Splitter Doubtful for Game 1; Diaw is Looking Good

[buttsR4rebounding]

By Mike Monroe, Staff Writer

Tiago Splitter, the Spurs’ starting center in 55 of the final 56 regular-season games and the first three games of their first-round playoff series against the Lakers

He isn’t expected to practice before Monday’s Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Golden State Warriors, according to coach Gregg Popovich.

Still recovering from a sprained left ankle suffered in a Game 3 victory over the Lakers on April 26, the team’s second-leading rebounder (6.4 per game) during the regular season is doubtful to suit up for Game 1.

After expressing pessimism that Splitter would be able to practice before Monday, Popovich assessed what the big man’s absence might mean for his team against a Warriors front line anchored by 7-foot center Andrew Bogut, who had 21 rebounds in Golden State’s series-clinching victory over Denver on Thursday.

“Well, everybody would like to have a full rotation,” he said. “It looks like (Warriors forward) David Lee is getting ready to play and I’m sure they’re happy about that. The more the merrier.”

Popovich said Spurs forward-center Boris Diaw looked good in Thursday’s practice but stopped short of declaring him available for Monday’s game.

“We’ll see,” he said Friday. “I haven’t talked to him today. We’ll see. He looks good."

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2013/05/03/spurs-splitter-doubtful-for-game-1-diaw-close/

[Stabula]

Splitter needs to grow a nutsack

[thispego]

:rolleyes

[Raven]

no need to rush them on the court.

[hooperflash]

Plays soft, for the most part, and he recovers slowly? Mm mm mmmm. :td

[dylankerouac]

Is Lee coming back? I thought he was done.

He did have that token appearance last game iirc.

[slick'81]

Their front line looks a lot better with splitter and diaw out

[emanueldavidginobili]

Is Lee coming back? I thought he was done.

He did have that token appearance last game iirc.
Yeah he said he should be ready to go for this series. Its crazy though Game 1 they said he was out for the entire playoffs..

[smaka]

Splitter is such a puss... *sigh*

[dylankerouac]

Yeah he said he should be ready to go for this series. Its crazy though Game 1 they said he was out for the entire playoffs..

Thanks.

[Poolboy5623]

Christ, you'd think tiago broke his leg? ...going to need size at the rim at all times, or the gs guards are going to have a field day, like they usually do, going to the hoop...hopefully pop starts aron and puts him on bogut, to start the game..anyways..

[EricB]

Fucking splitter.....

[Namundy]

You ever sprain your ankle playing ball? It's more of a mental thing to overcome. Shit is not fun to turn around in a week and play on.

[EricB]

You ever sprain your ankle playing ball? It's more of a mental thing to overcome. Shit is not fun to turn around in a week and play on.


Give me 3 million bucks, ill turn around real quick.

[Namundy]

Give me 3 million bucks, ill turn around real quick.

You probably call out at work with a common cold. This dude has to bang with 7 foot professional athletes. He was healthy all season and you could tell he was pissed when he rolled it.

[Spurs da champs]

Give me 3 million bucks, ill turn around real quick.

Not too mention it's the damn playoffs!

[Chinook]

I imagine we'll see some Baynes, even though the Spurs could probably get away with their other four bigs. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the Spurs are now strongly considering lowering their magic contract number for Splitter. They still want to keep him, but they probably won't be willing to pay as much as they would've been before. If Splitter doesn't come back and play well, Baynes gets minutes and plays well and/or the Spurs draft another big in June, that number will only drop further.

[hater]

Lmao all these fat asses here calling Splitter a pussy. Fat bastards can barely make it to the toilet :lol

[Anonymous Cowherd]

That would be a mistake imho. Splitter has proven he can be legit, and ultimately having 2 7-footers can only be a good thing. The presence of Baynes should not have an impact on Splitter's value to us.

[KenziE]

Lmao all these fat asses here calling Splitter a pussy. Fat bastards can barely make it to the toilet :lol


This


Talk is cheap acting like they can survive a whole NBA season let alone make the team .

Get well soon Tiago

[Namundy]

Lmao all these fat asses here calling Splitter a pussy. Fat bastards can barely make it to the toilet :lol

Same dudes who call ticky tack fouls in pick up games.

