Sansterre's Top 100 Teams, #38-40, 2009 CLE, 2003 SAS, 2013 MIA

[Fadeaway_J]

Every time I think about that 2002-03 performance, the idea of Duncan as a "system player" seems more ridiculous.

[sansterre]

Every time I think about that 2002-03 performance, the idea of Duncan as a "system player" seems more ridiculous.

I mean, he's totally a system player. He's always done what his team needed.

It's just that sometimes that system is "Duncan, win this game/series/championship for us".

He proved in 2003 the ability to carry a team to a championship with little help.

That as his cast got better he scaled his role back to blend with his teammates for optimal success isn't evidence of what makes Duncan weak.

Perversely, it's evidence of what makes him great.

But it's nice to have 2003 as a go-to reference point for his ability to run things if he had to.

[Odinn21]

Every time I think about that 2002-03 performance, the idea of Duncan as a "system player" seems more ridiculous.

I mean, he's totally a system player. He's always done what his team needed.

It's just that sometimes that system is "Duncan, win this game/series/championship for us".

He proved in 2003 the ability to carry a team to a championship with little help.

That as his cast got better he scaled his role back to blend with his teammates for optimal success isn't evidence of what makes Duncan weak.

Perversely, it's evidence of what makes him great.

But it's nice to have 2003 as a go-to reference point for his ability to run things if he had to.

Floor raising and ceiling raising have been a popular concept in the recent years. In 2003, Duncan raised his team's floor to their ceiling in a way. That'd be one way to put it.