If Splitter can keep up the level of play he had in game 3...

[dallasmaverickslose]

This team can do great things. I have been critical of Tiago this season, but lets be clear, he went to work Saturday. For all the crappy things that happened in that game, Tiago sure was a bright spot. He was racking up boards, scoring very efficiently, and doing a pretty solid job defending.

This is exactly the kind of play we need from Tiago. Consistently. Helps take a bit of the pressure off of Duncan.

Also, I hope we figure out a way to contain Dalembert. Could we potentially see Pop experiment with Baynes on him?

[DesignatedT]

I agree. Splitter was fantastic in game 3.

[TheGoldStandard]

If Splitter is the solution we gotta lot of problems

[dallasmaverickslose]

If Splitter is the solution we gotta lot of problems

Did I ever say he was the solution?

[TheGoldStandard]

Did I ever say he was the solution?
No but we are grasping at straws when we are highlighting tiagos play

[timtonymanu]

Splitter's play has been fantastic. It's too bad majority of the team is struggling at the moment.

[Malik Hairston]

Splitter has been the best Spur in the series, tbh..

[dallasmaverickslose]

Splitter's play has been fantastic. It's too bad majority of the team is struggling at the moment.

Indeed. I'm particularly concerned about Diaw.

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

No but we are grasping at straws when we are highlighting tiagos play

No you're just trying to beat a dead horse with negativity. Splitter was a bright spot. Period.

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

Splitter has been the best Spur in the series, tbh..

I'd put him right there with Manu, tbh...

Turnovers yada yada... but he really has been balling. Maybe it's just a relief from last year..

[TE]

Diaw has been horrifying this series.

[dallasmaverickslose]

Diaw has been horrifying this series.

Which is a major disappointment, when you consider the energizing force he was for us mid-season.

[timtonymanu]

Which is a major disappointment, when you consider the energizing force he was for us mid-season.

He was a little more aggressive in Game 3 but yes he's still underwhelming. Then again, this is Boris Diaw we are talking about. I didnt like Diaw during his first two seasons here because he was so damn passive. He needs to pick it up and go back to Diaw 2.0.

[Raven]

splitter should play every single sec when dirk is on the floor.

[dallasmaverickslose]

He was a little more aggressive in Game 3 but yes he's still underwhelming. Then again, this is Boris Diaw we are talking about. I didnt like Diaw during his first two seasons here because he was so damn passive. He needs to pick it up and go back to Diaw 2.0.

Diaw 2.0 was a match up nightmare for the opposition, tbh.

[dallasmaverickslose]

splitter should play every single sec when dirk is on the floor.

I can't recall, but has Splitter always done a solid job defending Dirk?

[Raven]

I can't recall, but has Splitter always done a solid job defending Dirk?

i don't know but he is basically the perfect matchup for him, more like a nightmare tbh

[cd021]

I saw on Spurs nation that this is the 1st time since 01 that Dirk has had 3 straight playoff games under 20 points. If we lose this series....:bang

[Johnny RIngo]

Splitter's been very good. Unfortunately, Diaw's disappeared leaving the Spurs with only two capable bigs. This is what happens when you waste MLE money on players like Ayres - you're forced to continue playing Diaw because you have no alternative

[cjw]

Splitter's the reason Dirk has been stifled this series. If we make it to round 2, he'll be critical against LMA.

[smaka]

No but we are grasping at straws when we are highlighting tiagos play

Silly comment. If you didn't see how well Splitter played in game 3, you should stop watching basketball.

[T Park]

No but we are grasping at straws when we are highlighting tiagos play

Yeah highlighting 14 and 14 is such a reach. Fucking moron.

[T Park]

Splitter's been very good. Unfortunately, Diaw's disappeared leaving the Spurs with only two capable bigs. This is what happens when you waste MLE money on players like Ayres - you're forced to continue playing Diaw because you have no alternative


Still waiting on the big man they should've signed with the money instead. Have yet to see names only continued retardation.

[Johnny RIngo]

Have yet to see names only continued retardation.

Coming from the guy who said:


Ayers is a better bigger Malik Rose. Been saying this for a while. Really really excited about this kid. When Diaw goes back to soft offensively, I'd play him down the stretch in smaller situations. Great rebounder.

[therealtruth]

Splitter earns his money on the defensive end because of his high basketball iq. He's also a really good roller on the pick and roll and good at getting guys open shots through screens and moving the defense.

