brightest future with spurs

[debo]

Who do you think will have the brightest future with the spurs
Ian, Splitter, or Williams?

[THE SIXTH MAN]

IMO Splitter.

[monkeypunk]

I say Splitter as well the other two don't seem to have much of a natural feel for the game...

[m33p0]

Tiago Splitter. He's a more accomplished player than the other two.

[tav1]

Splitter will probably be a solid member of the rotation for many years; Mahinmi could be better, but it's hard to tell based on our limited exposure; Williams looks like he doesn't belong.

[some_user86]

I say Splitter as well the other two don't seem to have much of a natural feel for the game...

I don't know how you can say that given our limited exposure to Ian (even though he's played a number of games for the Toros).

I'd say it's pretty much a tie between Splitter and Ian (given that we haven't seen anything from Splitter in the Spurs system). Williams is a no-brainer. He doesn't belong. A better question would have been, "Who has the brightest future: Ian, Splitter, or Washington?"

[exstatic]

Splitter has been playing pro ball and WC ball since he was 17. I'm not even sure Ian was playing ANY bball at 17.

[AFBlue]

Good question....

I'll go out on a limb and say Mahinmi even though Splitter is the safe pick.

I've been very impressed with Mahinmi's fluid athleticism, specifically his form on the free throw shot. It makes me think he can develop a reliable 15-18ft shot in the future.

Combine that offensive upside with his unrelenting aggressiveness and you've got a player that can be much more than a "supporting" role player, which I'm pretty sure is Splitter's upside.

Williams still might have a role on this team, but as he is the only one without a guaranteed multi-year contract, I'll say he is a less likely candidate than the other two.

For the record, I think Splitter will be the Spurs starting center and play 25-30MPG, so to say that Mahinmi will be better is quite a statement.

[timvp]

Splitter is by far the safest bet of the three. The worst he can be is a decent backup center. However, the best he can be is probably a guy who averages around 10 points and 8 boards.

Mahinmi could put up better averages ... or he could never even become good enough to be a backup center. Williams' stock is on the rise but right now he's a longshot to have a meaningful NBA career.

[RC's Boss]

Splitter. If for no other reason than his last name. After he dunks, he could say "you just got posterized by THE SPLITTER beyotch!"

[T Park]

However, the best he can be is probably a guy who averages around 10 points and 8 boards.


I have no idea why you are so down on the guy.

He could easily give 15 and 10.

Next to Duncan he is gonna get alot of rebounds.

Hell he gets good numbers of rebounds in the euro league playing with stiffs.

[Pistons < Spurs]

I'm not nearly as familiar with them as all of you are...but from the little I've seen of them, I'd easily say Splitter. IMO he's the only one of the bunch who will be a long term starter. The other 2 will at best be role playing reserves.

[AFBlue]

http://www.24sec.net/images/lib/biedrins.jpg

This is Splitter's upside right here....

For those unfamiliar, that is Andris Biedrins, the 21yr old F/C from Latvia. Currently, he is averaging 11 points and 10 rebs in 28 minutes per game. I wouldn't expect quite the rebounding prowess from Splitter (though I think it will be respectable), but he seems to have a better grasp than Biedrins offensively.

I'd put Splitter around the same for his career....probably 12PPG and 8RPG guy.

[timvp]

I have no idea why you are so down on the guy.How can I be "so down on the guy" when I said he has no chance to fail? That's pretty high praise for a late first rounder.

10 and 8 is better than the number David Robinson put up in 2003. And far better than any center the Spurs have had since then.


He could easily give 15 and 10.Easily? Do you realize how few players in the NBA average 15 and 10? There's ten players currently averaging 15 and 10 or better. Tim Duncan isn't even averaging 15 and 10 right now.

There's no way Splitter comes into the league and averages 15 and 10 next to Duncan. 15 and 10 is like David Robinson in 1999 production. 10 and 8 or maybe 12 and 8 is Splitter's ceiling. And even that isn't very likely.


Next to Duncan he is gonna get alot of rebounds.

Hell he gets good numbers of rebounds in the euro league playing with stiffs.His rebounding numbers are improved but they aren't jawdropping. A small forward such as Ersan Ilyasova and a scrub like Boniface N'Dong are averaging more rebounds per minute. Estaban Batista and Loren Woods are about equal with Splitter.

He's rebounding well but he's not like the Euro Dennis Rodman or anything. To say he could average 10 boards in the NBA is a stretch.

[T Park]

Whos he got next to him to take the pressure off on rebounds like a Duncan?

Thats all Im asking. Hes darn near surrounded by scrubs Bigs wise in Tau.


10 and 8 is better than the number David Robinson put up in 2003. And far better than any center the Spurs have had since then.


Hes also very young, and twice the talent of any center the Spurs have had since david.

