Smile Spurs fans per Chris Mannix SI

[Rummpd]

. Smile, Spurs fans. Tiago Splitter, the Spurs' top pick in 2007, is the real deal. Against the U.S. Splitter scored 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in 30 foul-filled minutes. The 7-foot, 235-pound Splitter is an excellent post player with a nose for the ball on the offensive glass. More impressive was that Splitter got the job done without Anderson Varejao, the Cavaliers' hyperactive forward who sat out the game with an ankle injury.

As he says as well, though that Durant guy is the real deal and IMO may well be the MVP not only next year but many times in his career and will (along with a nice team and a fine coach) make the Thunder very, very tough again.


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/chris_mannix/08/30/usa.brazil.5things/index.html?eref=sihp

[spurspokesman]

. Smile, Spurs fans. Tiago Splitter, the Spurs' top pick in 2007, is the real deal. Against the U.S. Splitter scored 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in 30 foul-filled minutes. The 7-foot, 235-pound Splitter is an excellent post player with a nose for the ball on the offensive glass. More impressive was that Splitter got the job done without Anderson Varejao, the Cavaliers' hyperactive forward who sat out the game with an ankle injury.

As he says as well, though that Durant guy is the real deal and IMO may well be the MVP not only next year but many times in his career and will (along with a nice team and a fine coach) make the Thunder very, very tough again.


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/chris_mannix/08/30/usa.brazil.5things/index.html?eref=sihp

I agree with splitter being the real deal. But I have many concerns. International ball is more lenient on contact. The nba is less forgiving. Also that scary looking floater in the lane needs work.

[spurspokesman]

. Smile, Spurs fans. Tiago Splitter, the Spurs' top pick in 2007, is the real deal. Against the U.S. Splitter scored 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in 30 foul-filled minutes. The 7-foot, 235-pound Splitter is an excellent post player with a nose for the ball on the offensive glass. More impressive was that Splitter got the job done without Anderson Varejao, the Cavaliers' hyperactive forward who sat out the game with an ankle injury.

As he says as well, though that Durant guy is the real deal and IMO may well be the MVP not only next year but many times in his career and will (along with a nice team and a fine coach) make the Thunder very, very tough again.


http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/chris_mannix/08/30/usa.brazil.5things/index.html?eref=sihp

I agree with splitter being the real deal. But I have many concerns. International ball is more lenient on contact. The nba is less forgiving. Also that scary looking floater in the lane needs work.
Other than that he will flourish and make a lot of folks smile. He also has pretty good vision and passing for a big. Best to tiago.

[Mr. Body]

He'll figure out how to score down low. Remember he'll have Duncan around a lot of the time as well. If Oberto could do it, Splitter can. He's more athletic and gets close to him in smarts.

[SCdac]

Even if he could give us the same kind of production Nenad Krstic gave New Jersey in the mid-2000's, Splitter will be useful. Won't have to amazing, just reliable, and hopefully talented enough to keep up with NBA bigs.

[m33p0]

doesn't need to be great... just effective.

[wildbill2u]

Folks are going to be surprised if they don't give him his props now. Splitter used to play out on the perimeter arc because his coach had him doing a lot of posting up out there on the pick and roll.

Unlike Duncan, he has great hands, speed and vision and can take the pass in traffic. He's a lot like Blair in that regard. Think of a 7' Blair rolling to the hoop.

He will be our best true Center since Robinson.

[Mr. Body]

Even if he could give us the same kind of production Nenad Krstic gave New Jersey in the mid-2000's, Splitter will be useful. Won't have to amazing, just reliable, and hopefully talented enough to keep up with NBA bigs.

Agreed. But strangely I don't think Krstic and Splitter have much game in common.

[Man In Black]

That ugly floater worked for him in Europe. Whatever the case, I don't care if he drop kicks the ball in. If he makes 50% or over, than I'm cool with it. If you think about it, it saves him from taking more punishment down low, he just has to sell his drive more so that the defender backs up, once that happens, then that ugly floater is unchallenged save for a possible weak-side defender.

[Whisky Dog]

Folks are going to be surprised if they don't give him his props now. Splitter used to play out on the perimeter arc because his coach had him doing a lot of posting up out there on the pick and roll.

