I didn't waver on this issue even though this was his worst nba season. I didn't waver about it when people were questioning if he was the best. I didn't waver about it when he got shut down by kwame brown.Good thing i didn't. The guy is the most all around player in the league [oh yes believe it], the best post player in the league and the best player in the world. Kobe and lebron are Legendary, but Tim Duncan is on a scale of his own. What he's demonstrated over his 9 year career is unmatched by anyone in the league [except if you're name is Shaq].People doubted he could ever play like he did in the past. A Certain user on this board thought he could be stopped in the playoffs. I said no-one in the word can stop a healthy duncan. I was right i guess.Alot of users on this board are throwing kobe and lebron's name around claiming their the best in the league and Duncan's reign is over.To all those people edit: And this thread isn't premature, it really doesn't matter who wins in their series. Duncan has shown that when he gets healthy he is the best player on the planet.
Duncan had an incredible game, he's proven himself even though he's probably going to decline from here on in in the years to come.I still disagree, Kobe is the best basketball player in the world right now. Duncan is definitely top 5 though, and is extremely dangerous when in top condition.
I don't get why you're in love with Tim Duncan... Yeah, he's probably one of the Top 5 players in the league and used to be the best player and will probably be one of the top 25 players in NBA history but Kobe Bryant is at a different level this year and he's the best player in the world. He wasnt the most valuable, or the most dominant. he doesn't help his teammates as much as Tim Duncan, but he's still the better player.
Duncan is not the best this year. He had an injury plahued year and he didnt post very good stats. he declined a bit defensively too. He isnt the same force defensively as he used to be. He isnt as athletic as he used to be. There are other guys who can dominate more than Duncan now. I mean Duncan isnt even the most dominant player on his team. He is still top 5 but not the best. I would give that one to Lebron or Kobe.
Unless you watch Tim Duncans games you can't really comment on his defense, that seems to be the new knock on him when I doubt anyone's watched enough of him to really judge it. He had another HUGE game last night in the win, had a huge dunk and looked fine! Everyone is making him out to be a gimp but he's put up huge games in the Dallas series. I think the top 10 players, and 'who is the best player' debate is kind of stupid, he's still an elite player and i'm not knocking him because of what a few people on a forum think.
The duncan we saw is not the normal duncan, the normal duncan is the one playing against the dallas mavericks. The duncan who can make 12 shots in a row [they defended him pretty well].Lebron james has not won any championships and doesn't play a lick of defense. Kobe bryant plays some defense but has not won a championship on his own. Duncan is simply the best. Next season maybe a different story but for the moment lebron is not better than duncan.edit: Why do i like duncan? I hate the sterns but him and popovich are class acts. His game for the most part [not this season] is a delight to watch. I don't homer duncan but he is one of my favourite players.
Who cares if Duncan has the rings? We are talking about the better player, in terms of skill RIGHT NOW. Rings and such dont come into question in this debate. And besides, Lebron is only 21 and leading his team over the best team in basketball. His team who cannot make a shot at all. It is absolutely spectacular. How the hell do you expect him to get a ring when the kid is only 21?
Honestly, do you care about defense? I don't think you do.edit: Duncan was injured all season long, he was suffering from an ailment which ruins you're game. What happened when he got healty? He started tearing the mavs up [and there playing good d].Duncan when healthy is better than lebron.edit: AH, shut up with 21 crap. If lebron is good enough to be praised for everything he does [he's probably the reason why the big bang happened] he's good enough to be criticised.
Yes, I care about defense. But Im not even going to use that against Lebron. Pretty much all new comers in the League dont play good defense either. Lebron is still learning and I bet he can add defense to his reportoire.Why shut up about the 21 crap? I was just saying that dont put rings into this debate. Lebron is only 21, how is he supposed to get 3 rings already like Duncan? By the looks of it, he might even make the NBA Finals this year. Jordan won his first championship until he was 27 or 28.
Defense is half of the game [or close to it]. When you play little to no defense, you cannot be considered the best in the league.Seriously, when's the last time a player who was crappy at defense was considered the best in the league? Magic? He won nba championships and that compensated for his D.edit: You said right now. Right now lebron doesn't play defense.
