How good do you think Tiago can be?

[emanueldavidginobili]

How good do you think Tiago can be? If he stays healthy throughout his career

[spursfan1000]

He needs to get tougher , too many times did I see him getting blocked for going too soft

[Kuestmaster]

A softer, faster version of Marc Gasol

[rjv]

decent, if he can ever stay on his feet

[Yuixafun]

He needs to be slightly more decisive with his moves.

That fleeting second of hesitation is why he gets blocked.

[cheguevara]

IMO he could possibly be the next Vlade Divac

[Russ]

Could he be Kevin McHale-like?

[CubanMustGo]

I'm sure KBP would be happy to tell you ... if only he could. :rollin

[Keepin' it real]

.http://www.itst-shirttime.com/product_images/t/091/CURB-T07_%28A%29__80938_thumb.JPG ...

[5in10]

If and when he develops a jumpshot I think he could really be a star in this league. I think the coaches will also help him develop his post game, and for the love of god fix that awkward hook shot!

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

I think he could have a Okur-like career.

[ezau]

So he'll start shooting threes?

[MI21]

The Euroleague MVP could become a 16/9 type player if he can improve his physical physical qualities. (stamina, toughness)

[Dingle Barry]

Dude could stand to hit the weight room and learn to go hard to the rack.

[cheguevara]

IMO he needst to learn how to fall correctly. Some aikido lessons would not hurt.

or even better, hire Vlade as tutor

[TJastal]

He needs to be slightly more decisive with his moves.

That fleeting second of hesitation is why he gets blocked.

I've been noticing this as well. He'll get fed great passes in the post before his defender can react yet he'll recieve the pass and hesitate, waiting for his defender to recover to his back. It's almost like he thinks he can't make a post move without a defender on his back or something. Pop needs to drill him in practice about going straight up with the shot quickly when he has an opportunity to do so.

He also needs to work on a flip shot/baby hook. That ugly full running hook sweeping into the lane ala Dwight Howard is complete rubbish.

I myself mastered the half hook shot and I can make that shot out to 15 feet and it's a very effective weapon to have. At 5'9" I can get that shot up and over much bigger players consistently. The beauty of having that as a weapon also makes the up and under that much more effective as well. Once you make a few hook shots that defender is going to primed to bite on a pump fake, and once that happens you can go up and under him.

[Russ]

Dude could stand to hit the weight room and learn to go hard to the rack.

Don't think he has to learn to go hard to the rack. It just needs to be his first option.

[I Heart Ginobili]

I myself mastered the half hook shot and I can make that shot out to 15 feet and it's a very effective weapon to have. At 5'9" I can get that shot up and over much bigger players consistently. The beauty of having that as a weapon also makes the up and under that much more effective as well. Once you make a few hook shots that defender is going to primed to bite on a pump fake, and once that happens you can go up and under him.

Sick Bro! :lol

[Legacy]

IMO he needst to learn how to fall correctly. Some aikido lessons would not hurt.

or even better, hire Vlade as tutor


:lol Aikidoka?

[BRs.Ganso]

15/8 playing 34mpg

he need a mid-range jump shot... he can't learn this? Noah did.

[HarlemHeat37]

It depends on whether his early-season post moves were fluky, or not..injuries will obviously be a determining factor, as well..

Last year, Splitter was atrocious in the post..this season, up until his first injury, he showed a massive improvement in the post..his unorthodox style was effective, he was making hook shots, and he displayed immense confidence..

Following his injury, he reverted back to last year's form, where his post offense is hideous and completely ineffective..

If he cannot create in the post, his ceiling is a great starting role player that finishes well at the basket, is a great pick and roll player, and a solid defensive player..Anderson Varejao is the obvious comparison..

If his post offense improves to the point where he consistently plays with the same confidence that he displayed before his first injury, earlier in the season, his ceiling is Marc Gasol..

