549   5.4   0.662   3.1    11      2.5   2.3   3.1    2.9   19.4
1998-99   22   50    39.3   15.5    0.495   6.6   0.69    2.9    10.5    2.2   2.3   2.7    2.7   19.9
1999-00   23   74    38.9   16      0.49    7.6   0.761   3.3    11.5    2.9   2.1   3      2.6   21.5
2000-01   24   82    38.7   15.9    0.499   7.5   0.618   2.9    11.3    2.8   2.2   2.7    2.8   20.6
2001-02   25   82    40.6   16.3    0.508   7.6   0.799   2.9    11.3    3.3   2.2   2.8    2.3   22.6
2002-03   26   81    39.3   15.8    0.513   7.2   0.71    2.9    11.8    3.6   2.7   2.8    2.6   21.3
2003-04   27   69    36.6   16.8    0.501   8.4   0.599   3.2    12.2    3     2.6   2.6    2.3   21.9
2004-05   28   66    33.4   17      0.496   7.4   0.67    3.3    12      2.9   2.8   2.1    2.4   21.9
2005-06   29   80    34.8   15.3    0.484   6.9   0.629   3      11.4    3.3   2.1   2.6    2.8   19.2
2006-07   30   80    34.1   14.9    0.546   7.5   0.637   2.8    11.2    3.6   2.5   3      2.7   21.1
2007-08   31   78    34.0   16      0.497   6.3   0.73    3.2    12      3     2.1   2.4    2.5   20.5
2008-09   32   75    33.6   15.8    0.504   6.9   0.692   2.9    11.4    3.8   1.8   2.4    2.5   20.7
2009-10   33   22    32.1   16.6    0.548   5.7   0.759   3.7    12.1    3.7   2.4   2.2    2.2   22.5
Career         921   36.7   15.8    0.508   7.1   0.686   3      11.5    3.1   2.3   2.7    2.6   20.9[/SIZE]

 

He has to be the best PF of all-time, right?

 

Who are the others in the running? Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, maybe Bob Pettit.

Yeah, I'd take Duncan over those guys.

 

McHale only finished in the top 10 in MVP voting once, which is why I'd hesitate to put him in that class. Playing alongside Larry Bird and Robert Parish, he didn't have to the man. He was certainly a great scorer/defender, though. One of the best 2-way players ever.

 

Pau Gasol (if he gets 3 rings)... LOL

 

Duncan is hands down the best PF of all time and one of the best players of this recent generation.

 

yawn

 

Some nice looking PPG/RPG numbers. It sort of inflates how dominant he was because he did play a ton of minutes, and in the 70s there were a lot of up-and-down possessions (so more opportunities to get rebounds, score points). Hayes also didn't have a strong reputation as a winner, and from an efficiency standpoint (career 45% from the field, 67% from the line) he wasn't very good.

The most impressive thing about him was his durability. Missed only 9 games in 16 years, and averaged 38 mpg for his career. 50,000 career minutes. Wow.

 

I wasn't around back then, so I can only go by the achievements, the numbers, and what I've read anecdotally about him. My understanding is he had a reputation of shrinking in big moments, in the clutch. Bill Simmons refers to him as his generation's Karl Malone, and I do see a number of similarities. Durability. Signature shot being a turnaround-fadeaway. Not known for clutch play.

 

Would Bill Russell count as a PF? If so, I'd take him over Duncan.

If not, then yeah, Duncan.

 

I believe Russell was listed as a C throughout his career.

 

Would Bill Russell count as a PF? If so, I'd take him over Duncan.

If not, then yeah, Duncan.