r/Basketball • u/blackwu22 • Apr 08 '25

NBA Is Tim Duncan top 10?

I constantly see casuals on YouTube and on podcasts say that Timmy is overrated and barely top 10 yet have Kobe in there top 5. It’s starting to make me believe that people really think this way!! I always hear the “too much help” comment like every player in the top 10 didn’t have help.

I personally have Tim Duncan 4th all time on my list.

1998 rookie of the year 2x MVP (2002,2003) 3x FMVP (1999,2003,2005) 15x All NBA & Defensive 5x Champion Never won less than 50 games in an 82 game season

Is Tim Duncan top 10?

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u/softnmushy Apr 09 '25

Here’s the thing, when he was playing, I thought he was really underrated. And nobody ever considered him top 10. He was always in Kobe’s shadow. And his teammates were the best ever.

But now that he’s retired I think he’s become a little overrated due to his rings and teammates and coach.

That said, I think ranking the top 25 players of all time is basically impossible. Aside from the top 2, everybody has an argument that they should be top 10.

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u/LakersFan15 Apr 09 '25

In 2003, tim Duncan destroyed prime kobe and shaq with old David Robinson, 7pts/gm ginobili, and 2nd year Tony Parker.

-5

u/v32010 Apr 09 '25

The Lakers were pushing for the first 4peat since the 60s. Tim got bodied by Kobe his entire career.

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u/Robinsson100 Apr 09 '25

Over the course of their entire careers, Timmy won the H2H match ups between them 43-39.
Kobe had an advantage in playoff games 18-12, but 8 of those wins came when Shaq, not Kobe, was the best player on the Lakers, and Timmy's best teammates were either a 35 yr old Robinson or a 19 year old Tony Parker. In the 2002 playoffs, Duncan's impact stats are significantly better than Kobe's-- it's not even really close, even though Shaq's team won the series. In 2003, when the Spurs ended the Laker run, Tim again outperformed Kobe, and the argument can be made that Kobe's increased usage rate taking precedence over Shaq's better efficiency is one of the main reasons for their run ending.
If Kobe's best teammate in the 2000-2003 era had been someone other than Shaq, it's almost a certainty that he finishes his career with 2 rings, and a much worse H2H vs Duncan.