Spurs: Duncan/Yao Renewing Old Rivalry

By Bill Ingram
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Nov 11, 2006, 14:53

The last time the Spurs and Rockets had a serious rivalry going it was powered by the two premier big men in the NBA. In black and white was "The Admiral," David Robinson. In the red and gold was one of the most dominant players in the history of the game in Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon. The Spurs were very fortunate that Robinson's era crossed over with his ultimate replacement and the Spurs were able to stay at a championship level despite losing one of the all-time greats. The Houston Rockets were not so lucky. Olajuwon's departure left a gaping hole in the middle, forcing the team to build around their budding point guard, Steve Francis.

The Francis years passed without much notice. He was an exciting young player, but his basketball IQ was low. While the Spurs were winning championships the Rockets were praying for help from the lottery. They eventually got it, landing Yao Ming with their first number one draft pick since the 1984 pick that landed them Olajuwon. Then the real trouble began. They had a point guard who thought he should take all the shots, but a 7'5" center who shot 60% from the field and absolutely could not be guarded. The ultimate outcome was a trade for Francis, taking away the primary road block to Yao Ming's development.

Last year injuries kept Yao Ming from being a force in the playoffs, and his Rockets found themselves on the outside looking in at the postseason. This year, however, it appears that the San Antonio/Houston I-10 rivalry will be back in full force, and will again be a showdown between the league's top big men.

Tim Duncan is healthy for the first time in over a year. His decision to take the summer off appears to have revitalized the Spurs' MVP, who was plagued by leg and foot problems for much of the 2005-06 season. He's had his way with everyone he's faced this season, with the possible exception of former teammate and good friend Malik Rose (who he will face tonight for the second and final time this season). He's averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds while shooting 52% from the field. His only loss came in a game that saw LeBron James pour in 35 points.

The best part for Duncan is that he has a couple of younger teammates who are helping to share not only the lime light, but also the burden of carrying the team. Manu Ginobili and now Tony Parker do more than their share of the work, making it so Duncan doesn't bear the sole responsibility for the success of the team.

The Rockets were hoping to give Yao Ming the same kind of support when they brought in Tracy McGrady, but as it's turning out the Rockets have become entirely the Yao Ming show. On Friday night Yao Ming wore down the New York Knicks to the tune of 35 points, 17 rebounds, and seven blocks, hopefully working them over enough that they won't have much left in the tank for the Spurs. Not that a full-speed Knicks team could hold San Antonio. But the Knicks will have the unenviable task of facing the league's top big men on back-to-back nights.

The Rockets and Spurs may not quite be fielding the teams that made of their former rivalry, but this is a new NBA and these teams are built to excel within the new rules and guidelines. What's very much the same is the match-up in the middle - where two proven and world-renowned centers will do battle five times a season and then have to go through each other in the postseason. It may not be Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson, but the Yao Ming/Tim Duncan matchup is shaping up to be a good one for years to come.

There's nothing quite like a good intra-state rivalry.

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