[~Sweetmelody~]

Splitter has been great but it sucks that he can't get more whistles. The guy gets hammered at times and can't get a foul.

[PingPong]

The Manu-Splitter connection wasn't that crisp tbh. I they get back the 2012 level should be good.

[MR-Clutch]

We could start by not biting on Dalambert's pump fake every time.

[jag]

Coming from the guy who said:

:lol

[dallasmaverickslose]

You can amend this title by replacing 3 with 5, tbh...

[will_spurs]

... and 5. Tiago's play during the 4th quarter was just crazy.

[dallasmaverickslose]

... and 5. Tiago's play during the 4th quarter was just crazy.

Tiago was an animal in the 4th. That might've been some of the best baskrtball I've ever seen him play, tbh.

That pick-n-roll play with Patty in the 4th was outstanding.

[will_spurs]

The crisp pass to Parker just after securing an offensive rebound off Parker's miss was also amazing (with about 7 minutes left in the 4th).

[Embedded]

Tiago Splitter has shown up HUGE. He was probably the MVP of game 5.

[BatManu20]

Tiago's been great but to to expect him to keep this up against better teams is unrealistic imo, especially against moe athletic teams like OKC and Miami, if it comes to that.

[T Park]

Coming from the guy who said:

Still waiting

[Chinook]

Still waiting on the big man they should've signed with the money instead. Have yet to see names only continued retardation.

There isn't one. The only other speculated target was Dante Cunningham, but the Wolves unexpectedly picked up his option. There really wasn't a better big the Spurs could have gotten for Ayres' money. But there were some that they could have tried to trade for or used the full MLE to acquire instead of signing Beli.

[jimbo]

Tiago's been great but to to expect him to keep this up against better teams is unrealistic imo, especially against moe athletic teams like OKC and Miami, if it comes to that.

Well this was the kind of series the Spurs got him for to avoid those 1-8 seed series losses. No one should expect him to be able to defend Lebron at the 4. He's fine against OKC if they play a bigger lineup. He can't do Durant at the 4 either.

[MI21]

There isn't one. The only other speculated target was Dante Cunningham, but the Wolves unexpectedly picked up his option. There really wasn't a better big the Spurs could have gotten for Ayres' money. But there were some that they could have tried to trade for or used the full MLE to acquire instead of signing Beli.

Would google but am on my phone, what does Jermaine O'Neal make?

[Chinook]

Would google but am on my phone, what does Jermaine O'Neal make?

He would have fit in the gap, but he would have been a pretty risky pickup given his injury history and global decline. Plus, he is a center-only big when the Spurs already had four players who could play the five and needed a mobile four. That also doesn't account for the fact that the Spurs seemed to be trying to preserve room in the MLE to be able to sign a rookie to a contract longer than two years. O'Neal's current salary ($2 Million) would not have allowed that.

[Chinook]

The best big I see for Ayres money is Antic, who's a very unique player in that he's a stretch-five. But he's a chucker and doesn't seem very mobile (or good in other aspects of defense).

[kjhip1]

Jermaine has been a very useful pickup for the Warriors this year. I like his toughness and his ability to get on the glass. However, Big Fat Baby pulled a busch league stunt and injured O'neal's right knee today. Dont know if anyone saw that tonight! The problem I have with Ayers is he cant hold on to the ball and he sucks something else on D. Ill admit some of his dunks have been nice, but the majority of the time he loses the ball going up for a dunk or he gets rim checked..Bill Simmons used to think that kid out of LSU would be so much better if he was on he Spurs...forgot his name but he spent some time on warriors and he always posted gaudy numbers in the summer league with Anthony Morrow

[Baam]

Still waiting on the big man they should've signed with the money instead. Have yet to see names only continued retardation.

Copeland signed by Indiana because they didn't want Ayres the scrub back for more than the minimum...

[spurspokesman]

You can amend this title by replacing 3 with 5, tbh...

[testies]

Splitter was instrumental against golden state and grizzlies last year... that is semi-finals and finals of conference.. I get so pissed that no one remembers this, AAUtards that only see Stats and blocked shots

[therealtruth]

Splitter was instrumental against golden state and grizzlies last year... that is semi-finals and finals of conference.. I get so pissed that no one remembers this, AAUtards that only see Stats and blocked shots

Not only that he's a good pick setter. Alot of those 3's we hit in game 3 of the Finals were because of picks he set.

[Drom John]

Jermaine O'Neal salary is $2M on the nose.