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Spurs Notebook: Can Kawhi Leonard Fill Tim Duncan’s Leadership Void?
- Updated: September 29, 2016
Tim Duncan showed up on the San Antonio Spurs’ practice court Wednesday morning wearing official Spurs workout shorts, a gray Spurs T-shirt and his Adidas basketball shoes.
He even took a few shots.
No, he has not come out of retirement, but it seems that the greatest power forward in NBA history and head coach Gregg Popovich have entered into a verbal understanding—Popovich calls it a verbal contract—that Duncan can have any sort of role with the team he would like, from helping Spurs players with individual skill development to participation in team meetings and coach meetings, maybe even some college or pro scouting.
“I haven’t made up a title yet,” Popovich said, “but his position is he is the coach of whatever he feels like. That’s what he does.”
On Wednesday, Duncan felt like showing up for the second day of training camp to observe and pull a few of the new big men aside to give them some pointers.
“He told me I need to talk more, communicate on defense,” said Dewayne Dedmon, the former Orlando Magic center the Spurs signed after he became an unrestricted free agent in July. “I’ll be doing that next time.”
If Duncan feels like spending enough time around the Spurs this season, he can mitigate the leadership void his retirement as an active player created, an important factor as the team moves into uncharted territory in its first season without him since 1996-97.
“I think we need to sit back and get a better understanding of how he wants to fit in and what works for his family, and then we’ll figure it out from there,” Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. “But the gym feels better with him in it.”
Indeed, there was a happy buzz about Wednesday’s practice, but Duncan’s mere presence can’t make up for his leadership before, during and after games. It is up to others to assume the role he held through the bulk of his career.
His teammates of longest standing, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, are natural candidates to do so. Both understand the importance of their taking on more of the leadership this season; both intend to be more aware of this responsibility.
“Myself and Manu will have an even bigger role leadership-wise to make sure we keep that same mentality in the locker room and to make sure that everybody only cares about winning,” Parker said. “So it’s going to be a bigger role this year.”
But just as Duncan became the unquestioned leader of the Spurs when Hall of Fame center David Robinson retired after the 2002-03 season, Kawhi Leonard must …
