Spurs To Increase Usage Of Duncan-Splitter Combo

[freetiago]

Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs are beginning to give Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter extended minutes together.

“I enjoy being on the court with him,” Duncan said of Splitter. “He’s a great role guy for us and he gets to the front of the rim and makes plays there.

“I’ve become more of a mid-range shooter, although I did not shoot the ball well at all the last three games. That’s kind of our roles together and we click in that respect.”

Duncan added: “Defensively, he’s solid and we can play with two bigs and rebound the ball very well. He’s a good pick and roll guy, too, and we exploit that.”

Splitter is accustomed to being a member of the second unit, which means that group will have to adjust.

“I’ve got to get used to it,” Manu Ginboili said. “For a long time we played with an open four (power forward), either Matt (Bonner) or Boris (Diaw) to help spread the floor. But, yeah, I don’t have a problem with it. I like playing with good players, and they definitely both are good players.”

Via Mike Monroe/San Antonio Express-News



is popovich finally starting to see the light
instead of giving backhanded compliments to splitter hes finally admitting to playing them more together now

[raybies]

Bigger contract if he plays more with Duncan. Berger stats with easier looks... I think pop would rather save money.

[Obstructed_View]

Welcome to the party, Pop. You're only 2 1/2 years late.

[timvp]

Tbh, Splitter should play ~30 MPG whenever possible. That alone will solve a lot of bigman troubles.

[szkorhetz]

Thank, God!

[024]

For a long time we played with an open four (power forward), either Matt (Bonner) or Boris (Diaw) to help spread the floor. But, yeah, I don’t have a problem with it. I like playing with good players
:lol implying diaw and bonner are not good players

[Brunodf]

:lol implying diaw and bonner are not good players

I did think the same thing :lol

Hope Pop let Splitter play more minutes, but i still don't believe that he "saw the light"

[wildbill2u]

Certainly worth an extended look by Pop. He may arrive at the same conclusion as most of Spurs Talk fans came to long ago. :lol

[Uriel]

The thread title is misleading -- the actual heading used in the article is Spurs see more of Duncan - Splitter pairing. Also, there's a sentence in the article explicitly states


Splitter finished with 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and while his fourth-quarter pairing with Duncan may not signal the beginning of a trend, it showed some flexibility that could help the Spurs cope with some of the league’s longer teams come the playoffs.

Popovich said he will continue to “mix and match” frontcourt lineups depending on the needs of each game.
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2012/12/14/spurs-see-more-of-duncan-splitter-pairing/

[phxspurfan]

Tbh, Splitter should play ~30 MPG whenever possible. That alone will solve a lot of bigman troubles.

Expect an injury in about 10 games at that rate

[Chomag]

:lol implying diaw and bonner are not good players

I kind of got that out of that statement as well lmao.

[mystargtr34]

:lol Pop.. good to see him slowly coming to the realisation.

Just in time.

[Galileo]

twin towers baby!

[dylankerouac]

Tbh, Splitter should play ~30 MPG whenever possible. That alone will solve a lot of bigman troubles.

Agreed. Tiago in starting 5 is exciting. Assuming 60 for Tim and Tiago, I think Diaw (at least 24), Jackson and Bonner (combined 12 PF minutes) can easily share the remaining 36 minutes.

[racm]

Pop rewarding Tiago's breakout with minutes tbh

[Sean Cagney]

Welcome to the party, Pop. You're only 2 1/2 years late.

.............

[ElNono]

Welcome to the party, Pop. You're only 2 1/2 years late.

[freetiago]

Looks like the team needs to get use to less spacing out there
but its not like Diaw shoots anyway
itll be good in the long run for the playoffs though when the more athletic teams start taking D seriously and can close out better
spurs always play with a handicap in a sense that they always have to have the floor spaced
it makes penetrating easier and teams clamp down on the playoffs and getting those lanes become harder
Duncan needs to find his shot for this to work also
but in his defense the past 2 games he went against Asik and Garnett
probably the only 2 players who actually come out to defend his midrange instead of giving him all the time in the world to shoot it

[ElNono]

Looks like the team needs to get use to less spacing out there

To me that always been a sort of BS argument (don't take it personally, not directed at you). Spurs always have had fairly good perimeter shooters (even non-perimeter like Dice back when he was around) to space the floor.

