Maybe we just wanted this too much.
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The San Antonio Spurs announced via Twitter that forward Tim Duncan will miss Monday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors.
Duncan has remained an extremely impactful player for the Spurs, despite a drop in minutes this season.
Duncan is averaging 8.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in his 19th season. The former Portland Trail Blazers star averaged more than 21 points per game in each of the last five campaigns and has four All-Star appearances on his resume.
That has been evident since Duncan joined San Antonio as the first pick in the 1994 draft.
That said, Duncan’s absence does mean Pop is kicking the can down the road a bit on answering one of the most important and interesting tactical questions of this National Basketball Association season. What’s more, Duncan’s vital role as one of the Spurs’ many capable big men was seen as a fascinating factor in this matchup considering the Warriors’ penchant for playing small-ball. Of course, if San Antonio wins, it becomes even bigger.
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These two teams on record setting pace have yet to meet this season, and the notion of seeing both squads at full strength was enough to make you feel like it was late May already (i.e. Western Conference Finals time). Boris Diaw is a solid passer who can stretch the floor from beyond the arc, and even Boban Marjanovic can eat some minutes in the post.