A player like Marc Gasol, a top 3-5 Center, is far from elite, in regards to creating his own offense..however, he's good enough that he's a legit threat that can hurt you, occasionally..Splitter needs to reach that point..at the moment, he's not a threat to create his own offense..

[rascal]

Could he be Kevin McHale-like?

Not a chance.

[rascal]

I don't see vast improvement. He is not a 20 year old rookie. His game is pretty much established at his age.

[ChumpDumper]

IMO he could possibly be the next Vlade Divac


I think he could have a Okur-like career.What are you guys talking about? Splitter's effective range is one foot.

[Bill_Brasky]

Tiago already has one of the most important skills a bigman can have- ability to pass out of a double. If he improves in the post he could be a very good player.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

What are you guys talking about? Splitter's effective range is one foot.

Not saying his game would be the same, it isn't obviously, but as impact in the NBA , i.e. a solid starter, something like 15 and 7 for a few seasons, a level or two below all-star.

[Paranoid Pop]

Tiago Splitter reminds me of DRob after he messed up his back. Wasn't the out of this world athletic freak he was when he first join the Spurs, but he still had that quickness and ball handling skills in the post that gave teams fit.

If Tiago worked on his 15-18 ft top of the key jumper this offseason with Chip, he can easily be a guy that puts up 17-18 ppg with 7+rpg in 30 minutes of action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcaXoOv9MrA

And if Rondo could shoot...

The way he's shooting FTs doesn't make me optimistic that he can just develop a jumper just because he decided to.

[tmtcsc]

He's extremely talented and I believe he can be VERY good. Not an All Star, but a solid starter and contributor.

He's got to stay healthy to realize his full potential. He was fantastic in the Euro league but he's now competing with others whose talent is on a whole different level.

He hits the floor way too often and doesn't finish at the rim with enough authority. I would think that more time in the gym will help him get to the next level. Other than that, he's pretty darn good already. Unfortunately, you never know when mysterious injuries will sideline him.

[DJB]

Jump shot.

[duncan_21]

Dude is 27, he's about as good as he's gonna get.

[Fabbs]

How good do you think Tiago can be? If he stays healthy throughout his career
All Star.

No doubt in my mind.

[024]

if he works on his rebounding and jump shot, his ceiling could be a prime luis scola :stirpot:, if not then just a glorified varejao

[Yuixafun]

Somebody go find Hakeem and have Tiago spend the summer with him.

Tiago doesn't have that shot, but at least he can have a blueprint for his post moves.

[tesseractive]

Somebody go find Hakeem and have Tiago spend the summer with him.

Tiago doesn't have that shot, but at least he can have a blueprint for his post moves.

Yeah, let's find Hakeem. It's a shame the Spurs don't have a Hall of Famer of their own with strong fundamentals and some good post moves hanging around with the team.

[harvcat]

Does anyone think that Pop has kept Tiago shackled a bit (low minutes, extended injury rest) to drive down the value of his next FA contract?

[ChumpDumper]

Does anyone think that Pop has kept Tiago shackled a bit (low minutes, extended injury rest) to drive down the value of his next FA contract?I don't.

[gambit1990]

i was really impressed with his ball hand handling when he got the steal against kanter (i think) and took it the distance. even though he missed the shot, i thought it was a great effort. i haven't seen him dribble that long/fast before. anyone have a gif of it? i can't find it on youtube.

[disciple]

I said it before he played a game with Spurs.
After watching his quickness, hear the players and coaches
Speak of his great work ethic and understanding of the game
I saw 18/10/4/2. Still do.

[Yuixafun]

Yeah, let's find Hakeem. It's a shame the Spurs don't have a Hall of Famer of their own with strong fundamentals and some good post moves hanging around with the team.


I watched a video the other day of Hakeem highlights and for some reason I see Tiago better able to pull of those sorts of moves... more so than emulating Duncan's game.

[spursfan 73]

The one thing I wish he'd learn from Timmy is how to use his length/height to his advantage. Timmy rarely has the ball below his shoulders/head, but Tiago routinely does. Whether it's after grabbing a board, or going up for a lay-up/scoop/hook/whatever, Tiago needs to hold the ball high and be strong with it.

