5 Reasons Tim Duncan Can Still Help San Antonio Spurs Contend for an NBA Title

Last year, the San Antonio Spurs finished the season with the best record in the Western Conference.  The crazy part is that this was achieved despite an off year by veteran forward/center Tim Duncan.  The team's fearless leader on the hardwood averaged a career low 13.4 points and 8.9 rebounds, not to mention 28.4 minutes per contest.

Sure enough, age seemed to catch up with the Spurs in the first round of the postseason.  Heavily favored to beat the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies, the team lost in six games and just looked old, not to mention completely lost.  The 35-year-old Duncan averaged 10.5 rebounds in the series but just 12.7 points.

Some may feel it is time for the future Hall-of-Famer to retire, but I'm convinced that the former No. 1 pick still has some gas in the tank.  Sure, the Spurs are getting older, but that doesn't make them any less talented, especially Duncan.

Here are five reasons as to why Tim Duncan can help the Spurs bring another title home to San Antonio.

No. 5: Last Season Was a Fluke

Yes, I know that Tim Duncan isn't getting any younger and that his body is slowly breaking down as he reaches age 36 next April.  His unusually low stats from last season can, at first glance, be attributed to age.  That assumption isn't unrealistic, seeing as how Duncan is no longer a spring chicken.

Still, I'm not convinced that the start of Duncan's decline has even begun.  Last year's performance is just too dramatic of a drop-off for us to immediately write the man off as old and done.

The Spurs' offense last year was very much the Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili Show, so Duncan wasn't getting as many scoring opportunities.  Keep in mind, he was averaging a career-low 11 field-goal attempts per game.  Next year, if he can work his way back into the offense, then the Spurs should be just fine.

No. 4: He's Still in Great Shape

I've long maintained that Tim Duncan is one of the best athletes in the NBA, all stats aside.  He has great size at 6'11" and 255 pounds and in the prime of his career, he played almost like a point guard and not so much as a big man.

Duncan's athleticism has contributed to the Spurs winning four championships and while he may be slowing down with age, he can still keep up with the best of the game's younger centers.  Knowing him, he's frustrated by his team's early exit last year and is working to get into even better shape for the new season so that he can win another ring.

No. 3: His Leadership Is Borderline Irreplacable

Forget the incredible statistics and individual accolades.  Tim Duncan's greatest quality as a basketball player is his ability to be a leader.  Ever since the retirement of David Robinson, he has filled some big shoes (literally) and has led teams featuring himself and younger players to championship glory.

The best part about leadership skills in a player is that they very rarely disappear.  Though he could be on the eventual decline, Duncan is still the alpha dog in San Antonio and will continue to be even if his seasonal averages dip to less than 10 points and less than 10 boards per game.

In fact, his leadership and his declining stats could go hand in hand during a title chase because...

No. 2: He Can Adjust to a New Role in the Offense

In his prime, Tim Duncan was threatening on offense in multiple ways.  If he wasn't defeating the opposition with some strong dunks and effective inside scoring, he was killing them from the perimeter.  Today, it is a different story.

Duncan's scoring now is almost exclusively on the inside as head coach Gregg Popovich has been letting Parker and Ginobili control the offense.  Yet, on top of being a great leader, Duncan is also an exceptional team player.

The man understands what is necessary to win and if that means him taking a back seat on offense and just putting up inside shots, then he will gladly accept that role.  He wants another ring and will do anything possible to win it.

No. 1: He's Still Tim Duncan!

So, Tim Duncan had an off 2010-2011 campaign.  I have one thing to say to that: so what????  That doesn't take away from the fact that he is still Tim Duncan, one of the best power forwards to ever play in the NBA.

In fact, in his quest for that fifth championship, I'm betting that Duncan is using this offseason to focus on improving his game so that the Spurs can improve upon their disappointing playoff performance in the coming year.  He knows that he needs to produce more so that the Spurs will be the last team standing, so chances are he's working on doing just that.

Even if his stats don't change much from the ones he posted last season, Tim Duncan is still Tim Duncan.  Not even low averages can stop the man from carrying his team to championship glory.