NBA All-Time Mock Draft: Which NBA legends would get picked by teams right now?

8. New York — Tim Duncan

This pick feels like it’s a great one for the New York Knicks, but I almost feel as if I should apologize to Tim Duncan for wishing the evil of playing for the Kazoos upon him. Duncan has only ever been a San Antonio Spur, meaning he has no idea how poorly other teams can be run.

He’ll soon find out. “The Knicks are a mess” is an evergreen tweet that’s been relevant, for the most part, for decades. Still, there’s reason to believe Duncan could fit in pretty well in the Big Apple.

A Duncan/Kristaps Porzingis front court is going to ensure the Knicks are a top-tier defense, even if Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose both stick around. If they don’t, New York could really make it impossible for other teams to score.

Duncan staying down low would allow Porzingis to roam a bit on offense, and the two of them could even run pick-and-rolls that will frustrate the hell out of any team besides the unbelievably-long Bucks. Unfortunately none of this fits with the Triangle, so it probably won’t happen, but it’s technically possible!

Much like with Kobe, drafting Tim Duncan means you get a dedicated player who’s going to give you decades of service. He gave the Spurs 19 years in his career, averaging 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 blocks per game in that time. If Duncan played more selfishly those numbers probably could’ve been quite a bit higher, but he likely wouldn’t have gotten to five rings that way.