Does anyone get the sense that Pop is still underutilizing Splitter?

[200 miles]

For starters, he played only 28 minutes last night against one of the smallest teams in the league. He could have had seven and a half more (most of it minutes in crunch time), but Pop elected to give those precious minutes to his red headed darling. Also why is it that in almost every game, Splitter by far has the least amount of FG attempts? Throughout this season, I've seen countless plays where his teammates go out of their way and not pass him the ball, even last night's game where his teammates don't give him the ball even when he's wide open. Because of this, I see Tiago's offensive production decline stemming from a loss of self-confidence. I know it is Pop's intent to have Splitter as mainly a rim protector and offensive garbageman. But he's more than a rim protector as we have seen him perform decently well on the perimeter and we have also seen him create his own shots with his hook shots and up-and-unders although it isn't pretty, but het it works. When he does play with confidence, you'll get Splitter's last performance against the Thunder.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: for the Spurs to carry any semblance of a puncher's chance against the Heat in the Finals, Tiago needs to be more involved on two levels, which is Splitter and Leonard need to have as big a role as the Big 3 and Splitter and Duncan have to set the tone as the initial go-to guys in order to dictate the tempo and play a Bulls-style physical and grind-it-out game. In June, Splitter will need to play 35+ minutes. Pop needs to integrate Tiago more in his offensive schemes with the likely chance that Parker will be severely neutralized by bigger defenders and the 50/50 that Manu might come through in the clutch.

Pop needs to have Tiago Bonnerized.

Finley-ized.

[rmt]

Don't see why Splitter can't play as many minutes as TD - if only so that we never see the red-headed choker set foot on the court in the playoffs.

[Brunodf]

Yes

[TrainOfThought5]

Splitter, Kawhi, and Cojo.

[polandprzem]

Me
I
do
not

problem?

[superbigtime]

Splitter needs to play more. It's too obvious.

[biskvito]

I think the players don't trust Splitter that much on offense, with all those blocked attempts and weird hooks. Specially Parker seem to only pass to him if it's a really easy bucket.

[spurraider21]

After seeing what he did in the OKC game, where he was actually scoring routinely on post-ups and not exclusively on pick and rolls (something he's received plenty of criticism here for, from others and myself), I'm shocked they haven't really gone back to that too much. Especially against a smaller Miami team. If we are going to play twin towers, we may as well use them. Also, I hate to say it, but Blair could have been useful yesterday. Without Bron and Wade, its not like Miami was attacking the hoop with regularity, and they don't exactly have a big center that would abuse him. In minutes that Bosh was out, Blair would have been a good fit.

This is what a lot of people on this forum are saying about Blair. Shouldn't be a regular in the rotation, but there are definitely spots where he could be useful. This scenario was one of them. If Tim can play 35 minutes, why does Tiago only play 28. And if Bonner played 8 minutes, why couldn't Blair get any run?

[TheGoldStandard]

Come on what would you rather have a high percentage shot with Tiago in the low block or Tony Parker jacking up 3's? Yeah Pop went with Tony taking 3's. I have a very bad feeling that we'll offer him a decent amount and someone will probably overpay but we'll see a huge offensive upswing if he goes to another team.

[Fabbs]

For starters, he played only 28 minutes last night against one of the smallest teams in the league. He could have had seven and a half more (most of it minutes in crunch time), but Pop elected to give those precious minutes to his red headed darling. Also why is it that in almost every game, Splitter by far has the least amount of FG attempts?
I didn't write them down but yes, absolutely.
Looking at his 10 shots or more per game over his career, while there have not been a lot there is certainly enough for a sample size....
He's kicked ass percentage wise.

One of the best pic and roll finishing bigs. Gets along great with TP and Manu.

[200 miles]

I didn't write them down but yes, absolutely.
Looking at his 10 shots or more per game over his career, while there have not been a lot there is certainly enough for a sample size....
He's kicked ass percentage wise.

One of the best pic and roll finishing bigs. Gets along great with TP and Manu.

Just out of curiosity, when's the next Pollyanna Poppers meeting? ;)

[Fabbs]

Just out of curiosity, when's the next Pollyanna Poppers meeting? ;)
With the combo of the playoffs approaching, seeding on the line, the big seeding game vs Miami yesterday with Poop going to BonBon in cruch time......

It's got to be soon!

[Spurs9]

Kwami should be taking the last second shots.

[200 miles]

With the combo of the playoffs approaching, seeding on the line, the big seeding game vs Miami yesterday with Poop going to BonBon in cruch time......

It's got to be soon!

:tu

[jermaine]

Yes an Tiago feels the same. Its clear he feels he's being under used. Im not a Tiago fan, but he's better than Bonner. An a Bonner to scared to pull the trigger on someone closing out on him.

[TheGoldStandard]

Tiago just needs to go to the D League to learn the system more.

[therealtruth]

Everyone forgot Splitter's 21 and 10 against OKC's frontline, one of the best defensive frontlines in the league.