I still think he is the best in the game right now for what he is doing offensively. And the fact that he is leading his Cavs over the Pistons. Thats simply amazing, especially without Larry Hughes.
Lebron is shooting 45% from the field. Not very good considering he's unguardable [ i know he's controlling the cavs]. He's not having an amazing series, 27-7-6 on 45% shooting isn't out of this world percentage [even against the pistons].And What happens if lebron pulls a choke job? You're jinxing him, stop it. Now he'll probably go for 3-20 and everything you said will go down the drain.
Thats because they are playing pressure defense on him, so he is electing to pass it out instead of battling the whole night to score 30 points but have his team lose the game. He is playing by the tempo. Clearly he is still playing at an exceptional right and clearly making a difference in the series.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Melo_061 @ May 19 2006, 07:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Lebron is shooting 45% from the field. Not very good considering he's unguardable [ i know he's controlling the cavs]. He's not having an amazing series, 27-7-6 on 45% shooting isn't out of this world percentage [even against the pistons].</div>as long as those stats keep his team from defeat, I'm totally fine with it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Melo_061 @ May 19 2006, 07:17 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Lebron is shooting 45% from the field. Not very good considering he's unguardable [ i know he's controlling the cavs]. He's not having an amazing series, 27-7-6 on 45% shooting isn't out of this world percentage [even against the pistons].And What happens if lebron pulls a choke job? You're jinxing him, stop it. Now he'll probably go for 3-20 and everything you said will go down the drain.</div>The Pistons are going to make you shoot a worse percentage, that is what they do, make other teams and players shoot worse. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get into the lane, and with the Wallaces down low, make the shot with any consistency. When i used to play, those guys that blocked shots down low, always made it hard for me to score over them. Even if they didnt block the shot, it's still hard to get the ball up over them, and into the rim. For Lebron James to be doing this 45 percent of the time, to me is amazing. Furthermore to be averaging 27-7-6 against arguably one of the two best defensive teams in the league, to me is just amazing. I don't see how someone could say that those are not amazing numbers, probably no other perimeter player in the league could have those kind of numbers for a seven game series against the Pistons.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Melo_061 @ May 19 2006, 02:42 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>The duncan we saw is not the normal duncan, the normal duncan is the one playing against the dallas mavericks. The duncan who can make 12 shots in a row [they defended him pretty well].Lebron james has not won any championships and doesn't play a lick of defense. Kobe bryant plays some defense but has not won a championship on his own. Duncan is simply the best. Next season maybe a different story but for the moment lebron is not better than duncan.edit: Why do i like duncan? I hate the sterns but him and popovich are class acts. His game for the most part [not this season] is a delight to watch. I don't homer duncan but he is one of my favourite players.</div>We're not talking about who wins championships, this is who the best player is. And what do you mean Kobe plays some defense? Six time ALL Nba defgnsive teams. and what the hell are you dude, a carmelo and nuggets fan, a lakers fan who doesnt seem to know anything about Kobe Bryant, and a Tim Duncan fan.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AirBlaze @ May 20 2006, 08:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>We're not talking about who wins championships, this is who the best player is. And what do you mean Kobe plays some defense? Six time ALL Nba defgnsive teams. and what the hell are you dude, a carmelo and nuggets fan, a lakers fan who doesnt seem to know anything about Kobe Bryant, and a Tim Duncan fan.</div>What? Championships seperate players.If you honestly believe kobe bryant deserved 1st team recoginition this season than you have simply not been watching the lakers this season. Kobe bryant could not play Elite defense this season because to do that, he would have to balance his offensive game and defensive game. Had that happened, the lakers would not be in the playoffs.Kobe of old, was one of the best defenders in the league. But he had shaq who shouldered most of the scoring and he could balance out his game.And What is wrong with like Tim Duncan and Carmelo anthony and at the same time liking the lakers? The nuggets are not my team, i only follow carmelo. Duncan is a class act.
Theres nothing wrong with it but youre like... about like 2 monthes ago you were like banging all over Melo then last week you were all over Kobe and now youre almost like makin out with td. seriously. and i watch almost ALL laker games, I have League Pass. Kobe still stops elite players in the league and in terms of perimeter players he is still in with the best
