Popovich: Duncan will play 'same boring game' next season

If it's worked for the better part of two decades, why mess with it?

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says it will be business as usual for 39-year-old Tim Duncan next season. As Popovich told SiriusXM NBA Radio on Friday:

Same boring game. He's going to come to the game, he's going to score X number of points and X number of rebounds. He's going to lead, he's going to tell me what to do during the game and then we’re going to go home. It's going to be the same routine as usual.

The Big Fundamental enters his 19th NBA season still remarkably effective as a player. He averaged 13.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, and two blocks on 51.2-percent shooting last season while also making the league's All-Defensive Second Team. To find the last big man playing at that level - and in long, deep-into-the-playoffs campaigns, as Duncan's managed in three of the last four years - you have to go back to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the mid-1980s.

And now the Spurs have LaMarcus Aldridge to take a huge portion of the load off Duncan's shoulders up front. Popovich was also candid about the addition of the four-time All-Star power forward.

"I'm just going to sit back and watch him to begin with, and make sure I don't screw it up," Popovich said, offering a little more than his standard sideline fare.

"We all know he can score, and where he scores and how he scored when he was in Portland. (We want to) see if there's something we can do to help him help us more. And that's exciting."

Aldridge's mid-range game will be ensconced at power forward, moving Duncan to center. While Duncan hasn't played the position much over the years - at least, not in name - he's more than capable of manning the five in today's NBA, as he's still an elite rim protector.

- With h/t to Pro Basketball Talk