In what was probably the quietest retirement announcement from a future Hall-of-Famer ever, Tim Duncan has officially called it quits from his NBA career. The very nature of his retirement embodied that very same nature of his demeanor on and off the court: quiet yet impactful. A player that defined an entire organization, Duncan’s impact on the San Antonio Spurs culture cannot be overstated. And for the first time in nearly two decades, the Spurs are entering a post “Timmy” world.
On the bright side, the Spurs brought back Manu Ginobili. Imagine the culture shock if two-thirds of the big three retired the same year? On the down side, the Spurs lost Duncan, Boris Diaw, David West, and Boban Marjanovic so far. Matt Bonner’s future is still uncertain.
New blood such as Ryan Arcidiacono, Davis Bertans, Dewayne Dedmon, Bryn Forbes, Pau Gasol and Dejounte Murray have been signed.
Statistically speaking, making up for Duncan’s numbers last year should not pose to be a great challenge for the Spurs. The Big Fundamental averaged 25.2 minutes, 7.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 8.6 points a game through 61 games played last season. Without breaking down any of the rookies expected to become a big part of the Spurs system rather Pau Gasol, the obvious starter for the Spurs, played 72 games last year averaging 31.8 minutes, 11 rebounds, 4.1 assists, two blocks, and 16.5 points a game.
Filling Duncan’s absences however, entails more than merely making up for his numbers last year. Gasol, given Duncan’s minimized role last season, can probably out do Duncan’s statistics. Yet who is next in line to carry the leadership torch for San Antonio?
With his contract keeping him in San Antonio until 2019, Kawhi Leonard is poised to be the new sheriff in town for San Antonio. Leonard is the future of the Spurs and with that being said, he has to become the leader of the Spurs now that Timmy is gone.
It won’t be impossible for the Spurs to replace Timmy, statically speaking. Yet, it will be nearly impossible for the Spurs to ever find that kind of caliber player that comes around once in a life time.
One cannot help but establish parallels between Timmy and Kawhi as we assess the future of the Spurs, but the jury is still out and will be for some time. The Spurs will more than likely finish the season as the second best team in the West, as they did last year, but the Spurs will never finish another season with Timmy D on the roster.
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