[TheGoldStandard]

I think Tiago forgot

[BackHome]

He needs touches they need to go inside and then out. He should be getting a double/double almost every other game if Pop new what he was cuking doing.

[superjames1992]

He needs touches they need to go inside and then out. He should be getting a double/double almost every other game if Pop new what he was cuking doing.
Yeah, Pop has no idea what he's doing. That's why he has four rings.

[ThaBigFundamental21]

You could give him 35 minutes a game. Not sure it matters. Right now Splitter is soft and I don't care what anyone says. Sure he has his moments. But I was so pissed at him in that Nuggets game for long stretches. He was tenative when it came to grabbing boards. And he was afraid to play D. He rarely kept his head up when the Nuggets would shoot in the paint and wouldn't even be looking towards the action. He needs to be more assertive. I think Pop knows this and is bringing him along on this one. I do think he will play 35 minutes easy in the playoffs. Give Pop the benefit of the doubt on this one.

[benefactor]

Splitter has to play 30+ mpg for the Spurs to be taken seriously in the playoffs.

[freetiago]

tonights benching in favor of Bonner in the closing minutes indicate something

[SenorSpur]

Splitter could stand to be more aggressive. He tends to go soft - especially against athletic bigs.

[timtonymanu]

tonights benching in favor of Bonner in the closing minutes indicate something

I'm pretty sure getting your 6th foul means you can't play anymore. ?

[therealtruth]

Yeah, Pop has no idea what he's doing. That's why he has four rings.

That doesn't mean that much. He pretty much rode TD's coattails.

[KaiRMD1]

I remember early on in the season, Splitter was shitting on the knicks in that first game and then Pop took him out. Yeah, it's like that.

[superjames1992]

That doesn't mean that much. He pretty much rode TD's coattails.
LOL, if you say so.

[freetiago]

just wait in 3 years when Spo has 3 rings
people will be saying hes an all time great
Doc Rivers getting a gift after almost being ran out of town wins a title and hes suddenly the highest paid coach in the league
Thibs has been proven to be the real mastermind behind the Celtics though and Docs team has fallen off once KG/Pierce slightly fell off

[dunkman]

Pop demands quality.
Bonner makes fantastic sandwiches.

[benefactor]

I'm pretty sure getting your 6th foul means you can't play anymore. ?
rofl

[TheSkeptic]

I think so in the sense that the Spurs will need Splitter to play at least 30 minutes a game if they want a puncher's chance against the best teams. Heck, last night was a prime example of how he can give your team a lift against groups like Memphis. To make it work though I think that Splitter needs to be more involved offensively. Given around 12 shots in a game I think he'd be good for at least 6 or 7 made baskets. Also, he's way more efficient than the likes of Gary Neal and I think that should count for something in the playoffs.

If we're going to start the Twin Towers2.0 watered down version, we might as well stick to the formula. On the season our frontcourt has been way more dependable than the perimeter with TP providing pretty much all of the balance.

[jjktkk]

That doesn't mean that much. He pretty much rode TD's coattails.

No shit, really? Great coaches, great players usually go hand in hand. See Phil Jackson, Eric Spolestra, etc...

[Capt Bringdown]

Splitter may be soft, but so are many other Spurs players. We play a soft style, as does most of the league these days.
The NBA has systematically eliminated via rule changes and marketing the old-school "banger" mode of basketball since the dawn of the MJ era.

Anyway, hat's off to the OP, you nailed it. If the Spurs had any chance at all, they would have needed to work a lot more with Splitter.
I just don't think Pop is a scrappy, hustling coach anymore. He has his moments, but I think he sees himself as a master tinkerer/technician.
With our championship window all but shut, we needed more risk-taking and creativity, which is not exactly Pop's forte.
Sadly, a lot of times the "Simulator Crew" moniker is spot on.

[jjktkk]

Splitter may be soft, but so are many other Spurs players. We play a soft style, as does most of the league these days.
The NBA has systematically eliminated via rule changes and marketing the old-school "banger" mode of basketball since the dawn of the MJ era.

Anyway, hat's off to the OP, you nailed it. If the Spurs had any chance at all, they would have needed to work a lot more with Splitter.
I just don't think Pop is a scrappy, hustling coach anymore. He has his moments, but I think he sees himself as a master tinkerer/technician.
With our championship window all but shut, we needed more risk-taking and creativity, which is not exactly Pop's forte.
Sadly, a lot of times the "Simulator Crew" moniker is spot on.

How is that, the NBA, league wide, think the Spurs have a great system, but you want it to be more "risk-taking"? You yourself said the championship window is "all but shut", so giving this current roster, what specific changes do you want to see?

[biskvito]

well Splitter was going for the rebound at Memphis and the refs decided he didn't had enough credit, he got killed by the refs... it's a league of castes*, you need a license to play outside of your habitat

[TJastal]

Tiago just needs to go to the D League to learn the system more.

:lmao

[hater]

:lmao you mofos do remember we rolled with guys like Elson, Oberto right?

Splitter is so much fucking better, one of the few bright spots in the entire season