Heck, Blair kinda kills the argument all on it's own since he's been starting with Timmy for a long while and always had to make a living under the rim already anyways.

Splitter also helps in other areas as well, besides defense. He can help Tim with rebounding and he's a guy that likes to run the floor. The only concern with him is staying healthy, and some games were he just doesn't bring it 100%.

[TDMVPDPOY]

pop gettin bailed after 6yrs of small testical basketball...

[td4mvp21]

Good. It's about time. There's no reason why he shouldn't be playing more considering how weak Bonner/Blair are and how inconsistent/disinterested Diaw has been this season.

[DapDaGenius]

pop gettin bailed after 6yrs of small testical basketball...

:lol :lol

[therealtruth]

Looks like the team needs to get use to less spacing out there
but its not like Diaw shoots anyway
itll be good in the long run for the playoffs though when the more athletic teams start taking D seriously and can close out better
spurs always play with a handicap in a sense that they always have to have the floor spaced
it makes penetrating easier and teams clamp down on the playoffs and getting those lanes become harder
Duncan needs to find his shot for this to work also
but in his defense the past 2 games he went against Asik and Garnett
probably the only 2 players who actually come out to defend his midrange instead of giving him all the time in the world to shoot it

It makes sense. In the playoffs that spacing disappears and you're forced to hit shots from midrange or rely on your post game. If the Spurs had been better prepared for that the past few playoffs they wouldn't have done a lot better. That's why relying on Bonner in the regular season doesn't make sense.

[Russo21]

Thank fuck Pop is finally seeing the light and recognising the tim/tiago combo can be formidable

[wildbill2u]

We had a terrific run last year of winning games without the Tim/Tiago pairing. And wound up with the best w/L record in the league.

But give credit to Pop, he's never content with how his team played yesterday. He's always about how to mix and match to get the team better, given the personnel he has and the matchups with the teams we play. And also how he has to juggle the minutes of Duncan/Ginobilli to keep from wearing them out.

[Brunodf]

We had a terrific run last year of winning games without the Tim/Tiago pairing. And wound up with the best w/L record in the league.

But give credit to Pop, he's never content with how his team played yesterday. He's always about how to mix and match to get the team better, given the personnel he has and the matchups with the teams we play. And also how he has to juggle the minutes of Duncan/Ginobilli to keep from wearing them out.

Maybe we can improve

[TDMVPDPOY]

if pop has a fkn problem with lack of real big man off the bench? spurs should fkn sign curry...he could do everything that scrub blair does but a real fkn big 7ft tall ppl would have to attempt to shoot over instead of just scoring at will on blair

[jag]

Free HIM!!!

[Manufan909]

Hallelujah!!!!!!

[Dr. John R. Brinkley]

It feels like Pop has come to this lineup as a last resort more than any epiphany. With Blair being ineffective, Bonner being one dimensional, Boris being a disappearing act and our two small ball power forwards being injured, Pop has run out of ways not to play Splitter more.

[Obstructed_View]

Splitter spreads the floor as much or more than Bonner with his ability to pass and his increased ability to draw a double team.

[smaka]

Twin freaking towers, ladies and gentlemen!

[silverblk mystix]

Only a coach with 4 rings and a hall of fame career would have thought of this. Props to Pop. This is why he is well paid and well respected. Amazing.

What a novel concept too- play your best players and if possible play your tallest players on the front line.

What a smart coach. It only took 3 years but his genius is shining through.

[KaiRMD1]

Now that Splitter has improved, I think this is a wise decision.

[SpursFan4-Life]

Splitter needs to be our starting C and Duncan/Splitter have to get used to playing with each for long stretches

[Obstructed_View]

Now that Splitter has improved, I think this is a wise decision.

Yes, that year on the bench seems to have been immensely helpful to his development...

[Paranoid Pop]

Yes, that year on the bench seems to have been immensely helpful to his development...

You don't need time on the court to practice your FTs, he even got hacked ffs... If you're going to be hacked, you better be fucking dominant... I for one don't think Tiago is the messiah tbh, but his passing is looking very improved.