Also, Hes gonna be a tad more agile than a 37 year old center with particles floating in his back dontcha think?


How can I be "so down on the guy" when I said he has no chance to fail? That's pretty high praise for a late first rounder

Oh give me a break.

this guy shouldn't have been in the "late first round" and you know it.

Splitter for a long time was thought of as a lottery pick and hes still got lottery like talent.

So yeah, I'd say your being down on a lottery level talent.

[T Park]

There's ten players currently averaging 15 and 10 or better. Tim Duncan isn't even averaging 15 and 10 right now.

Who are those 10.

Duncan hasn't even gave a crap thats why he isn't averaging 15 and 10.

So thats a weak arguement.

[Holt's Cat]

The one with the potential to have the brightest future is Mahinmi. A big with his athleticism could really develop into a special player. Getting regular playing time in a NBA-esque environment will be good for him.

[AFBlue]

There is a pretty strong correlation between Euro stats and NBA stats. In most categories the numbers dip, but Rebounding is actually one that trends upward. So if he's averaging 7RPG in Euroleague, he could probably average 8 or 9 in the NBA with similar minutes.

[T Park]

So if he's averaging 7RPG in Euroleague, he could probably average 8 or 9 in the NBA with similar minutes.

IMO, with the Spurs coaching, Duncan there to tutor and take the load, he averages 10.

I think he will average 15 due to Hes a back to the basket player, and he will get alot of 4 down plays run through him when Duncan goes out of the game. I think he could get 30 plus minutes possibly next year if he plays to his potential, and gets quite a few down low looks.

[AFBlue]

T Park, I'm not sure I get the argument for how having TD next to him will actually IMPROVE his rebounding stats. Wouldn't it actually hurt his stats to have a strong rebounder next to him?

Logically, I would think that Splitter gathers more rebounds in the Euroleague as he is one of the rare 7 footers out there that likes to mix it up inside.

However, the reason the correlation trends upward from Euroleague to NBA for rebounds is most likely the "zone" they employ and the general skill set of Euro bigs (perimeter-oriented) that takes the big man away from the basket.

You could use either logic to determine how Splitter might fare in the NBA....

But the bottom line is that he has good length, good hands, and excellent timing/anticipation.

There's no reason to think he couldn't average double-digit rebounds for a couple seasons if given extended minutes (30MPG+), but I'm not sure he could do it for his career.

[T Park]

The one with the potential to have the brightest future is Mahinmi. A big with his athleticism could really develop into a special player. Getting regular playing time in a NBA-esque environment will be good for him.

I like his potential, whether he has an NBA brain is another.

Or he may have Elson level smarts as well.

[AFBlue]

IMO, with the Spurs coaching, Duncan there to tutor and take the load, he averages 10.

I think he will average 15 due to Hes a back to the basket player, and he will get alot of 4 down plays run through him when Duncan goes out of the game. I think he could get 30 plus minutes possibly next year if he plays to his potential, and gets quite a few down low looks.

It'll be interesting to see how quickly the Spurs integrate him into the offense next year. IMO, they won't be sending him down to Austin because it probably wouldn't do much good....

But Oberto has looked SO strong as the starting Center and will probably not decline statistically because he's not relying on anything that will diminish with age.

I suppose in that regard, the Spurs are fortunate. They've got their starting center for the next 2 years at least and can afford to bring Tiago along as slowly as they need.

I agree that he could average 30MPG as the Spurs starting Center down the road, but I'm not so sure it'll be as soon as next year.

[Hemotivo]

Splitter

[AFBlue]

IMO, with the Spurs coaching, Duncan there to tutor and take the load, he averages 10.

I think he will average 15 due to Hes a back to the basket player, and he will get alot of 4 down plays run through him when Duncan goes out of the game. I think he could get 30 plus minutes possibly next year if he plays to his potential, and gets quite a few down low looks.


One more thing....

Splitter doesn't even average 15PPG in the Euroleague and that is one of those stats that trends down. He had an opportunity this year to step up and be the go-to guy, but he has been inconsistent in that role. One game he'll hang up 24pts on double-digit attempts and other times he'll be content to let the offense come to him and put up a handful (5 or so) of shots.

The question he'll have to answer is aggressiveness on offense. If he decides he wants to be the go-to guy on offense while he's with the Spurs, I think you won't be far off with 15ppg, but that's still an unanswered question.

Consequently, that question has already been answered by Mahinmi. That dude is looking to put the ball in the hole EVERY time he gets it on the low block.

[AFBlue]

I like his potential, whether he has an NBA brain is another.

Or he may have Elson level smarts as well.

Agreed. This seems to be an unanswered question thus far.

To this point, Mahinmi has been the focal point of the offense when in the game....whether in Austin or garbage time with the Spurs.

