Manu Ginobili Calls ‘Old As Dirt’ Tim Duncan’s Performance ‘Ridiculous’

Kobe Bryant can’t stay on the floor. Kevin Garnett might as well be finished. And Paul Pierce and Vince Carter are shells of their former selves. Age has finally caught up with NBA superstars of a decade past, rendering them retired or on the brink of hanging it up.

It was always inevitable – Father Time comes for everyone – but that doesn’t make watching the process any more tolerable.

Was there more joy or frustration gleaned from Bryant hoisting jumpers at a historically inefficient pace? Smiles or frowns from Garnett barely reaching rebounds he used to pull from thin air at their apex? Anything more than painful nostalgia from plays like this Pierce block or Carter dunk?

But then there’s Tim Duncan.

While Old Man Riverwalk may not be the remarkably fluid athlete he was during his mid-2000s heyday, he’s still barely less effective playing at the tender age of 38 years-old in his 18th season – an incredible reality of which he reminded the NBA world on Friday night.

Duncan scored 29 points (12-15FGs), grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked three shots in the San Antonio Spurs’ crucial, controversial win over the Houston Rockets, just the third time he’s managed those statistical thresholds while shooting at least 80 percent from the field in his legendary career. And the future Hall-of-Famer was at his best when it mattered most, swatting James Harden’s game-winning layup try and collecting the ensuing loose ball to seal a Spurs win.

Insane.

Manu Ginobili was just as amazed at his long-time teammate’s dominant performance. Here’s the Argentinean legend via NBA.com’s Fran Blinebury:

“Today was the third game in four nights,” Ginobili said. “I was tired. I was sore. And the guy comes. He’s as old as dirt, as Pop always says. He comes with 29 points, the game-winning shot-block. Are you kidding me? It’s ridiculous.

Not unlike Duncan’s play all season long, actually.

The 1998 first overall draft pick is averaging 13.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in 2014-2015, the former of which is a career-low mark. But raw statistics never tell the whole story, especially when comparing a player’s current campaign to those of the past.

Duncan’s per-36 minute numbers of 17.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2,5 blocks this season are right in line with his career norms. His adjusted line in 2005-2006 when he was 29 years-old? 19.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.1 blocks. The Wake Forest product’s present dip in scoring can be attributed to him attempting 2.0 fewer shots per-36 minutes, too – he’s actually shooting better from the field today (50.8 percent) than he has since 2010.

Like he’s been forever, Duncan remains a basketball anomaly. The NBA keeps waiting for his expectedly imminent decline, and he somehow keeps putting it off while helping guide San Antonio to another title chance. Which begs a question: Just how much longer can an “old as dirt” Timmy keep this up?

We’re not sure. And with Gregg Popovich suggesting Duncan will return for 2015-2016, though, there’s really no telling how long he’ll be able to remain an impact player. If he’s been able to mostly stave off the effects of aging in the first half of the 2010s, why couldn’t he do it for the second?

Father Time comes for everyone – except Duncan, apparently.

*Statistical support for this post provided by basketball-reference.com

[NBA.com] [Vine via San Antonio Spurs]

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