[EVAY]

JEEZ LOUISE fellas, do you all remember how furious people on this forum were last season and playoffs because Pop didn't play Splitter enough?

Now everybody is throwing him under the bus because he sprained his ankle in the first round of the playoffs. He will be back at some point in this series, and we would do well to remember that it took Tim and Tony several games to get their rhythm back after injury. It will likely be the same for Splitter.

[Bruno]

Pop has a lot of coaching gears for the playoffs and right now he is in the first one where he keeps a deep rotation, limit minutes for fragile players (like Manu against Lakers) and take his time with injured players.

This way of coaching has edges like preserving the team but it has drawbacks that it might coast Spurs a game because Pop made the obvious adjustments. I would hate to see Spurs losing game 1 or 2 because Pop is too cautious with Splitter. If Spurs don't go to Oakland with a 2-0 lead, this series could become a true headache for them.

Please, Pop, don't be cocky and play Splitter in game 1 even if he isn't at 100%.

[DesignatedT]

If Splitter says he can't go then he can't go.

Show me a link stating that Tiago says he's good to go and Pop is resting him regardless.

[palangi]

Huh? I thought golden state guards were more shooters than drivers? thompson and curry like the 3. barnes can drive but also prefers the jump shot. jack is a mid range guy. I don't see where your criticism or worry comes from.


Christ, you'd think tiago broke his leg? ...going to need size at the rim at all times, or the gs guards are going to have a field day, like they usually do, going to the hoop...hopefully pop starts aron and puts him on bogut, to start the game..anyways..

[dbreiden83080]

If Splitter says he can't go then he can't go.

Show me a link stating that Tiago says he's good to go and Pop is resting him regardless.

Suck it the hell up. He tweaked his ankle and was supposed to be out 7-10 days. He's had 8 days off come Monday.. Tape it up and get out there.. David Lee is hurt far worse and he is trying..

[pad300]

Since when does anyone trust Pop about who will be in the lineup 3 day before a playoff game? It is POP...

[ace3g]

Joe Alexander @JoeAlexander210
(http://twitter.com/JoeAlexander210)Spurs notebook: Tim Duncan misses practice with stomach bug - by Jeff McDonaldblog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/20… (http://t.co/QM97gff5ty)

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2013/05/04/spurs-duncan-misses-practice-with-stomach-bug/

[siraulo23]

hopefully it doesnt slow him down for a game

[Whisky Dog]

Damn please tell me that's exaggerated for gamesmanship. We don't need a weakened TD

[Sean Cagney]

Damn please tell me that's exaggerated for gamesmanship. We don't need a weakened TD

With our luck that stomach bug will turn into something worse and he sucks game one! I MEAN MY GOD that will be what it is. We will drop game one because of some crap like that.

[playbonner15]

No worries, time for Bonner/Baynes combo :toast

[John B]

CIA Pops . Will see Splitter eventually. No need to rush. GSW frontcourt is not the biggest. I doubt DLee will be effective. Not overlooking GSW but we need Splitter healthy against Memphis or OKC.

[Old School 44]

Yeah he said he should be ready to go for this series. Its crazy though Game 1 they said he was out for the entire playoffs..
I welcome Lee back. I think he'd be foolish to REALLY play. While I commend his emotional lift he gave his team at home by suiting up, I think he would hurt his team if he plays significant minutes against the Spurs.

Although it would be nice to have Splitter (and everyone) completely healthy, I don't think he's needed for this series. I'd keep him out completely, and save him for the next series....and I'm confident there will be a next series.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Any of you Splitter-haters ever played NBA basketball on an improperly healed ankle? STFU then because you don't know what you're talking about.

What if he's not ready, Pop plays him, and he re-injures it and is out a lot longer? I'll trust the coach who's been leading the most consistent franchise of the past 15 years, and the player himself, to decide when he plays.

[Embedded]

I think it might be very foolish to let David Lee play. His appearance in the Denver series was really just inspirational, he played like 1 minute? And the theatrics of how he entered the game proved to me that it was theatrics. Coach Mark Jackson played for the Knicks for 5-6 seasons, surrounded by the legend of Willis Reed's return from a returned for the Finals game 7 dragging his right leg damaged by a muscle tear to a world championship on May 8, 1970, the same day his daughter was born - most don't know that last part - and understands the value of inspiring his players.