Unlike Duncan, he has great hands, speed and vision and can take the pass in traffic. He's a lot like Blair in that regard. Think of a 7' Blair rolling to the hoop.

He will be our best true Center since Robinson.

Did you just say Duncan has shitty hands and vision? Seriously?

[TIMMYD!]

did you just say duncan has shitty hands and vision? Seriously?

+100000000000000000000

[slick'81]

what i wanna know is whos gonna jump center?!?!tiago or timmy?!?!

[Em-City]

Did you just say Duncan has shitty hands and vision? Seriously?

yeah, what the fuck?

[bus driver]

doesn't need to be great... just effective.

i dont know about that, having a great player will go a long way


and fuck smile spurs fans....... its almost time to suit up!
:flag: :flag:

[J_Paco]

He's definitely going to have the opportunity to be a quality player for the Spurs, but I'm not sure if he can play center in the NBA right now. He physically reminds me of Kristic or Gasol from a couple of seasons ago. I believe he'll be more effective playing against power forwards where his lack of muscle can't be exploited. If he can be a younger, more mobile version of Fab then I'll be happy.

[Halberto]

Duncan does have shitty hands. And saying Splitter will be the best center we had since robinson isn't saying much...

[J_Paco]

Duncan does have shitty hands. And saying Splitter will be the best center we had since robinson isn't saying much...

You're an idiot if you really believe Duncan has bad hands. The only time he bobbles a pass is if it's too low for him to catch. Come on, he isn't Nazr Mohamed or Brendan Haywood.

[duncan228]

Life After Tim (http://images.si.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1173808/index.htm)
The Spurs prepare for the post--Tim Duncan era in familiar fashion: with an overlooked import, Tiago Splitter
Chris Mannix
SI.com
September 6, 2010

Quality centers are a rare breed. Even rarer is a quality center with a polished post game, a kamikaze approach to offensive rebounding and a professorial grasp of the pick-and-roll. So when one becomes available, a team might be willing to wait a year to get him. Or two. Or three. That's how long the Spurs have waited for Brazil's Tiago Splitter, their top pick in 2007, who signed a three-year, $11 million contract in July. It's a classic San Antonio move: Scoop up a skilled foreign player late in the draft (see Tony Parker, the 28th choice in 2001) and stash him overseas for a few years (Manu Ginóbili, whom the team selected 57th in 1999 and signed in 2002). "You could tell me that 29 teams think a guy is lousy," says an Eastern Conference scout, "but if the Spurs picked him, I'd put my money on that guy being good."

When Splitter entered the draft, concerns over his signability—he was under contract with the Spanish league's Tau Cerámica, which last year changed its name to Caja Laboral—caused him to slip to 28th. "We knew we were going to have to wait for him," says Spurs general manager R.C. Buford, "but we felt he was worth it."

The 6' 11", 235-pound Splitter has benefited from being the focus of Caja Laboral's post offense for the past two years. Last season he averaged 15.4 points on 59.5% shooting. His skills are now on display at the world championships in Turkey, where he averaged 14.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in Brazil's first three games—two comfortable wins and a 70--68 loss to the U.S. on Monday. At times Splitter was too much for the (albeit undersized) U.S. front line, showing a nifty array of post moves as he went 6 for 12 from the floor. He also grabbed 10 rebounds, including a game-high four on the offensive end. "He's a true low post five," says Tony Ronzone, USA Basketball's director of international player personnel. "A lot of European big men like to face up. He sits down on you, has no fear of contact and is a beast on the offensive glass."

In San Antonio, Splitter will be counted on to complement Tim Duncan ("We hope Tiago will allow us to be very judicious with Tim's minutes," says Buford) and help the Spurs transition from their longtime star. Duncan, 34, and Ginóbili, 33, are still the faces of the franchise, but San Antonio has a young core in Splitter, point guard George Hill (26th pick in 2008), power forward DeJuan Blair (37th pick in '09) and shooting guard James Anderson (20th pick in '10). "There's an impression that we are getting older," Buford says. "We're a lot younger than we were a few years ago, and our younger players have the ability to impact a game in a lot of different ways."

[xtremesteven33]

Man im so pumped for this season. If Spurs can stay healthy Id say they can be just as good as LA come playoff time...

[spursballer21]

[QUOTE=duncan228;4612165]your back,welcome back (http://images.si.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1173808/index.htm)
where you've been?