1st ballot: Tim Duncan ‘03
I’m going to start with drza’s quote regarding his offense:
drza wrote:Offense:
Duncan: I think that, while less flashy, Duncan's post game was as effective as Dream's. I also think that he was a better passer than either Robinson or Olajuwon. I think that this makes him as good of a low post hub option on offense as Olajuwon was. However, I don't think that either Duncan or Olajuwon are as good of big men offensive hub options as Shaq or Kareem. Thus, I don't know that you could scale up an offense built primarily around Duncan (or Olajuwon's) low-post offense to a best-in-the-league level the way that you could one built around Shaq or Kareem. However, what both Duncan and Olajuwon demonstrated with their post-game was the ability to lead/anchor an offense that was good enough to win with the right combination of strong defense and shooters. Duncan was good in the iso, but not brilliant like Hakeem could be. He also shared shooting range with Hakeem out to about 15 feet, which was a nice counter to the post games.
Duncan epitomizes the “quiet 30” or similar. Because nothing he does is ever flashy or particularly pleasing aesthetically, because he never makes much of an emotional show about anything…….it’s easy to overlook how well he plays in just about each and every game. You rarely see him do something “amazing”, and yet when the end of the game rolls around you see he went for 25 and 15 with 3 ast and 3 blk. And he does that night after night.
In ‘03:
26.9 PER, .248 WS/48, +7.4 BPM in 39.3 mpg.
He scaled that up to 28.4 PER, .279 WS/48, +11.6 BPM in 42.5 mpg in the playoffs. He went for a remarkable 24.7 ppg @ 57.7% TS, 15.4 rpg, 5.3 apg, 3.3 bpg on his way to a title, rolling over the Shaq/Kobe Lakers, and the #1 SRS Dallas Mavericks along the way.
He had the league’s leading PI RAPM at a monstrous +8.3 that year, too.
Additionally, the other thing I'd bring up about Duncan (which applies to his career as a whole, not a just a peak year or two) is his leadership qualities. This is a man who takes a humble and business-like approach to basketball. He doesn't sulk or misbehave, he doesn't play the part of the child or diva, he doesn't bicker or back-stab or in any other way alienate his coach or teammates; he shows up at practice and team functions and follows the team rules, never assuming he deserves special treatment. I think people take for granted the effect that that has on a team, when your superstar conducts himself in that fashion. He's also declined better offers in order to keep the desired team assembled so he can contend. The winning culture that has been present in San Antonio for the last two decades is in no small part due to Duncan's presence and his steadfast dedication to team first.
He also has a steady and calming effect in big games, or in clutch time, simply because he never appears rattled. These are valuable qualities in a leader.
2nd ballot: David Robinson '95 (I think; though '94 and '96 are both amazing seasons, too)
Robinson, to me, is the GOAT defensive player (or at least the GOAT not named Bill Russell). As far as in-era defensive dominance, no one reaches what Bill Russell did....no one. But the thing is, I don't think he could exert that level of dominance in a later era (NOTE: although I freely admit that that is in part due to the fact that everyone to come after has had the Bill Russell Blueprint to work from), and I further think Robinson has the ability to be just as defensively dominant as Russell in the 1950's/60's (if he'd have anywhere near the ingenuity, anyway).
One other thing about Robinson's defense that sort of reminds my of Russell is the manner in which he blocks shots: ever notice how often he keeps the ball in play? Often even tipping it toward teammates? Also a top-notch pnr defender (has a serious edge on Olajuwon in this regard, imo), which would come in quite handy in today's league.
Combine that with being GOAT-level as far as a running and transition-finishing center (amazing finisher in general), having an outstanding face-up game, decent range, and being the best FT-shooting center we've discussed so far.
Dr Spaceman can provide the rest of the justification (he already has).
3rd ballot: Hakeem Olajuwon '93 or '94
Kinda undecided on the year, but I'm going with him for my final ballot. As much as I've been arguing for Robinson, that's mostly just been blow-back toward those that think it's ludicrous to place Robinson ahead of (or even equal to) Olajuwon. But it's not as though I don't see it as close (splitting hairs, really).
Hakeem's got the post-game, as well as a certain mental toughness, which allows his offensive game to hold steady (or occasionally even scale up slightly) in the playoffs. He's also a marginally better passer than Robinson. Rebounding is pretty even.
In most other areas, I favor Robinson (if only by a tiny margin): I think Robinson a marginally better defensive player (mostly just his edge as pnr defender, and also---at least by my eye-test---a greater tendency to keep his blocked shots in play), I think Robinson has a marginally better face-up game (just so explosive), and a marginally better transition center. And fwiw, I think Robinson is a touch more portable: he did reasonably well as the offensive hub (while remaining a GOAT-level defensive anchor), but would also slide very nicely into a secondary (or at least "1b") type of offensive role alongside another superstar, and likely maintain similar impact. I'm not sure if the same can be said of Hakeem. He's really kind of made to be the low-post offensive hub.
But again, Hakeem is the better offensive hub. So it's all very close to me, but I'm ultimately going to keep this order.
