Axe Murderer
05-16-2011, 09:13 AM
Sorry if it's a little old but pretty good read, imho
Talks about how Scola's success haunts the Spurs
http://www.48minutesofhell.com/luis-scola-rubs-salt-in-old-wounds
I watched and TiVo’d yesterday’s Brazil vs. Argentina game looking to write another Tiago Splitter post for those who might not have had the opportunity to watch it.
Shortly after the game I deleted the program with almost nothing of note on Splitter, mostly because Luis Scola was too depressingly dominant to pay attention to anything else.
There were other notable storylines to be sure. The game itself was terribly exciting and begs the question of why Brazil (and former Argentina) coach Rudy Magnano is not heard of in NBA circles more often, given that he appears to be one of the top coaches in the world.
But the story of the night was best summarized in a Tweet from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, “Scola goes into video game god mode to finish off Brazil. Wow.”
That’s not to say that Tiago Splitter did not do some nice things San Antonio Spurs fans should be excited about. There was the pick and roll defense, which should plug a leak in the Spurs defense. The nice pass to teammate Anderson Varejao. A few nice passes actually. But based off what admittedly is a small sample size, comparing the two will be an exercise in disappointment for Spurs fans.
That’s because in terms of gap in ability, Tiago Splitter might be to Luis Scola what Brazilian teammate Leandro Barbosa is to Manu Ginobili.
Perhaps it’s not fair to call them watered down versions of their Argentine counterparts. Both Barbosa and Splitter are nice pieces who would be welcomed with open arms on most NBA rosters. But Ginobili and Scola, they have it in them to carry teams through stretches.
Last week our own Andrew McNeill wrote about the death of the Spurs role player. Not too long ago the Spurs could afford to simply surround their big three with role players whose only responsibilities were to defend and play off Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Ginobili.
In his current form, Tiago Splitter certainly fits that mold. Perhaps better than any recent role player not named Robert Horry or Bruce Bowen. But to borrow from Andrew’s post:
"The transition from shopping for role players to searching for stars will begin. They can’t expect to land the number one overall pick in the draft and select a franchise cornerstone like Duncan and David Robinson. Again. Nor do the Spurs have international prospects stashed overseas with the potential for greatness like Ginobili and Parker."
Like Fabricio Oberto before him, Tiago Splitter is a player whose talents seem best suited to fit around Duncan. Luis Scola? Scola is playing like a cornerstone who could be stepping into his offensive role and replacing him for stretches of the season.
Defensively, Splitter might be better. But the other intangibles he possesses, Scola matches and surpasses. Both have solid footwork, but Scola has the body to establish and hold position and the touch to capitalize on them that Splitter has failed to show in the two games I have watched.
Scola has every bit the intuition and concept of spacing that makes Splitter a fantastic pick and roll player, only he also has a sweet jump shot with range (several of them barely moved the net yesterday as they swished through).
In short, Scola is one of those cornerstones the San Antonio Spurs did not know they needed to be looking for a few years back. Tiago Splitter is good, but still a piece entirely dependent on an aging core.
Talks about how Scola's success haunts the Spurs
http://www.48minutesofhell.com/luis-scola-rubs-salt-in-old-wounds
I watched and TiVo’d yesterday’s Brazil vs. Argentina game looking to write another Tiago Splitter post for those who might not have had the opportunity to watch it.
Shortly after the game I deleted the program with almost nothing of note on Splitter, mostly because Luis Scola was too depressingly dominant to pay attention to anything else.
There were other notable storylines to be sure. The game itself was terribly exciting and begs the question of why Brazil (and former Argentina) coach Rudy Magnano is not heard of in NBA circles more often, given that he appears to be one of the top coaches in the world.
But the story of the night was best summarized in a Tweet from Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey, “Scola goes into video game god mode to finish off Brazil. Wow.”
That’s not to say that Tiago Splitter did not do some nice things San Antonio Spurs fans should be excited about. There was the pick and roll defense, which should plug a leak in the Spurs defense. The nice pass to teammate Anderson Varejao. A few nice passes actually. But based off what admittedly is a small sample size, comparing the two will be an exercise in disappointment for Spurs fans.
That’s because in terms of gap in ability, Tiago Splitter might be to Luis Scola what Brazilian teammate Leandro Barbosa is to Manu Ginobili.
Perhaps it’s not fair to call them watered down versions of their Argentine counterparts. Both Barbosa and Splitter are nice pieces who would be welcomed with open arms on most NBA rosters. But Ginobili and Scola, they have it in them to carry teams through stretches.
Last week our own Andrew McNeill wrote about the death of the Spurs role player. Not too long ago the Spurs could afford to simply surround their big three with role players whose only responsibilities were to defend and play off Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Ginobili.
In his current form, Tiago Splitter certainly fits that mold. Perhaps better than any recent role player not named Robert Horry or Bruce Bowen. But to borrow from Andrew’s post:
"The transition from shopping for role players to searching for stars will begin. They can’t expect to land the number one overall pick in the draft and select a franchise cornerstone like Duncan and David Robinson. Again. Nor do the Spurs have international prospects stashed overseas with the potential for greatness like Ginobili and Parker."
Like Fabricio Oberto before him, Tiago Splitter is a player whose talents seem best suited to fit around Duncan. Luis Scola? Scola is playing like a cornerstone who could be stepping into his offensive role and replacing him for stretches of the season.
Defensively, Splitter might be better. But the other intangibles he possesses, Scola matches and surpasses. Both have solid footwork, but Scola has the body to establish and hold position and the touch to capitalize on them that Splitter has failed to show in the two games I have watched.
Scola has every bit the intuition and concept of spacing that makes Splitter a fantastic pick and roll player, only he also has a sweet jump shot with range (several of them barely moved the net yesterday as they swished through).
In short, Scola is one of those cornerstones the San Antonio Spurs did not know they needed to be looking for a few years back. Tiago Splitter is good, but still a piece entirely dependent on an aging core.