Sometimes the results are as expected. Going into our Spurs 1-on-1 tournament series, I wondered if we’d see any crazy upsets in the fan voting. You could argue Manu Ginobili overcoming prime Kawhi Leonard was the biggest upset of the tournament. I had hoped for an unexpected championship matchup, but we ultimately got was a battle between the two best players in Spurs franchise history – David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
Here are the official results of the Final Four, which led to our championship
matchup:
Here is a reminder of the rules before we get into the matchups:
- Each player is at the prime of their Spurs tenure. So someone like Kawhi Leonard or Dominique Wilkins would represent their peak season as a Spur, not the best of their career.
- Assume traditional 1-on-1 rules for the tournament. Half court, games to 11 straight up (ones and twos), no offensive rebounds, and checking the ball after a score. For this exercise, we’ll be alternating possessions, so no “make it, take it.”
- Single elimination tournament bracket. If a player loses, they are done.
Vote in the poll below to crown the winner of the tournament.
Tim Duncan (1) vs. David Robinson (2)
Marilyn: I think we all knew it would come down to this: the Spurs two greatest players of all time, who both happen to be different but dominant big men who could hold their own on both ends of the court. While Timmy is a more methodical player, Robinson was an athletic freak of nature at his peak. While I believe Duncan’s success and longevity makes him a higher ranking players in NBA history, I ultimately have to go with the Admiral to overcome him in a one-on-one match-up. It will be a tight one between two defensive juggernauts who both have strong post games but are limited beyond mid-range, and because of that, the only real advantage goes to Robinson’s superior strength and athleticism, and that’s just the edge he needs to win it all.
Jacob: This is an incredibly difficult matchup to figure out. Both players have an impeccable track record. MVP seasons, all-defensive teams, championships. At their peak, both players were unstoppable post presences and lock down rim protectors. This matchup is fundamentals vs. sheer athletic force. This will be a battle on the block that could go on and on, with both players getting stop after stop. I believe Duncan is a top-10 NBA player of all-time. However, I like Robinson in this particular matchup. In a marathon type 1-on-1 game, I believe in Robinson’s physical advantage to give him the slight edge, even if Duncan is the better all-around player.
Jesus: The tournament seemed predestined to come down to the two best players in franchise history. Even with that knowledge and plenty of time to think about the matchup, it has been hard to figure out who would come out on top. Robinson seems like the more dominant player in terms of physical tools and scoring ability, but in terms of mindset, Duncan has an edge. The Admiral wasn’t soft, and his struggles against some of the elite big men that played during his era have more to do with those guys being absolute beasts than anything else. Still, Duncan proved unflappable during his career and was always willing to up his game and his intensity in crucial moments. It would be extremely close, but I can see Big Fun simply finding a way to win, like he did throughout his career.
J.R.: As I consider the matchup of the (first) two franchise big men to serve as the foundation of the Spurs, there’s a single anecdote that comes to mind. It’s from 1997 in Kerrville, Texas on the campus of Schreiner University where San Antonio was holding its training camp, at just about this time of year. David Robinson has said about rookie Tim, “I was one of the best defenders around and I couldn’t really stop him. That was a little unsettling to me.” Sure, that was the 32-year-old version of David, not prime Robinson to be sure. But also, that was Tim as a rookie.
