2007-09-17 20:06:23 · 22 answers · asked by ben t 3 in Sports ➔ Basketball
Steve Nash!!!
2007-09-18 05:25:23 · answer #1 · answered by Cold Contagious 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
To quote 2007 NBA Finals MVP Tony Parker as he was accepting that award stating as the Spurs won a 4th NBA title in the last 8 years, "The offense is built around Timmy, and the defense is built around Timmy."
For the last 10 years, the Spurs offense and defense have been built around Timmy resulting in 4 NBA titles and 9 All NBA First Team awards and 2 regular season MVP awards for Timmy along with 10 All NBA Defensive Team honors for Timmy as the Spurs have had the best winning percentage of any sports franchise in the last 10 years.
I cannot think of a single NBA player who can top those numbers just mentioned.
The Spurs without Duncan are at best a 17-65 team even with the occasional All Star in either Manu or Tony Parker.
Shaq's and Kobe's three NBA rings came only after the Spurs won in 1999 and Duncan blew out a knee at the very end of the 2000 regular season which meant that Duncan did not play in the 2000 playoffs and played well in 2001 and 2002 with the knee injury only coming back to haunt Duncan late into the 2001 and 2002 playoffs as a still very young Duncan running up and down the court in those 2001 and 2002 Lakers playoff series reminded me of an almost 40 year old Patrick Ewing trying to run up and down the court, but those legs failed Ewing throughout his last number of years in the NBA just as Duncan's knee failed him against the Lakers in the 2001 and 2002 playoffs. Then, Duncan played the entire 2005-2006 regular season and the 2006 playoffs with a Cleveland Cavs' Hughes-like injury with a major foot injury all season of plantar faciitis which prevented Hughes from playing much of the 2007 NBA Finals while Duncan went the whole regular season and 2006 playoffs with a similar injury as the Spurs lost in a close Western Conference Finals with an injured Duncan playing on an injured foot.
Imagine if Duncan had never blown out a knee in 2000 or had a severe foot injury in the 2006 playoffs, then Shaq quite possibly could be less 4 NBA rings and Kobe could be less 3 NBA rings and Wade could be less 1 NBA ring had a healthy Duncan been around to play deep into the 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2006 playoffs.
The Spurs messed themselves up at their own fault playing a long season deep into the summer of 2003 for a NBA championship and then having the Big Three play the rest of the summer of 2003 along with their Coach Popovich in international play to qualify for the Olympics which I feel weakened the Spurs significantly in 2004 which is why Coach Pop told the Big Three along with Fabricio Oberto, no international play in the summer of 2007 to qualify for the 2008 Olympics and no Olympics play in 2008 either.
2007-09-18 09:51:37 · answer #2 · answered by Score 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
All the other answers are based on biases and favorite players. You asked who is the best, not who my favorite player is. When KG, Bryant, Nash, Nowitzki and LeBron lead their otherwise mediocre teams to multiple NBA titles, they can be considered. The Spurs are a 5 or 6 seed at most without Tim Duncan. Duncan has already won four rings, three of them with Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker who are not hall of fame types and are barely All-Star types. When future hall of fame player David Robinson played on the first two Spurs championship teams, he was no longer playing on a hall of fame level.
Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to 3 NBA titles. Bryant was an important secondary player. Very important, but secondary, Shaq could've had many other players to play with other than Bryant and his Lakers would've won the same 3 rings. No Shaq, no rings for Kobe. Only one player in the league could've replaced Shaq and led the Lakers to 3 titles..... you guessed it...... Tim Duncan. Duncan won the title the year before Shaq's 3 year reign and Duncan won the title the year after Shaq's 3 year reign. Kobe Bryant was probably the best #2(never being the #1 guy) ever ...(maybe Pippen too), but no doubt he was the #2 guy for the Lakers. Who could replace Duncan? .... nobody. Shaq with no Kobe or no D-Wade may have meant no rings for Shaq, if he plays with the likes of a washed up Admiral and a young Tony Parker and a young Manu Ginobili as his best secondary players. If Duncan can win without Bryant or D-Wade, he could certainly win with them no doubt.
Dwayne Wade hasn't yet won multiple titles, but he has done something Bryant, Nash, KG or James haven't done..... That's lead a team to at least one NBA title. He has Shaq, but his version of Shaq was much like Tim Duncan's version of David Robinson during the Spurs first championship. Wade's Shaq and Kobe's Shaq were totally different. D-Wade's Shaq was a pretty good #2 guy. Kobe was the #2 guy when he played with Shaq.
When all the LeBron's, Bryant's, KG's, Nash's, and such do a minimum of what Dwayne Wade has done then they can have a true battle of who is second best. None of them are close to the best.
Duncan supporting cast really isn't all that talented if you really examine his team. Phoenix has Amare Stoudamire and Shawn Marion. Both are better than anyone on the Spurs team not named Duncan. LALakers have a garbage squad, but their second best player is still just as good or better than the Spurs second best player...(Parker or Ginobili). Dallas also has more individual talent than the Spurs. Detroit's players 2-12 are better than the Spurs 2-12. Even Golden State's 2-12. Houston has McGrady & Yao, both are better than anyone on the Spurs not named Duncan. The LAClippers, Miami and a few more are more talented overall than the Spurs. How do the Spurs win these titles and why they will win this up coming season? They have Duncan and the other teams don't.
The aging of Shaquille O'Neal has all but eliminated Duncan's competition for the title of "League's Best Player". Shaq has beaten Duncan with Kobe's help, but Duncan beat Shaq with Kobe essentially by himself. Duncan has never had a #2 as good as Robert Parish, Magic, Kareem, Oscar, Pippen or Bryant. His best #2 was as good as D-Wade's #2. The 1999 version of David Robinson.
The best player in the NBA now has been the best player since the 1998-99 season........
Tim Duncan.
2007-09-18 09:47:50 · answer #3 · answered by A.Sharrieff 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
d-wade no doubt has a ring at such a young age and has more time to get another and also is a great team player
2007-09-18 11:44:55 · answer #4 · answered by Colbert Nation 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
at their position:
C - Yao Ming
PF - Tim Duncan
SF - LeBron James
SG - Kobe Bryant
PG - Steve Nash
2007-09-18 11:10:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Kevin Garnett,now that he's a Celtic. Start hanging banner #17
2007-09-18 05:27:36 · answer #6 · answered by Linda L 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Career- Duncan or Shaq
Currently- Lebron
2007-09-18 06:57:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
Duncan, Lebron or Parker!!
2007-09-18 10:26:20 · answer #8 · answered by Top Notch 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Tim Duncan - The BIG Fundamental - makes everyone around him better
2007-09-18 03:26:27 · answer #9 · answered by vegasrob89118 6 · 2⤊ 2⤋
If anyone in here does not say Kobe, they are 1 either haters or 2. Don't have a clue about basketball.
2007-09-18 10:42:32 · answer #10 · answered by Hi 7 · 0⤊ 4⤋