View Full Version : Y'all think Pop goes back to using the Splitter/Duncan pairing next year?
SpursFan86
06-17-2014, 01:43 AM
So against OKC and Miami, we were basically 5-0 combined when Bonner/Diaw started and Pop didn't put Splitter/Duncan out on the court together. I honestly think the Parker/Green/Leonard/Diaw/Duncan lineup is best against the majority of teams, not just OKC or Miami. When Diaw is playing aggressively, he makes our offense practically unstoppable. I can't help but think Pop knew how effective that lineup was, but just didn't use it too much in order to preserve some strategy for the playoffs.
Will Pop go back to the Splitter/Duncan pairing next year during the regular season?
I know it's early to be talking about strategy for next season already, but I thought about it and it made me curious :lol
DAF86
06-17-2014, 01:48 AM
Playing only one of Duncan and Splitter alongside a "stretch 4" makes the most sense but I can see Pop going back with Tim and Tiago starting. In the regular season it won't matter much.
Pairing makes sense against most teams other than Heat and Thunder. Splitter did wonders on Aldridge and Dirk, and likewise would do the same against the Clippers, Grizzlies and others. Houston and GS maybe less so, but either way it doesn't matter much in the regular season.
If only Splitter had ANY range outside of the paint...
Mugen
06-17-2014, 02:01 AM
Yes. It lessens the defensive load that Duncan has to carry over the course of a season as Tiago is an elite defensive big tbh.
I'm hoping Splitter adds a jumper to his game over the summer. For spacing purposes and my personal enjoyment tbh.
Chinook
06-17-2014, 02:03 AM
He doesn't have another option. Diaw is a bench player at heart. If the Spurs can swing a deal for Young or Ilyasova, then that'd be for the best.
That's not the real question, he may or he may not but they have trade Tiago for sure...
Playing only one of Duncan and Splitter alongside a "stretch 4" makes the most sense but I can see Pop going back with Tim and Tiago starting. In the regular season it won't matter much.
It doesn't matter as long as you have an incredible bench to make for the broken starting unit... Manu will be one year older... Beli is MIA since the All Star break, Mills may get a bigger role elsewhere...
So basically it could really matter.
T Park
06-17-2014, 06:48 AM
Playing them together won a championship. Why change.
100%duncan
06-17-2014, 06:54 AM
Yes. Just change it against OKC and Miami.
Splitter defended Dirk and LMA very well, a thing that TD couldn't do anymore in a consistent basis in a 4-7 game series.
Warlord23
06-17-2014, 06:55 AM
Splitter is the best man-to-man defender among the bigs. Timmy is the best rim protector. Against teams that have an elite offensive big and an elite guard (e.g. Dallas with Dirk/Monta, Portland with Aldridge/Lillard, Houston with Howard/Harden, etc) Tim and Tiago will work well.
Teams like OKC and Miami are best when they play small. Diaw is a must vs those teams with his combination of mobility, post play, dribbling, passing etc
SupremeGuy
06-17-2014, 07:05 AM
Yes. Just change it against OKC and Miami.
Splitter defended Dirk and LMA very well, a thing that TD couldn't do anymore in a consistent basis in a 4-7 game series.This. The only reason we had to switch to a stretch four was to guard their stretch four.
hitmantb
06-17-2014, 08:33 AM
It saves a tremendous amount of wear and tear on Duncan through a long season. I would like to see 25 minutes a game for Duncan during the regular season.
It also hides our best line-up and makes it harder for the other team to prepare for it.
Mel_13
06-17-2014, 08:44 AM
It saves a tremendous amount of wear and tear on Duncan through a long season. I would like to see 25 minutes a game for Duncan during the regular season.
It also hides our best line-up and makes it harder for the other team to prepare for it.
:tu
The Splitter haters won't accept how critical he has been in extending Duncan's expiration date and how difficult it would have been to fill that role if he had left in free agency.
DesignatedT
06-17-2014, 09:04 AM
Yeah exactly. It allows Duncan to take the easier assignment defensively throughout most of the season and lets Splitter bang a little more.
I'm interested to see what happens with Baynes as well. Guy has shown some good flashes. I think he deserves a shot at some consistent minutes.
Mark in Austin
06-17-2014, 09:50 AM
:tu
The Splitter haters won't accept how critical he has been in extending Duncan's expiration date and how difficult it would have been to fill that role if he had left in free agency.