If I had a young post player, I'd just show them tape of Timmy doing this. Never bring the ball down when you don't have to. I think Blair does a good job of this b/c he had to learn it due to only being 6'5.

[timvp]

Splitter's potential is difficult to assess right now. I think we'll know a lot more by the end of the playoffs. If he can continue to rise his game as the competition improves, his ceiling could be pretty damn high. Right now, I think it's fair to say he has borderline All-Star potential.

As it stands, his per-minute production is already pretty damn elite. The bench unit that has four shooters surrounding him is so great largely due to his ability shred virtually all pick-and-roll coverages.

[ElNono]

Scola > Splitter

Scola thread!

[jag]

I don't think he's capable of playing enough minutes to be an All Star. I do, however, think he has the ability to be an All Star, especially considering how weak the center position is right now.

Marc Gasol type production is a decent comparison. Splitter is surprisingly better offensively than Gasol. Tiago doesn't have as good of a touch as Marc, but his quickness allows him to get higher percentage shots off around the basket. Tiago has been working on his jump shot and if it ever comes around he would probably end up being in the top 5 in the league in post-up situations. During the last game against the Suns he had an impressive post-up, turnaround jumpshot from about 8-9 ft on Marcin Gortat. He was on fire that game and it's a pretty good example of how potent his post-up game would be with a consistent jump shot.

[roycrikside]

Not sure how much more he can improve. For one, he's already 27. It's not like he's 23. For two, I don't see the physical stamina to play 35 mpg for 75+ games a year. Finally, he depends on pick-and-roll guards for much of his offense and there aren't many out there who can do it as well as Manu and Tony. I guess as long as Parker is around he's got a chance to be a 15-8 center, but I don't think he'll ever be an All-Star.

[therealtruth]

I think his numbers will probably look close to TD's numbers now.

[duncan_21]

I guess I'll give a more serious answer. Just looking at how he's improved from last year. He seems to be stronger and he's adjusted to athletic players so that he can get a shot off in the paint instead of flipping up a shot that gets blocked every time. Per 36 minutes he's putting up 18/10/2/1.5. That's pretty damn good. If you started him this year and gave him 35 mpg on this spurs team w/no duncan I'd imagine he puts up 14/8/2/1.5, however the spurs would be the absolute best case scenario for his skills offensively, most teams he would be much less efficient getting 12 ppg.

What is tiago now? I think he's a starting role playing big on a championship contending team. Is he going to get significantly better? It's doubtful. It's not like he's a 20 yr old freak athlete who can jump out of the gym. He's a guy thats a terrific defender/rebounder who's pretty good getting a decent shot around the rim when it's created for him. Defensively he reminds me most of noah in chi except tiago is imo a better in the post defender while noah might be better at help and pnr d.

He's never going to be a 20/10 monster post player. What you see is pretty much what ur gonna get. I for one would have liked to see tons more of splitter and less, much less of blair this season.

[z0sa]

Too injury prone as it is to justify ever playing starting caliber minutes tbh

[silverblk mystix]

If Tiago continues his current contributions throughout the playoffs and the Spurs go deep and/or win the title-Tiago will be very good in his career.

If Tiago gets re-injured during this playoff run and is a major cause of the Spurs not going deep and/or being eliminated prematurely- then Tiago will probably end up being an often- injured player and a disappointment.

[TheSkeptic]

Splitter's potential is difficult to assess right now. I think we'll know a lot more by the end of the playoffs. If he can continue to rise his game as the competition improves, his ceiling could be pretty damn high. Right now, I think it's fair to say he has borderline All-Star potential.

As it stands, his per-minute production is already pretty damn elite. The bench unit that has four shooters surrounding him is so great largely due to his ability shred virtually all pick-and-roll coverages.


I don't think he's capable of playing enough minutes to be an All Star. I do, however, think he has the ability to be an All Star, especially considering how weak the center position is right now.

