Duncan, San Antonio Spurs just keep winning
by Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports
When Tony Parker was asked if he could believe how well his teammate has been playing for his age, he laughed and shook his head.
“Yes and no,” the San Antonio Spurs point guard said, smiling.
Parker is indecisive because he knows 16-year veteran Tim Duncan is in the twilight of his career at the ripe, NBA-old age of 36. And yet he witnesses Duncan’s productivity on a daily basis and sees the same dominant player he won three NBA championships with. Parker knows Duncan at his most dominant form and concedes the 36-year old isn’t far off from the younger, MVP-version of himself.
“I say yes because at 36 it’s tough to play like that, and I say no because he’s working hard, taking care of his body,” Parker reasoned. “He’s doing all the little things — making sure he eats well and making sure he keeps that knee healthy. So far, he’s looking really good.”
After the Spurs lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals last season, TNT analyst Charles Barkley suggested it was Duncan’s curtain call.
“I think he’s the greatest power forward ever, but I hope he retires,” Barkley said in June.
Much like Duncan, the Spurs aren’t expected to be where they are — owning the NBA’s second best record (12-3) behind the upstart Memphis Grizzlies. The criticism has remained the same for Duncan and the Spurs for the past few seasons.
Too old, too slow, too boring.
But once again, San Antonio is showing that it needs no Fountain of Youth to play like one of the best teams in the NBA. The Spurs finish up a six-game road stretch in Florida with games against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET) and Miami Heat on Thursday (8 p.m. ET). They’ve won their past four games on the road.
“Sometimes we start slowly, sometimes we start quickly,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “It’s never a design, it’s always making sure we don’t skip steps. We put things in slowly. We never look at the record.
“If we can be in the mix like … [For more on Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs just keep winning, click here.]
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