Colbinii wrote:1) LeBron James (2016)
B) LeBron James (2017)
C) LeBron James (2013)
D) LeBron James (2012)
2) Tim Duncan (2003)
3) Wilt Chamberlain (1967)
#1 LeBron JamesSpoiler:
#2 Tim Duncan
I voted him #1 in the last peaks project. Simply able to appreciate Jordan and LeBron as defenders a bit more as well as their volume/resiliency as scorers carrying more weight for me than it has in the past. I like Duncan the best as a two-way guy out of all the big-men which makes him #3 overall [and #2 for my remaining peaks].
Most of this is copy-paste from the previous peaks project and this first part is simply me explaining how 2002 and 2003 were similar and the differences between the two seasons.
This season starts as a follow-up to what many believe as Tim Duncan’s “real peak”, circa 2002. Duncan came off a productive regular season in 2002 and a great playoff run which resulted in an unfortunate [for non-Laker fans] end in only the Western Conference Semi-Finals where Duncan showed why he was worthy of the MVP trophy by outplaying the dynamic duo of Shaq and Kobe. While Duncan and the Spurs lost in 5 games to the eventual NBA-Champions, the ever-silent Tim Duncan put on a showcase while missing his career-long running mate David Robinson to injuries while his second option Tony Parker experienced major growing pains as a 19-year old Rookie. Duncan showcased an ability in 2002 to carry an offensive load many doubted while still being the best defender in the league.
2003 Featured a new strategy for Popovich, Duncan and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs. After David Robinson’s body ended 2002 on the pavement the Spurs decided to rest Robinson during the season [78 GP in 2002, 64 in 2003] while actively grooming Tony Parker and featuring him more offensively as he buds into an NBA-level Point Guard. Knowing the aforementioned changes, the Spurs decided to “run it back” with a similar roster while bolstering the bench with the addition of Steve Kerr to add much needed spacing and a veteran presence; an aspect Antonio Daniels failed to deliver on in 2002. Ultimately this deal doesn’t show up in the box-score as Kerr was a DNP for a majority of the playoffs [averaging a mere 4.6 MPG in 10 games] while young players like Tony Parker (20), Manu Ginobili (25) and Stephen Jackson (24) took on larger roles on both ends of the court.Spoiler:
#3 Wilt Chamberlain
I will go into this further in the next thread(s) but I think this is the year he put it all together, dialed back some of the volume scoring and had his largest impact on the game of basketball. Interesting to think he could have had the highest peak from 1967-1991.
Wrong thread lol