Nellie Ball Redux: Why Popovich Fails to Play Splitter

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Great article, timvp. And interesting discussion afterwards.

Funny how the stats are completely counter-intuitive: they make Splitter look awful and Bonner look like an All-Star!

[Capt Bringdown]

Bottom line, we know exactly what we'll get from Blair and Bonner. Why roll the dice on them again when we've got other options?

[SenorSpur]

What's that quote by Stephen Jackson about Pop (I think it was he)...something about Pop being an odd dude who might just do something because it's Tuesday. I think that's still very relevant and therefore it's hard to predict Pop's approach to all of this, which is only made more ambiguous by his alternating terse and fabricating answers he gives to the media who really don't even ask very thought provoking questions.

In regards to Splitter, I agree that Pop thinks he's soft, which is odd because he also considers him a blue collar player. So, something doesn't make sense in this equation. My gut feeling is that Pop holds a grudge against Splitter for something...being injured, perhaps talking back, perhaps not being named Luis Scola. Who knows?

But until Pop learns to trust Splitter, it won't matter. Splitter is playing admirably through this BS, and if he can continue to improve, and if Pop continues to hold TD's minutes, then there's still hope for Splitter to break through.

Who knows - it might take Ninja busting Pop's chops during dinner sometime to get through to him that Splitter needs to play more, and more importantly, when he plays, he needs to be better integrated into the offense because his teammates too often look for their own shot instead of Splitter wide open under the lane or posting up.

In medicine there's a useful old saying regarding doctors diagnosing patients: do you believe what you see, or do you see what you believe? I think Pop is seeing what he believes and not the other way around in regards to Splitter.

If Pop really believes Splitter to be a defensive liability and soft, then what does that make Bonner, Blair of even Neal, for that matter? If there is any shred of truth in Pop making these statements and if he really believes this about Splitter, he's clearly out of his mind - and he should quit immediately.

[SpurNation]

Eh, I wouldn't quite go that far. I think the poor defensive is mostly a byproduct of Pop prioritizing offense and living with defensive shortcomings.

For example, I wouldn't say Blair and Neal suck on defense because they aren't trying or are undercoached. It's just that they are short, can't jump and aren't overly quick so they are going to be below average defenders even if their lives literally depended on it. In the past, such players simple wouldn't get minutes under Pop. Now Pop lives with it so he can get the offensive production on the other end.

Nah. It's as simple as the Spurs not having the dominant interior presence they used to have. Back then...players like Blair and Neal wouldn't have been counted on as a priority difference when the Spurs were as good as they once were at defending the paint. Now they're counted on for having to defend equally as well as score.

The end of a dynasty always sucks when the team doesn't have an equal to it's vanishing star.

[therealtruth]

Nah. It's as simple as the Spurs not having the dominant interior presence they used to have. Back then...players like Blair and Neal wouldn't have been counted on as a priority difference when the Spurs were as good as they once were at defending the paint. Now they're counted on for having to defend equally as well as score.

The end of a dynasty always sucks when the team doesn't have an equal to it's vanishing star.

They can still pair TD and Splitter and get another big.

[ElNono]

I also think Pop consider Splitter as a poor offensive player. Pop consistently called him a "blue-collar player". While it's a compliment but it also shows how limited Pop thinks Splitter is. Splitter can do blue-collars tasks but he can do more. The sooner Pop understand that, the better Spurs will be.

And I agree that Pop thinks Splitter is a defensive liability. Pop sees the offense bog down when Splitter is in the game and concludes that it's Splitter's fault. But what a lot of us believe is that Splitter needs playing time to grow into a role where he can consistently help the team. Pop, as of right now, doesn't share that opinion.

Quote from Pop after the Rocket's game:

“He’s a big-time pro,” Popovich said. “He’s a workhorse, and a really fun basketball player to watch. He’s not gifted with a lot of skills, but he plays the game the right way.”

[NASpurs]

Solid defense, decent rebounder, high perecentage shots inside the paint, improved FT %, check.

Can't shoot the three? No no no, back to the bench you go.

Pop is full of . WTF more does he want?