This. With Splitter I can see Duncan playing another couple years.
Yeah exactly. It allows Duncan to take the easier assignment defensively throughout most of the season and lets Splitter bang a little more.
I'm interested to see what happens with Baynes as well. Guy has shown some good flashes. I think he deserves a shot at some consistent minutes.
Agreed. I'd like to see Baynes take the minutes that are left over from Bonner, assuming Bonner doesn't come back on the cheap.
Unless Ayres shows drastic improvement over the off-season and learns how to actually catch a damn basketball, Baynes should have first shot at that spot.
Mr. Body
06-17-2014, 10:11 AM
Splitter-Duncan works extremely well through the regular season and was instrumental through the first half of the playoffs. OKC and Miami are special cases.
I also like Diaw off the bench. The bench is well-poised with him and Ginobili to murder teams, plus Diaw in the second unit helps take some wear off Ginobili as well.
Splitter ain't going anywhere, and likely stays in the first unit, thankfully.
It actually didn't work well in the latest regular season, it's revisionist history by the Splitter lovers.
And while it might save Duncan a bit on defense his offense goes to shit and it puts pressure on Ginobili off the bench to make up for the broken starting unit...
Really it's a simple decision, he has to go, ideally you trade him for picks to ensure that you have a contender in the post Duncan era.
Mr. Body
06-17-2014, 10:20 AM
It actually didn't work well in the latest regular season, it's revisionist history by the Splitter lovers.
And while it might save Duncan a bit on defense his offense goes to shit and it puts pressure on Ginobili off the bench to make up for the broken starting unit...
Really it's a simple decision, he has to go, ideally you trade him for picks to ensure that you have a contender in the post Duncan era.
I almost think you didn't watch the Spurs at all this year.
I almost think you didn't watch the Spurs at all this year.
I did, the bench made up for the starting unit most of the season...
anakha
06-17-2014, 10:29 AM
I almost think you didn't watch the Spurs at all this year.
No, just functionally retarded.
baseline bum
06-17-2014, 10:49 AM
Yes. It lessens the defensive load that Duncan has to carry over the course of a season as Tiago is an elite defensive big tbh.
I'm hoping Splitter adds a jumper to his game over the summer. For spacing purposes and my personal enjoyment tbh.
Everything this guy said.
Unit
Min
Off
Def
+/-
W
L
Win%
Parker-Green-Leonard-Duncan-Splitter
262
1.04
.90
72
17
9
65
Parker-Green-Leonard-Diaw-Duncan
103
1.17
.88
63
16
4
80
It's clear as day that Splitter can't start anymore, sure you can get away with it in the regular season because there's more shitty teams than good teams but against the best it doesn't work at all...
You start Boris and you get some more 20 games winning streak just like when he first got here...
Also the player who is the most impacted by the starting PF is Kawhi, if you want to make Kawhi an All Star you start Boris, no question... That may be the number one reason Boris is gonna get the nod.
ducks
06-17-2014, 11:19 AM
you start splitter and duncan
not like you are going to bring Duncan off the bench
Cowboys_Wear_Spurs
06-17-2014, 11:35 AM
Yes. The Spurs were 3rd in Def. Eff. for the season with the Duncan Splitter pairing. Splitter allows Duncan to be more a roamer and play the worse of the two frontcourt players. Look no further than the Mavs and Portland series this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEZacVzwr-k
Yes. It lessens the defensive load that Duncan has to carry over the course of a season as Tiago is an elite defensive big tbh.
I'm hoping Splitter adds a jumper to his game over the summer. For spacing purposes and my personal enjoyment tbh.
Tim needs to fix his jumper too. It's the only thing that he's inconsistent with. One season he nails them, the next he bricks them. He didn't take a lot of them this year. Although he didn't have to, it would still be a nice weapon to bring out now and again.
littlecoyotecoin
06-17-2014, 02:05 PM
That's not the real question, he may or he may not but they have trade Tiago for sure...
Baam, I think you are going to be sorely disappointed this year. The stats you trotted out in this thread are great, but we are going to be getting a HEAVY dose of Tiago this year. He won't be traded, more than likely. Anything is possible, but that is sure not likely. And, he will probably be starting with Duncan, again.
