The Spurs had an unexpectedly-hard time beating a Magic team that was coming off a nine-game losing streak Wednesday at home. After a good second quarter, the Spurs stopped executing and let Orlando hang around until a Tony Parker corner three-point field goal sealed a 110-103 win in the last minute of the game.
Gregg Popovich thinks Tim Duncan will play another year
According to his long-time coach, Duncan’s relevance could mean he’ll hold off retirement for one more year.
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Inconsistency has been a problem for the Spurs all year, as seemingly everyone on the roster goes through hot and cold stretches that prevent the team from achieving a semblance of regularity.
That is, everyone except Tim Duncan. Duncan scored 26 points against the Magic on just 17 shots. His points by quarter: six, seven, seven and six. When everything else is in flux for the Spurs, they can always rely on Duncan to be their anchor. Even at his age of 38 years old, Duncan is one of the best big men in the league. His coach believes that means he will stick around past this season.
"No matter how (the season) ends, I think Timmy is going to look at (retirement) again. And if you ask me, my guess is that he'll go for another one because he has been so consistent this season," Gregg Popovich told USA Today's Sam Amick.
Duncan is averaging 14.8 points and 10 rebounds and could be the first 38-year-old to finish the season with a double-double if those numbers hold. He’s not the dominant force he used to be in the block but has find ways to remain a threat on offense by scoring off the pick and roll.
It’s on defense where Duncan is still an impact player, ranking at the top in defensive real plus minus and willing the injury-riddled Spurs to a top-five unit despite Kawhi Leonard and Tiago Splitter missing a combined 42 games.
"Manu [Ginobili] is not having a great year. Tony [Parker] has had a really spotty year -- he has been injured a lot. Kawhi Leonard has been out most of the time, with his eye in the beginning and then with his hand. He is just basically starting his season. [Reserve point guard] Patty Mills came back in January after the shoulder [injury], and he's not back in it. [Center] Tiago Splitter is not having a great year so far. [Reserve guard Marco] Belinelli has been out," Popovich said.
“So it leaves one guy: Duncan. He is the guy who has carried us.”
Few players have the drive to keep going after so many years and so many accomplishments, but Duncan seems to be one of them.
This season has been so packed with great moments that it’s easy to overlook Duncan and the underachieving Spurs. Yet The Big Fundamental is not only having a great year coaches considered worthy of an All-Star selection, but also arguably the best season ever for a player his age. Spurs fans should hope Popovich is right and he will be back next season schooling youngsters at age 39.
Just in case he doesn’t, though, make sure to tune in once in a while to watch one of the best players of his generation still do his thing in his 18th year in the league.
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