Let's settle this. Do you think of Duncan as a PF or C?

[OdomFan]

There's a reason why many have him as number 1 PF all time. Say what you want about why he played that position but the point is he played it, and he played it well enough to bring championships to San Antonio throughout that time.

His best days in the NBA was playing that position so thats what he'll be remembered most for playing.

[Eagle4]

I think Tim Duncan being classified as a PF is the first time the NBA ever saw a 7-foot, 250lb Center being referred to as a Power Forward. Timmy was smart and called himself a Power Forward too, because he was scared of having to defend Shaq by himself when he came into the league, and could leave the thankless job of defending that Shaq to poor David Robinson... who would get absolutely hammered instead... while Timmy got to feast on guys like Robert Horry.

Here's a video of true prime, mobile Shaq dunking on David Robinson. This video needs an R or XXX rating for how badly he abused that man. You can see why Timmy wanted no part of a job that involved defending Shaq by himself until 2002-03, when Shaq had the toe surgery and lost the mobility... and after the reintroduction of Zone Defense in 2001-02.

Watch on YouTube

Nice insight, yeah there's absolutely no way Duncan is able to guard O'Neal in '00 form. Then again no one could.

[Alonzo_Morning]

Power forward to me

[JShuttlesworth]

Power Forward, because that's the position he played.

[PMONSTER]

If Hakeem and Kareem played on the same team, they are both still centers to me. It may interchange but that team is trotting out two centers to me.

Timmy is a center.

[Tottery]

Technically, he was both. However, when he played center he was basically playing as a PF. In this era, his entire career could be viewed at C though.

[Texas Chuck]

This argument is the dumbest.

[Johnny Tomala]

He played more season as C. But I have him as PF in my head.

[Ursusamericanus]

I voted PF and the poll is now 50/50.

This is one of those questions that will never be settled, like whether we live in a computer simulation or not.

[Eric Bieniemy]

GOAT PF. Period.

Agreed. Bird is clearly the GOAT PF.

This post, acknowledging the way players play instead of how they're listed, inspired me to share my modern all-time starting five (according to ability, fit, and personality):

PG - Magic Johnson (defensive SF)
SG - Stephen Curry (defensive PG)
C - Tim Duncan
PF - Larry Bird
SF - Michael Jordan (defensive SG)

Flame away!

[Eric Bieniemy]

This is a debate based on how people's brains function. There are those who are linear thinkers who use logic based on what is explicitly presented in black and white. Theae are the same guys who would call Ron Harper the point guard of the Chicago Bulls instead of Scottie Pippen. Non-linear thinkers use logic based on what actually is even if it goes against what is commonly understood or propogated. These guys will tell you that Pippen was ckearly the "PG" even though he's listed as the small forward.

One is not better than the other. Most people float back and forth between the two. Those that don't will get angry and impatient at any notion this contrary to how their brain sees it.

[Saberestar]

PF/C.

[Bornstellar]

Nowadays he would definitely be a C. But people tend to forget that he didn't just camp in the paint on offense and was a pretty effective jump shooter and face up player out to the key.

[Eric Bieniemy]

Positions, for me, are defined by who they guard on defense. the exception is the point guard position. Because a guy like Pippen clearly played the role of PG, if I was the coach, I would've listed him as the PG and Harper would've been the defacto SF. That's just me though.

Same with Iverson's Sixers. Eric Snow was the clear PG but Iverson defended the opposing team's little man.

The other big factors in defining positions is who they play with and, especially, where they play at the end of games.

[Eric Bieniemy]

Nowadays he would definitely be a C. But people tend to forget that he didn't just camp in the paint on offense and was a pretty effective jump shooter and face up player out to the key.

Short of Shaquille O'neal, many higher level centers could shoot a jumpshot, some only shot jumpers (Danny Schayes, Jack Sikma, Bill Laimbeer, etc.).

[Lenneth]

PF. That's where his peak is at.

[Eric Bieniemy]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.yahoo.com/amphtml/gregg-popovich-once-said-tim-224945080.html

[_qubik]

Just look at BB Reference, he played the majority of his minutes from first season through 29age season he played more as a PF, than he was movrd to C, he was great and could be among the best of each. This dude was awesome

[Scalabrine]

He played PF. So I think of him as a PF.

For his career, basketball reference says he played 63% of his minutes at C and 36% of his minutes at PF. Toggle the estimates to the playoffs and that number bumps up to 71% of his minutes coming at the C position for his career.

His early years when he was playing alongside David Robinson he was still the backup C when Robinson was off the floor. In the playoffs he was

https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/duncati01.html

The Spurs often liked to list guys like Robert Horry and Malik Rose as the C but it was clearly Duncan.

[Bobbymcgee]

I think of him as more of a PF because I don't really remember him having any great 1 on 1 type battles against any centers during his playing career. By the time he primarily played center there weren't really any great true centers left in the game. I remember him being compared more to players like Dirk and KG.