In a perfect world, Duncan would be substituted out more quickly, and more often. Before Tiago is pulled. The more we see Tiago, the better. I want to see Borris and Tiago. They play great together, and eat up Tim's minutes. Remember that pass from Diaw to Tiago, behind the back? Feed Tiago.
Against lesser teams, If they keep Daye around, I could see Daye dishing to Tiago in a similar manner. Daye has some passing skills playing the stretch 4.
Mugen was thinking the same thing I was thinking, too. If Tiago could develop a decent 18ft jumpshot in the off-season, (and from work on it in the past), he could spot up where Tim has always shot from...free throw line elbow. That is the only shot he needs, then Baynes could play the 5 and Tiago could step out a little. This is probably not a likely scenario, but would be a dream situation for getting Baynes some playing time and eating up some of Timmy's minutes.
Then, we have the Bonner, if he stays, stretch 4 option with Tiago at the 5. I hope to see this a lot in the regular season.
If we can let go of Ayres, we will have two roster spots. I wouldn't even begin to fathom who we could bring in, but just given what we've got, the above is what I would like to see. If we can bring in someone else that can play with Splitter, give me lots of that, too.
Playing as poorly as you believe we did with Tiago this year, we only managed to have 62 wins and the best record overall in the league, while getting Tim quite a bit of rest. But, it wasn't ENOUGH rest, in my opinion. He needs even more. There were a few games where I wish he didn't play as many minutes, and there were a few games where maybe he could have gotten a "did not play - coach's decision".
Boris is a demi-god. Splitter doesn't have his skill-set, but that doesn't make Splitter expendable. And, everyone knows that putting Boris in the starting line-up was great for The Spurs. Pop did not just figure that out during the playoffs. He has knows this all year, and yet he still played Splitter. Not because Pop's dumb or stubborn, but by design. Splitter matches up better against some teams than others, and when he does he needs to get heavy burn.
I am sure that if some trade with a fit better than Tiago falls in their lap, they'll move him. However, if you posit your trade options to this thread, I am sure that they will all get nixed for salaray cap reasons, chemistry/skill issues, unwillingness of the other party in the trade (to trade to competition), etc. Finding 7ft guys that fit your system don't just walk into your gym every day.
And, Belinelli, hopefully, can pick up his game a bit and do the same for Manu what Tiago will do for Tim. How about Tim and Manu 15-25 minutes a game instead of 25-30?
Johnny RIngo
06-17-2014, 02:15 PM
Trading Tiago would be stupid at this point considering he keeps getting better every season. Looked great in the playoffs. Pretty good contract too(declining scale). Only problem is spacing with him and Duncan starting together. One or the other has to have a reliable jumper. Duncan did last year - no idea what happened to it.
DrSteffo
06-17-2014, 02:15 PM
LOL I put Baam on ignore ages ago.....just ignore the trolls from other teams and life will be easier.
littlecoyotecoin
06-17-2014, 02:19 PM
Trading Tiago would be stupid at this point considering he keeps getting better every season. Looked great in the playoffs. Pretty good contract too(declining scale). Only problem is spacing with him and Duncan starting together. One or the other has to have a reliable jumper. Duncan did last year - no idea what happened to it.
Yes. Someone else mentioned Tim's jumper, too. When he is hitting that elbow jumper, we're hard to beat. Hopefully, he can get that back on track this next year. Get some air underneath it, again.
littlecoyotecoin
06-17-2014, 02:27 PM
LOL I put Baam on ignore ages ago.....just ignore the trolls from other teams and life will be easier.
I seem to remember him having a couple of good opinions, in the past. He's wrong about this, but he ain't hurtin' me otherwise. I'll leave him off ignore. My life is already too easy. I'm getting fat. :toast
Malik Hairston
06-17-2014, 02:27 PM
The only problem I have with Splitter is that the Duncan-Splitter duo severely limits Leonard's offensive game..the driving lanes open up when Diaw is playing with Kawhi, as we saw all year..
It's not necessarily Splitter's fault, as Duncan's broken jump shot played a part, too, but Duncan isn't going to get benched, obviously..
DrSteffo
06-17-2014, 02:35 PM
I seem to remember him having a couple of good opinions, in the past. He's wrong about this, but he ain't hurtin' me otherwise. I'll leave him off ignore. My life is already too easy. I'm getting fat. :toast
Cheers! Trolls are like mosquitos sometimes they are ok sometimes you want to get rid of them.
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