Tim Duncan or Larry Bird?

[Eric15]

If you were making a list of the all-time greatest players in NBA history (based on whatever metrics you choose), who would you rank higher - Bird or Duncan? And why?

 

[MikeSU02]

If you were making a list of the all-time greatest players in NBA history (based on whatever metrics you choose), who would you rank higher - Bird or Duncan? And why?

Bird, but not by much.

A little bit more scoring and range. He isn't the defensive presence that Duncan is/was, but Duncan's poor foul shooting also hurts him. Where Bird is a great FT shooter.

 

[KaiserUEO]

If you were making a list of the all-time greatest players in NBA history (based on whatever metrics you choose), who would you rank higher - Bird or Duncan? And why?

Bird.

no explanation necessary.

 

[Knicks411]

I think every year that goes by that Duncan still is playing at a high level moves it closer to him. Right now I think probably an edge to Bird, but it's probably not much. Duncan's per 36 numbers this year were 21/12. That's basically identical to any of his peak seasons. Obviously he isn't playing as many minutes as he used to, but that is still pretty amazing.

 

[Melancer46]

Bird.

no explanation necessary.

This, but Duncan is definitely in my top 10. He's still the best player in the NBA from the era that comes between Jordan and LeBron's dominance IMO.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

If you were making a list of the all-time greatest players in NBA history (based on whatever metrics you choose), who would you rank higher - Bird or Duncan? And why?

Bird. The truly greats are memorable. Within 10 years after Duncan retires the only time Duncan will get mentioned is when people are talking about great players that nobody ever seems to talk about.

 

[CusefanATL]

This, but Duncan is definitely in my top 10. He's still the best player in the NBA from the era that comes between Jordan and LeBron's dominance IMO.

better than shaq and/or kobe?

 

[Marsh01]

Duncan was/is a great player but its Bird. If he had a good back he would have played 3 more seasons.

 

[Alsacs]

Bird is the better player, but in today's NBA with the hard salary cap and a lot of non-big market teams refusing to pay the luxury tax Duncan is more valuable. In the 1980's Bird had Robert Parish, Kevin McHale and always a stud backup center Rick Roby or Bill Walton along with Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, Scott Wedman in backcourt and even Rick Carlisle, Quinn Buckner, M.L. Carr at the deep end of the bench. Bird played in an era not many guys used the 3 pt shot as the weapon it is today and Bird was more of a playmaker than Duncan who has been consistent for the last 14 years. Duncan would have thrived in any era because of his big man skills and he hasn't had the same supporting cast as Bird, a past his prime David Robinson, Manu Ginobilli(basically this generation's Billy Cunningham), and Tony Parker who is Duncan's only real All-Star or top 15 player in his prime Duncan played with consistently.

To answer the question I would take Duncan today, but in the 1980's or 1990's before over-expansion and teams had multiple good players and not super teams like the Celtics of 2008 or Heat of 2011-2013 I would take Bird.

 

[RandygoCuse]

I'd say Bird as he's got a little more versatility. But if the Heat win the championship this year (and I think they will), Lebron passes them both. That makes this Celtics fan sad. If the Spurs were to win, I may have to move Duncan ahead of Bird.

 

[jvbj01]

Bird...

 

[Melancer46]

better than shaq and/or kobe?

IMO, yes. Shaq was definitely more dominant, but Duncan won more rings and MVPs with a lesser supporting cast. The Kobe/Duncan argument would probably take too long for me to get into, but basically, my argument against Kobe is that you can easily argue he may never have been the best perimeter player in the league for any one year of his career. And Duncan basically singlehandedly carried the Spurs to one or two of his rings, whereas Kobe did it with Shaq and Gasol. Kobe's play generally got worse when he reached the playoffs whereas Duncan elevated his play.

 

[MikeSU02]

Duncan was/is a great player but its Bird. If he had a good back he would have played 3 more seasons.

And if Bias hadn't died, it would have been three fewer.

 

[Eric15]

my argument against Kobe is that you can easily argue he may never have been the best perimeter player in the league for any one year of his career.

Wow, that's interesting. I would actually argue that Kobe was the best perimeter player in the league every season from about 2000-2001ish thru when Lebron overtook him in the late-2000s.

 

[RandygoCuse]

IMO, yes. Shaq was definitely more dominant, but Duncan won more rings and MVPs with a lesser supporting cast. The Kobe/Duncan argument would probably take too long for me to get into, but basically, my argument against Kobe is that you can easily argue he may never have been the best perimeter player in the league for any one year of his career. And Duncan basically singlehandedly carried the Spurs to one or two of his rings, whereas Kobe did it with Shaq and Gasol. Kobe's play generally got worse when he reached the playoffs whereas Duncan elevated his play.

Who would you say were better perimeter players?

 

[Knicks411]

Duncan was/is a great player but its Bird. If he had a good back he would have played 3 more seasons.