Marc Gasol type production is a decent comparison. Splitter is surprisingly better offensively than Gasol. Tiago doesn't have as good of a touch as Marc, but his quickness allows him to get higher percentage shots off around the basket. Tiago has been working on his jump shot and if it ever comes around he would probably end up being in the top 5 in the league in post-up situations. During the last game against the Suns he had an impressive post-up, turnaround jumpshot from about 8-9 ft on Marcin Gortat. He was on fire that game and it's a pretty good example of how potent his post-up game would be with a consistent jump shot.

This is kind of what I'm thinking since we're looking at potential as opposed to what he is at the moment. I'd say though that Splitter should keep working with TD on his post game as his top priority. He's shown flashes of being able to work from there and if he can build on that some that'll significantly raise his ceiling imo.

I don't really agree with the injury prone/can't play too many minutes train of thought but that's something time will tell. I suspect that the big difference as of late is that Pop trusts him more. We'll have a much better idea of Splitter's abilities by about half-way through next season but my hunch is that he's capable of playing better.

[Old School 44]

The GOAT from Brazil...yes, even better than Nene.

[SpursRulez4eVeR]

lol @ guys hoping Tiago to turn into someone he isn't/ will never be..
Tiago, like many spurs role players, strive in and only in the spurs system and won't even worth a mention playing anywhere else.. If it wasn't the magnificent PnR plays with Manu, he is a 6 PPG max guy.

[tesseractive]

lol @ guys hoping Tiago to turn into someone he isn't/ will never be..
Tiago, like many spurs role players, strive in and only in the spurs system and won't even worth a mention playing anywhere else.. If it wasn't the magnificent PnR plays with Manu, he is a 6 PPG max guy.

So if it weren't for the fact that he excels at one of the most fundamental plays in basketball, he would have a weak offensive game? That's your argument?

[TheSkeptic]

So if it weren't for the fact that he excels at one of the most fundamental plays in basketball, he would have a weak offensive game? That's your argument?

:lol Sometimes it's not worth a rebuttal.

[Russ]

Tiago, like many spurs role players, strive in and only in the spurs system and won't even worth a mention playing anywhere else..

On the other hand, it wasn't the Spurs system that made him Spanish League MVP.

[xellos88330]

Tiago is a solid player. If he develops a jumper, dude would be devastating. Since he doesn't, I only think of him as a role player.

[xellos88330]

Tiago is a solid player. If he develops a jumper, dude would be devastating. Since he doesn't, I only think of him as a role player.

[8FOR!3]

Considering the fact that Marc Gasol's an all star, it wouldn't be going out on a limb to say Tiago's a future all star.

[TheSkeptic]

Tiago is a solid player. If he develops a jumper, dude would be devastating. Since he doesn't, I only think of him as a role player.

I'm thinking either a really good jumper or a really good post game would do it. But actually that's something I really don't understand. I thought Splitter could shoot (not well but better than he has in the NBA) in Europe.

[tesseractive]

I'm thinking either a really good jumper or a really good post game would do it. But actually that's something I really don't understand. I thought Splitter could shoot (not well but better than he has in the NBA) in Europe.

He's 6'11", he's an above average defender, he's a decent rebounder, and he's got one really good offensive tool. That alone makes him above average compared with all the bigs in the league who don't even have the one.

But yeah, if he can develop a second legit NBA offensive tool, that catapults him up to another level.

[T Park]

His confidence can improve, he can add moves on the offensive end, he can get better defensively.

Not a huge ceiling but a decent one to where he can still improve.

[Spurs da champs]

Tiago still needs to get stronger before anything else, too many times smaller players have wrestled the ball away from him & all he does is up & under's he needs to dunk the damn ball!

[TJastal]

Tiago still needs to get stronger before anything else, too many times smaller players have wrestled the ball away from him & all he does is up & under's he needs to dunk the damn ball!

Splitter just lacks athleticism (vertical and explosiveness in his legs) but he's very stout and not easily moved.