[Seventyniner]

I think it might be very foolish to let David Lee play. His appearance in the Denver series was really just inspirational, he played like 1 minute? And the theatrics of how he entered the game proved to me that it was theatrics. Coach Mark Jackson played for the Knicks for 5-6 seasons, surrounded by the legend of Willis Reed's return from a returned for the Finals game 7 dragging his right leg damaged by a muscle tear to a world championship on May 8, 1970, the same day his daughter was born - most don't know that last part - and understands the value of inspiring his players.

Good point. I highly doubt Lee plays either of the first two games because they're road games, no home crowd to jazz up. Also, bringing Lee in for game 3 could work, but Jackson has already played that card once.

[EVAY]

That stomach bug that TD has is of some concern in that it just about killed the Chicago Bulls. Unlike Thibadeaux, Pop is not going to play team members who are throwing up on the side of the court like Robinson was in that game. Pop will keep his players out, and we have to hope it doesn't start going through the team.

[exstatic]

That stomach bug that TD has is of some concern in that it just about killed the Chicago Bulls. Unlike Thibadeaux, Pop is not going to play team members who are throwing up on the side of the court like Robinson was in that game. Pop will keep his players out, and we have to hope it doesn't start going through the team.

That's why Pop sent him home. You can bet they have protocols for when this stuff happens. Minimum contact. Maximum hand washing.

[The Whopper]

Stomach bugs suck but they are usually over quickly. No problem bouncing back in 48 hours.

[Fabbs]

Suck it the hell up. He tweaked his ankle and was supposed to be out 7-10 days. He's had 8 days off come Monday.. Tape it up and get out there.. David Lee is hurt far worse and he is trying..
And Lee made virtually no impact.
This isn't the drama awards for some tough guy stuff.
Ankle sprains have grades, pretty simple.
If Splitters ankle is not healed, no amount of machismo is going to miraculously cure it.

Yes we had Isiah Thomas putting on one of the all time nutty perfomances in beating, i mean getting reffed out vs the Lakers in the Finals.
This isn't the finals. One more game out should not be make-it-or-break-it vs Golden State.

[rascal]

With our luck that stomach bug will turn into something worse and he sucks game one! I MEAN MY GOD that will be what it is. We will drop game one because of some crap like that.

^The Spurs have been very lucky this year with the matchups.

[Splits]

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2494241/Leia_Tiago.JPG

[sexinthatsx]

Anyone who thinks Tiago should suck it up and play need to seriously use their brain a tad bit more. The Spurs are facing the Warriors, who are a run and gun team, where Andrew Bogut was irrelevant for the whole season and had 1 big game the entire playoffs. Why risk re-injuring Tiago's ankle sprain against a team like Golden State? I'm not overlooking Golden State as a team we will beat for sure, but the priority obviously is in their guards and NOT the match up with Andrew Bogut

[sexinthatsx]

Also, whoever said David Lee is playing through a torn hip flexor is because the Warriors can't afford for him not to play. If we have Aron Baynes and possibly Diaw coming back, why is it a must to play Splitter?

[Robz4000]

Saw on facebook Diaw is going to play tomorrow night and Splitter was upgraded from Doubtful to Game-Time Decision. IMO he's going to play.

[dbreiden83080]

And Lee made virtually no impact.
This isn't the drama awards for some tough guy stuff.
Ankle sprains have grades, pretty simple.
If Splitters ankle is not healed, no amount of machismo is going to miraculously cure it.

Yes we had Isiah Thomas putting on one of the all time nutty perfomances in beating, i mean getting reffed out vs the Lakers in the Finals.
This isn't the finals. One more game out should not be make-it-or-break-it vs Golden State.

Lee is hurt far worse and wants to give it a go.. Tony is all beat up and playing, same with Manu, Tim has his knee in a Robocop like device. I repeat Suck it up...

[racm]

That's why Pop sent him home. You can bet they have protocols for when this stuff happens. Minimum contact. Maximum hand washing.

Remember that early season West Coast road trip where everyone save Timmy went down with the flu or something?

[Fireball]

Hope Timmy is fine and has enough strength in his body to play 35 minutes ...