[Obstructed_View]

You don't need time on the court to practice your FTs, he even got hacked ffs... If you're going to be hacked, you better be fucking dominant... I for one don't think Tiago is the messiah tbh, but his passing is looking very improved.
So it's his free throw percentage that's cost him minutes all this time? :lol

[Paranoid Pop]

So it's his free throw percentage that's cost him minutes all this time? :lol

Well pretty sure he said it was very important for his confidence, allows him not to be so soft/scared close to the rim... But imo what cost him is that he's a great back up center and not quite as good as a starting PF.

[UZER]

Only a coach with 4 rings and a hall of fame career would have thought of this. Props to Pop. This is why he is well paid and well respected. Amazing.What a novel concept too- play your best players and if possible play your tallest players on the front line.What a smart coach. It only took 3 years but his genius is shining through.True dat....pop is a stubborn stubborn man. Even is he's wrong he's not gonna make the change until he says its time just so you don't think you influenced his decision.

[DAF86]

:cry It's happening :cry

Please pretty please Tiago don't get injured or do anything stupid to fuck this up.

[silverblk mystix]

:cry It's happening :cry

Please pretty please Tiago don't get injured or do anything stupid to fuck this up.

You just jinxed the 2012-13 season. Thanks!

[DAF86]

You just jinxed the 2012-13 season. Thanks!

People on ST have trouble grasping the concept of jinxing.

It's not a jinx if I say "please don't get injured", it's a jinx if I say "he will not get injured".

Besides, somebody else said the exact same thing a couple of posts above. :lol

[freetiago]

splitter actually had one of the best free throw rates in the nba last year and hit his free throws at a 70% rate
which is on par with duncans career average tbh

popovich just refused to play him until no options were available like game 5 memphis where he proceeds to shit on pop and put up a double double

the hack a splitter was more of an outlier since hes been a solid free throw shooter throughout his career
probably had more to do with the wrist injury he got during the jazz series

[ChumpDumper]

lol spurfan

[DAF86]

lol spurfan

What?

[ChumpDumper]

It's just fun to watch them go.

[silverblk mystix]

It's just fun to watch them go.



You defended Pop and his Splitter handling but now you conveniently avoid the topic...lol indeed. Just admit I was right -- YEARS AGO.

[DPG21920]

You defended Pop and his Splitter handling but now you conveniently avoid the topic...lol indeed. Just admit I was right -- YEARS AGO.

Pop should have given Tiago more minutes, but it's hard to say any one was right because of the injuries Tiago suffered and because of his inconsistent play. He's damn good though and the only thing that I remember Chump say about Tiago that I don't agree with is this:


Oh, your last check was 2011? When he played more minutes than Bonner in only one game?

Obstructed indeed.

Tiago is overrated. I did it too. Might as well admit it.

[silverblk mystix]

Pop should have given Tiago more minutes, but it's hard to say any one was right because of the injuries Tiago suffered and because of his inconsistent play. He's damn good though and the only thing that I remember Chump say about Tiago that I don't agree with is this:

lol overrated...

Just more Pop defending per par.

[ChumpDumper]

Pop should have given Tiago more minutes, but it's hard to say any one was right because of the injuries Tiago suffered and because of his inconsistent play. He's damn good though and the only thing that I remember Chump say about Tiago that I don't agree with is this:I certainly overrated him.

lol SBM ankle biting per par.

[silverblk mystix]

I certainly overrated him.

lol SBM ankle biting per par.

How is your defense of Pop overplaying Bonner going?


:lmao

[DPG21920]

I certainly overrated him.

lol SBM ankle biting per par.

I mean, I don't really remember what you said you thought he would be/was, but right now he's shown the ability to be a damn near All-Star level player (albeit not over a long amount of time to date). It's hard to say that you could overrate a guy playing at that level when on the court.

[ChumpDumper]

How is your defense of Pop overplaying Bonner going?


:lmaoI said he overplayed him.


I mean, I don't really remember what you said you thought he would be/was, but right now he's shown the ability to be a damn near All-Star level player (albeit not over a long amount of time to date). It's hard to say that you could overrate a guy playing at that level when on the court.I don't know about "damn near" anything -- especially since he's inconsistent. We'll see.

[DPG21920]

I said he overplayed him.

I don't know about "damn near" anything -- especially since he's inconsistent. We'll see.