A guy like this needs to develop a nice soft touch around the basket because it will always be a challenge to finish strong with a dunk.

I hate to use Blair as an example but Tiago should watch and try to learn Blair's techniques for getting shots off in the paint amongst bigger players.

[dunkman]

He will be an all-star player.

[TheSkeptic]

Splitter just lacks athleticism (vertical and explosiveness in his legs) but he's very stout and not easily moved.

A guy like this needs to develop a nice soft touch around the basket because it will always be a challenge to finish strong with a dunk.

I hate to use Blair as an example but Tiago should watch and try to learn Blair's techniques for getting shots off in the paint amongst bigger players.

I agree with this and that's actually the interesting thing. Splitter's vert measurements at the combine were actually very impressive for a 7 footer but he needed momentum to get that 30+ max. Obviously he'd have slowed down some since those were taken (:D) but it suggests that like you said he's not an explosive athlete.

This was actually a large part of the reason why I wanted Splitter to get more minutes in the regular season. He seems like a guy who needs time to adjust and with practice he usually gets better at things. Longer defenders are usually a problem for players who aren't used to them and I thought Splitter needed to be on the floor more to figure that out.

Though he did alright against solid defenders like Dalmbert and he was looking more patient before the back spasms so it could just be a mental problem. Someone needs to tell him to slow down, reposition, or at least throw a few pump fakes instead of rushing shots...

[Spurtacus]

Splitter would be a starter on most NBA teams right now. I hope the Spurs can lock him into an extension and he would eventually replace Duncan as the starter in a few years. Its a shame he didn't come over sooner (27 years old right now).

[iManu]

If he started doing roids:

Alonzo Mourning.

[biskvito]

He's a team player. There's so many freaks of nature in the league that this kind of player will stay in the background doing it's job night after night...

A jumper could take him to another level, but these Spurs have no room for it right now.

[Whisky Dog]

With his ability in the P&R he could be as great as the point guard he plays with. Splitter playing with Russell Westbrook would be a bench afterthought. Splitter playing with John Stockton would be a multi year all star. His game is very dependent.

[BackHome]

he's 6'11", he's an above average defender, he's a decent rebounder, and he's got one really good offensive tool. That alone makes him above average compared with all the bigs in the league who don't even have the one.

But yeah, if he can develop a second legit nba offensive tool, that catapults him up to another level.

+1

[BackHome]

He's 6'11", he's an above average defender, he's a decent rebounder, and he's got one really good offensive tool. That alone makes him above average compared with all the bigs in the league who don't even have the one.

But yeah, if he can develop a second legit NBA offensive tool, that catapults him up to another level.

+1 I am sure as hell glad we kept him and did not listen to all the fools who said he had no game.

[Spurs da champs]

Splitter just lacks athleticism (vertical and explosiveness in his legs) but he's very stout and not easily moved.

A guy like this needs to develop a nice soft touch around the basket because it will always be a challenge to finish strong with a dunk.

I hate to use Blair as an example but Tiago should watch and try to learn Blair's techniques for getting shots off in the paint amongst bigger players.

When you're nearly 7'0 you don't need athleticism I'm just saying he plays with too much finesse, that might have worked in Europe but not here, he at least needs some type of power game.

And yes he is stout but he still needs to get much stronger in the upper body.

[AFBlue]

Not good enough to be the focus of the offense, but highly productive in the current guard-dominated PnR set the Spurs run. I don't like his propensity to get soft/timid around the rim or his lack of a respectable jumpshot.

But, I think he can be a 15/8 guy in 30MPG.

[AlleyOopNazi]

I see a meld of Scola and Varejao. I dont ever see him being good enough to be a starter on a contending team unless he can prove he can play a full nba schedule without going humpty dumpty and if he could get a trustworthy jumper then he could provide enough lift on offense. His ceiling now is as high as his assisting guard can raise it because as previouly said his effective range is around the restricted area.

[elemento]

He is Varejao with a better offensive game.