[100%duncan]

CIA Pops . Will see Splitter eventually. No need to rush. GSW frontcourt is not the biggest. I doubt DLee will be effective. Not overlooking GSW but we need Splitter healthy against Memphis or OKC.

Agreed.

[Mel_13]

Diaw probable for game 1; Splitter a game time decision.

Tim Duncan's flu-like symptoms have passed, so to speak; he's fine for Game 1

https://twitter.com/Monroe_SA

[bklynspursfan]

Marcus Thompson ‏@gswscribe (https://twitter.com/gswscribe)52s (https://twitter.com/gswscribe/status/331450450693984257)
Was told Tiago Splitter will start for Spurs in Game 1. Mark Jackson said he wouldn't go small unless Spurs did. Expect Carl Landry to start

[Mugen]

I'd have been disappointed in Tiago if he didn't play in this game and I'm prob the biggest Splitter homer on the board. I think a lot of the uncertainty leading up to tonight was CIA Pop or at least I hope so.

People underestimate his value even against a perimeter oriented team like the Warriors.

[said7]

Any of you Splitter-haters ever played NBA basketball on an improperly healed ankle? STFU then because you don't know what you're talking about.

What if he's not ready, Pop plays him, and he re-injures it and is out a lot longer? I'll trust the coach who's been leading the most consistent franchise of the past 15 years, and the player himself, to decide when he plays.

True that. I had a grade 3 sprain about 4 weeks ago. I can walk without crutches now but I can't even fathom playing pickup basketball this weekend.
Tony playing like shit after he came back really makes sense. Shit is not so easy.

[Fireball]

Splitter does not have to rely on healthy ankles as a Tony Parker needs to ... glad to see him coming back for Game 1

[John B]

Marcus Thompson ‏@gswscribe (https://twitter.com/gswscribe)52s (https://twitter.com/gswscribe/status/331450450693984257)Was told Tiago Splitter will start for Spurs in Game 1. Mark Jackson said he wouldn't go small unless Spurs did. Expect Carl Landry to startBut Landry is 6'9"

[look_at_g_shred]

Splitter does not have to rely on healthy ankles as a Tony Parker needs to ... glad to see him coming back for Game 1

Dat footwork.:grim:

[Fireball]

Dat footwork.:grim: you wanna compare that to the explosiveness TP needs? yeah right ...

[playblair]

no diaw needed ..............playblair ...........................

[tmtcsc]

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2494241/Leia_Tiago.JPG

:lol:toast

[Floyd Pacquiao]

you wanna compare that to the explosiveness TP needs? yeah right ...

tbh Tiago needs explosiveness as well, you cant execute a fast pick and roll on a gimpy ankle imo.

[look_at_g_shred]

you wanna compare that to the explosiveness TP needs? yeah right ...

Dude chill out I wasn't even trying to argue your point lol. I was stating that Tiago does use his ankles as well.

[pikkiwoki]

Thanks.

David Lee says there's 'zero' chance that he could play a significant role for Warriors against Spurs

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/05/05/david-lee-says-theres-zero-chance-that-he-could-play-a-significant-role-for-warriors-against-spurs/

[spurraider21]

rotoworld reports that fetus ezeli was practicing as the starting power foward today. good. anything that slows their offense down. if they try to match our bigs they're fighting a losing battle. their only hope is to pray they stay insanely hot from the outside and run run run. starting ezeli next to bogut would REALLY slow them down and we'd still have the advantage in the paint

[Fireball]

Dude chill out I wasn't even trying to argue your point lol. I was stating that Tiago does use his ankles as well.

Sorry, getting a little too excited here ... Waiting over 1 week for start of round 2 was cruel

[Johnny RIngo]

It's pretty sad that the best big to play next to TD since DRob is softer than tissue paper. Ankle sprains suck but dozens of guys play through them every year.

[Ice009]

It's pretty sad that the best big to play next to TD since DRob is softer than tissue paper. Ankle sprains suck but dozens of guys play through them every year.

I'm not happy with Splitter. It didn't even look like a sprain, more like a tweak that you only take a couple of days off for.

Spurs better not overpay for him, and he better get his ass back on the court to help his freaking teammates out.

[GrandeDavid]

Splitter needs to grow a nutsack

I have to agree with you. Soft. He better play Wednesday.