It is unclear how well he'll be able to adjust when playing next to a guy like Duncan, who will command the low block when he is in the game.

Oberto's success is entirely due to his ability to play off of the primary scorers on offense. If Mahinmi can learn to do the same, he'll be a valuable asset on the floor both with and without one of the big 3.

[timvp]

Who are those 10.Howard, Yao, Marion, Garnett, Jefferson, Boozer, Jamison, Randolph and Kaman. So actually there are nine players currently averaging 15 points and ten boards. (I counted Okafor in my original count but he doesn't average 15 points)

Of those nine, Jamison and Kaman are both artificially inflated by playing on a team that can't rebound (Jamison) and a team with no scorers (Kaman). Putting a late first round pick or even a mid lottery pick into the company of the seven other players is pretty ludicrous.

Even saying 10 and 8 is probably ludicrous seeing as such number would make him a top ten center in the NBA. With other bigs around him and the propensity for Pop to go small, Splitter's averages probably won't be much more than what Oberto is currently putting up. If he puts up better numbers than Oberto (6 points, 6.5 rebounds), Splitter would be doing great.

[T Park]

Oberto's success is due to that, as well as him prob being one of the smartest players on the team next to Horry and Duncan.

IMO Splitter won't have the luxury of "letting it come to him"
Hes gonna have pop yelling at him to be agressive, and having plays run.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

IMO they all have bright futures but if I had to pick I'd say Splitter just because he proved himself in Europe.

Mahinmi looks to be on the right track in the D-League and with the Spurs coaching staff he can become a starter maybe even next year for the Spurs IMO (too much?).

And Williams hasn't had as much time as Ian for the Spurs but so far in the D-League he's looking good. He more than likely won't be a great player but there's nothing that can show me he will never be capable of being a good role player in the NBA.

[ChumpDumper]

I say Splitter as well the other two don't seem to have much of a natural feel for the game...I actually think Marcus has a very natural feel for the game. He was just overwhelmed early trying to adapt to the Spurs system. I think that his being called up is a testament to his work ethic and tenacity. Hopefully he will apply those to overhauling his jumper soon.

[AFBlue]

I actually think Marcus has a very natural feel for the game. He was just overwhelmed early trying to adapt to the Spurs system. I think that his being called up is a testament to his work ethic and tenacity. Hopefully he will apply those to overhauling his jumper soon.

What about Ian's feel for the game at this point?

It seems he's an INCREDIBLY aggressive player at this point, but has he been able to defer in double-team situations and get the general idea of what the defense is presenting him with?

Also, how is he on defense...from a system understanding perspective?

It seems Ian has the tools (athleticism, tenacity, etc.) to succeed, but it seems what has yet to be determined is his understanding or feel for the game. What insights can you provide?

[T Park]

I actually think Marcus has a very natural feel for the game. He was just overwhelmed early trying to adapt to the Spurs system

I hope your right chump, I want to root for marcus.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

I hope your right chump, I want to root for marcus.
+1
I have a feeling I'm gonna like this guy a lot.

[ChumpDumper]

What about Ian's feel for the game at this point?

It seems he's an INCREDIBLY aggressive player at this point, but has he been able to defer in double-team situations and get the general idea of what the defense is presenting him with?He's actually becoming pretty good at recognizing double teams and trying to find the open man - though I wonder just how many of those he is going to see in the NBA. He only has one or two real post moves and one reliable shot. His face up game at this point is nonexistent. Baby steps.


Also, how is he on defense...from a system understanding perspective?Not bad really. He has really had to muzzle his instincts to jump and swat at anything that comes his way or grab at anyone that may get past him. The decrease in his foul rate is clear evidence of this. Now that he is able to stay in games, he'll be able to work more other basics like rebounding position as well as the finer points of the defense. The best thing is he seems to have completely bought into the overall helping philosophy of the system, he is definitely willing to learn and accepts that everything he learns and does is going to serve that system.


It seems Ian has the tools (athleticism, tenacity, etc.) to succeed, but it seems what has yet to be determined is his understanding or feel for the game. What insights can you provide?I don't think Ian had a natural feel for the game at all. He was really eager to do everything at once and by himself. He is greatly benefiting from having his role defined and having his game being micromanaged and built from the ground up at this point. I think the reduced pressure, greater practice time and easier competition found in the D-League is really working well for him.

[AFBlue]

Thanks for the insights Chump. I'm really glad to hear about his attitude and work ethic.

Here's hoping he continues to develop his offense and general understanding of the game.... :toast

[MoSpur]

My mind tells me Splitter, but my gut tells me Ian. I could be wrong though.

[urunobili]

Tiago will thrill

[Spurs Brazil]

10 and 8 is better than the number David Robinson put up in 2003. And far better than any center the Spurs have had since then.

If Tiago can put 10 and 8 he'll be GREAT for the Spurs