By most major statistics (especially per minute/advanced) he's right there with All Star Center level production and it's not just offensively. He's definitely been inconsistent, but as of late he's getting more and more consistent. I agree, there is a difference in actual consistent all star play and flashes, but for a guy that gets the minutes he gets he is doing pretty well.

[ChumpDumper]

By most major statistics (especially per minute/advanced) he's right there with All Star Center level production and it's not just offensively. He's definitely been inconsistent, but as of late he's getting more and more consistent. I agree, there is a difference in actual consistent all star play and flashes, but for a guy that gets the minutes he gets he is doing pretty well.I don't disagree.

[Paranoid Pop]

He's a great back up center, maybe the best coming off the bench in the league. But he's not great for a starter. I haven't forgotten what a 100 years old Rasheed did to him...

Bottom line, he's fine both at PF and Center, I think the deciding factor is who the spurs plan on bringing in (by trade or free agency). If they it's easier to get a back up center than a starting PF, Tiago starting might be the best solution when we play big... I think Boris scrubing epicly has a big part in this move, they at least question if he's fit to start so they have to find a solution.

[outmap]

OT: I have to say, Bonner is the best fifth big in the NBA. As long as Pop limits his minutes, I'd rather they trade Blair for a legit big.

[200 miles]

OT: I have to say, Bonner is the best fifth big in the NBA. As long as Pop limits his minutes, I'd rather they trade Blair for a legit big.

Yeah, like every other team is lining up to give us "a legit big" for the much sought-after Blair.

[ploto]

I think this has more to do with Diaw not playing well than with Pop seeing any light.

[TDMVPDPOY]

dont need legit big, as long fkn 7ft tall is all it matters....

[SA210]

twin towers baby!

Should have always stayed that way, Spurs would have a few more titles

[Manufan909]

I think this has more to do with Diaw not playing well than with Pop seeing any light.
qft, sadly.

[Fireball]

I think this has more to do with Diaw not playing well than with Pop seeing any light.

Agree with this ... Splitter showed the last 10 games that he competes every night ... and I just do not think Diaw has a switch come playoff time ... he seems bored and uninterested like a child that came used to his toys ... with the Spurs this toy is called "winning"

[007nites]

Does this mean that Timmy is back to PF?

[Johnny RIngo]

and I just do not think Diaw has a switch come playoff time ... he seems bored and uninterested like a child that came used to his toys ... with the Spurs this toy is called "winning"

He's been like that his whole career though. Any Suns fans will tell you this. Spurs knew what they were getting into when they resigned him.

[spurraider21]

Tbh, Splitter should play ~30 MPG whenever possible. That alone will solve a lot of bigman troubles.
Yes. I've always wondered if he has had some sort of serious conditioning issue. His offensive efficiency is nuts, his defense has been much improved, and he's not particularly finding himself in foul trouble, and yet he is playing under 20 minutes a game. He got 28 minutes against Boston and it worked out just fine. Unless Blair's game reverts to 2010 form, he should be getting the DNP's. Bonner is rebounding better than Blair at this point

[dunkman]

Does this mean that Timmy is back to PF?

On offense yes, since Splitter doesn't have any range. On defense, Timmy will be center since he lacks mobility.

[Horse]

Finally, Tiago has been great and he moves as good as any big man I've ever seen without the ball.

[will_spurs]

I don't really see the issue with having a 3 big rotation. That's 32 minutes each, actually a bit less since Bonner is always going to get 10 minutes no matter what. Right now Diaw is horrid but since he doesn't seem to be injured I'd say this is just a phase. Many of the Spurs problems with bigs are self-inflicted by artificially limiting Splitter to 18-20 minutes, which means 10+ minutes for a scrub.

The 2 issues with such a short rotation are a) foul trouble, in which case Pop can still unleash Blair, who tends to seize the opportunities he gets and b) injuries, for which there's no right answer anyway.

Sometimes I have the impression that Pop treats Splitter as if he was as old as Duncan. There's some sense to limiting minutes after age 30, but before that just ride the players ffs. Or is there something in the air or the water in San Antonio that makes players less resilient. A lot of players average 35+ mpg this season (41 of them, in fact, and none of them Spurs).