To me, that's part of the equation though.

The way I look at it is usually something like if i could draft either player at the start of their career, knowing how long and how well they played, but I don't get to take the team success, of course, who do i take? Duncan has already played nearly 300 more regular season games, about 2 and a half seasons. (About 7,000 more minutes).

I'm still not sure, but if Duncan puts together another year or two like this, I think I'd have to take him. I might even take him now, though it's close.

 

[Knicks411]

Wow, that's interesting. I would actually argue that Kobe was the best perimeter player in the league every season from about 2000-2001ish thru when Lebron overtook him in the late-2000s.

I think Lebron passed him closer to the middle of the decade, call it about 2007 or so? That's probably splitting hairs though.

I would agree that Kobe was probably the best perimeter player in the middle of the decade. T-Mac was pretty great for a year or two there though.

 

[jgeorge322]

I'd say Bird as he's got a little more versatility. But if the Heat win the championship this year (and I think they will), Lebron passes them both. That makes this Celtics fan sad. If the Spurs were to win, I may have to move Duncan ahead of Bird.

lebron has already passed them both, and i root against lebron.

 

[Alsacs]

better than shaq and/or kobe?

Before the Lebron prime of 2007- to present Duncan was the most valuable player in the NBA. He won 4 rings in SA basically by himself with help from Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. San Antonio was a Derek Fisher miracle shot in 2004 and a stupid foul on Bruce Bowen in the last 10 seconds of game 7 against Dirk Nowitski in 2006 from winning 4 titles in a row. With Tony Parker before his prime, Bruce Bowen, Ginobili, and Duncan as the main cogs. edit: David Robinson was a role player 2 championships and Robert Horry was a role player for 2 championships.
The 2007 San Antonio Spurs were Duncan's best team and it consisted of himself and all lower first round guys, role players and buyout players from other teams. Kobe never won a championship without a dominant big guy.
Kobe and Shaq won 3 rings together with both being top 5 NBA talents and then Kobe wanted to win without Shaq because he thought Shaq was getting more credit for their titles when Shaq was lazy during the regular season and only clocked in during the playoffs while Kobe was carrying that team during the regular season.
Best player of the recent NBA
2000-2007- Tim Duncan
2007-present Lebron James

There is no shame in Kobe being 2nd to either of those guys as all 3 are top 10 NBA players all-time.

 

[SWFLCUSE]

And if Bias hadn't died, it would have been three fewer.

I actually think if Bias didn't die you would have seen Bird transform his game to become a better passer. Also he would have benefited from not being the center of attention in his later years with Bias by his side.

 

[Eric15]

There is no shame in Kobe being 2nd to either of those guys as all 3 are top 10 NBA players all-time.

If Kobe, Bird and Duncan are all top 10 all-time, who amongst this group is outside the top 10?

MJ, Magic, West, Oscar, Lebron, Russell, Wilt, Shaq, Kareem, Olajuwon.

 

[Melancer46]

Who would you say were better perimeter players?

Keep in mind that I mean just for that particular season, as in they had a better season.

2000-2001: Allen Iverson (MVP) and Jason Kidd
2001-2002: Allen Iverson
2002-2003: Tracy McGrady and Jason Kidd
2003-2004: Tracy McGrady
2004-2005: Steve Nash (MVP) and LeBron
2005-2006: LeBron and Steve Nash (MVP)
2006-2007: LeBron or Kobe were the best IMO
2007-2008: LeBron and Chris Paul (though Kobe did win MVP this season)
2008-2009: LeBron and Chris Paul
2009-2010: LeBron
2010-present: LeBron and Durant

Edit: I don't really have time to keep going back and forth because I have a final today that I need to study for, but I'll try to check back in later lol.

 

[CusefanATL]

If Kobe, Bird and Duncan are all top 10 all-time, who amongst this group is outside the top 10?

MJ, Magic, West, Oscar, Lebron, Russell, Wilt, Shaq, Kareem, Olajuwon.

of that group... west and olajuwon or shaq

damn... cant we fit 13 guys into the top 10?

 

[Eric15]

I think Lebron passed him closer to the middle of the decade, call it about 2007 or so? That's probably splitting hairs though.

I would agree that Kobe was probably the best perimeter player in the middle of the decade. T-Mac was pretty great for a year or two there though.

2007 is fair. And I would actually give Steve Nash (who won back-to-back MVP awards in the middle of the decade) the nod over McGrady.

 

[Alsacs]

My top 10
1. Michael Jordan
2. Bill Russell
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabaar
4. Magic Johnson
5. Wilt Chamberlain
6. Larry Bird
7. Tim Duncan
8. Oscar Robertson
9. Kobe Bryant
10. Lebron James

knocked out of the top 10 was Jerry West who is 11
followed by
12. Hakeem Olajuwon
13. Shaq.
14. Moses Malone