Creating San Antonio Spurs All-Decade teams for the 2010s

Center: Tim Duncan (2009-10 to 2015-16)

Statistics for the Decade:

• 14.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 blocks per game
• 50.2 percent from the field, 15.0 percent from 3-point (0.1 attempts), 73.0 percent from the free throw line
• 54.5 true shooting percentage, 55.0 win shares, 22.0 value over replacement level

Joel Anthony and Theo Ratliff were painful omissions here, but Tim Duncan gets the nod, edging out his counterparts by a hair. Or in this case, by a dreadlock.

We often hear of superstar players needing to reinvent themselves to seamlessly fit in changing eras as they age. Few players in the history of our game were able to do that with as much success as Duncan.

When the 2009-10 season tipped off, Duncan was already a 33-year-old. Historically, age 33 is the last season in which most players should expect to have a new positive for their teams. For example: in Vice contributor David Berri’s statistical study, the average 33-year-old produces just 0.007 wins per 48. 

By age 34, that number becomes a negative altogether at minus-0.036.

Well, here’s the hot take for the day: Tim Duncan wasn’t the average 34-year-old basketball player. In fact, one could argue that he was still the primary driving force behind all of those 55-plus-win Spurs teams that followed throughout the decade.

Here’s what Duncan still had in the tank for the decade: four more All-Star appearances, three trips to the Western Conference Finals, one NBA title and to this day, he remains the only player to start in three different decades for a championship winning team (1999, take your pick for the 2000s and then the 2014 title).

Every big-time Spur shares the distinction in that they sacrifice regular season stats for the sake of combustion during the playoffs.

Sad to say, history will probably remember Duncan’s blown, wide-open layup in Game 6 and the punch at the floor before it remembers the 30-point, 17-rebound, 13-of-21 shooting performance. Or, how he responded with a 24-point, 12-rebound game a few nights later at age 37.

Or his legendary, clutch play in Game 6 of the Thunder series a season later, to again hold off the championship pursuit of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Most 38-year-olds are enjoying the retirement life. Tim Duncan in the middle of another 97-game season that culminated in a championship. Ho hum.

Tracking data can’t tell us the full story of prime Tim Duncan’s rim protection, but it can give us a chapter or two, starting in 2013-14. A big reason for Duncan’s sustained dominance was in never losing a major step in regards to defense.

The 15-time All-Defensive selection was ranked as the No. 10 rim protector in 2013-14, the No. 7 in 2014-15, and then, in the final year of his career, opponents still shot 10.0 percent less in at-the-rim shots on a 40-year-old Duncan. As you might guess, this is a little bit more than Joel Anthony and Theo Ratliff can attest to. Safe to say, a well-deserved spot.

Others considered: Tiago Splitter, Pau Gasol, DeJuan Blair

To conclude, here are the All-Decade second and third Teams, as is customary in the NBA.

Spurs’ Second Team All-Decade:

• G – Patty Mills
• G – Danny Green
• F – DeMar DeRozan
• F – Boris Diaw
• C – Tiago Splitter

Spurs’ Third Team All-Decade:

• G – Dejounte Murray
• G – Marco Belinelli
• F – Rudy Gay
• F – Matt Bonner
• C – Pau Gasol