Pop lets Tiago Splitter off the hook

[timvp]

Tiago Splitter’s decision to return to his Spanish League team next season hasn’t drastically altered the Spurs’ offseason game plan, Popovich said.

Splitter, the Spurs’ top draft pick last June, signed a four-year deal with Tau Ceramica this month worth several times what the Spurs could pay him under the NBA’s rookie salary scale.

“When he agreed to come, he didn’t know they were going to offer him so much (in Spain),” Popovich said. “With the way the economy is, he would have had to be an idiot to come here next year.”

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA061908.Spurs.Ginobili.EN.18a2db19.html


Gotta give props to Pop for falling on the sword for RC. Also kept the door open for Splitter at some point in the future.

It's also a good sign that Pop seems involved in the offseason a lot more than usual. The last few summers, Pop has let RC run the ship while he disappeared to the Maine wilderness. This summer Pop has stayed in town.

Hopefully offseason magic ensues.

:hungry:

[Spur-Addict]

I'm happy that there is what seems to be a calm sense of importance right now.

[mathbzh]

A classy reaction from a classy coach

[polandprzem]

Yeah , Pop got pissed!


I found some article that I printed some time ago. It was about Splitter and his intrest in coming over to San Antonio.
That NBA is his goal, that the championship with Tau will be a good way to preapre for the NBA. He was so sure back then that he will be in Texas it was insaine he changed his mind.
No money was mentioned in the article, and Splitter did not gave a damn about money (baq then).

sheeee

[Kobayagi]

it was insaine he changed his mind.
No money was mentioned in the article, and Splitter did not gave a damn about money (baq then).


What part of this quote you don't understand?


“When he agreed to come, he didn’t know they were going to offer him so much (in Spain),” Popovich said.


When you are offered as much as he was offered, it's hard to not give a damn about money. Like Pop said, it would be insane to turn down TAU's offer.

[polandprzem]

What part of this quote you don't understand?

I dont understand that:


What part of this quote you don't understand?

[TDMVPDPOY]

i think this gives us a nother 4 yrs to start tankn

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

It's good that Pop's not holding a grudge or bitter about it. Good example.

Although, I'm sure they now recognize TAU players/Euro committed drafts = hassle.

[raspsa]

If Splitter performs well then after 4 years he can expect a bigger amount to resign with Tau.. if the Spurs can still only offer a rookie contract at that time, there's no real incentive to join the Spurs.. Spurs have to re-think their BUy-Euro strategy.

[Harry Callahan]

There is no guarantee that the rookie scale will be as restrictive in 4 years or possibly 2 years. The Spurs could also try and get the guy a better contract in 2 years instead of four (if his play warrants it). We'll see.

Pop is being smart. The guy is now locked in for at least two years and there is no benefit to the Spurs by trashing the guy for taking an unexpectedly good deal.

Also, did you note that Pop said " When he agreed to come". That tells me that RC and Pop got a verbal committment from Splitter. That committment was broken, but it's like high school recruiting. He didn't sign anything.

Hopefully, Splitter will cash in for a couple of years and then give the SAS a shot. At 25 he would be young enough to have a long and lucrative career - Manu started here at that age.

[Holt's Cat]

If Splitter performs well then after 4 years he can expect a bigger amount to resign with Tau.. if the Spurs can still only offer a rookie contract at that time, there's no real incentive to join the Spurs.. Spurs have to re-think their BUy-Euro strategy.

He has a NBA buyout after two years and it's equal to the maximum the Spurs can pay. By then maybe he'll be ready to make the jump. If not, it was a low 1st round pick and a good gamble that didn't work out.

[Bartleby]

It's good that Pop's not holding a grudge or bitter about it. Good example.

Well, not publicly anyway. I'm sure behind closed doors Pop was not so diplomatic and understanding, but the Spurs FO is in no position to burn bridges right now so it was definitely the right thing to say.

[Ocotillo]

Well you make a run at him in two years and hope for the best. Don't trade his rights. If it is all for naught you chock it up like what Marcus says to a bad low first round pick. Disappointing but not the end of the world.

Don't trade him though lest the ghost of Scola comes back to haunt us.

[O-Factor]

Just curious, are those over-sea contracts guaranteed?

[MoSpur]

That's what I have been saying. People are upset because he took more money. Why? Any one of us would take more money. The dude is looking out for himself. Nothing wrong with that at all.

[midnightpulp]

I hope they don't trade his rights. I think he has the potential to be a very good player.

[Oh, Gee!!]

Tiago doesn't have to be "let off the hook." Whoever decided to draft him does. I hope this decision coupled with the Scola debacle gets some people fired.

[raspsa]

Maybe the NBA should consider relaxing or changing its police re rookie contracts to allow NBA teams to be more competitive in bidding for foreign talent. Guys like Splitter, etc. are rookies in name only having years of pro service under their belts before joining the NBA. They shouldn't be put in the same boat as recruits out of the college ranks. This will ensure that the best Euro talent makes it to the NBA.

[kobyz]

he put in his contract option to go to the NBA in two years, and in the NBA he can go only to the spurs, so this say that he want to play for the spurs in two years.

[MoSpur]

I think David Stern will update the rookie salary thing. He wants this game to be worldwide, which it pretty much is, but if he wants to stay competetive, he is going to have to make changes when it comes to rookie salaries.

[Marcus Bryant]

Tiago doesn't have to be "let off the hook." Whoever decided to draft him does. I hope this decision coupled with the Scola debacle gets some people fired.

They should be fired because the Spurs didn't want a large luxury tax liability and because they didn't select a scrub with a low 1st round pick and end up with a guaranteed contract for said scrub instead of taking a chance on a lottery pick talent who fell to them because of his contract situation?

[Oh, Gee!!]

They should be fired because the Spurs didn't want a large luxury tax liability and because they didn't select a scrub with a low 1st round pick and end up with a guaranteed contract for said scrub instead of taking a chance on a lottery pick talent who fell to them because of his contract situation?

no, because they should have known that it is nearly impossible to enforce personal services contracts in the Spanish courts. You can draft a million Spanish players, and even get them under contract, but you can never enforce the contracts.

[Marcus Bryant]

So they should attempt to force a player out of a more lucrative deal?

[Oh, Gee!!]

So they should attempt to force a player out of a more lucrative deal?

no, they should stop drafting Spanish players (or players from any country where it is impossible to enforce personal services contracts).

[Marcus Bryant]

It's not as if the Spurs passed on a wealth of talent selected after Splitter and Scola in the '07 and '02 drafts, respectively.

[Oh, Gee!!]

It's not as if the Spurs passed on a wealth of talent selected after Splitter and Scola in the '07 and '02 drafts, respectively.

one in the hand is better than two in the bush.

[Athenea]

Pop is only trying to save face coz he was ridiculed by Splitter.

[Marcus Bryant]

one in the hand is better than two in the bush.

When it's Marcus Williams taken at 28 instead of 33 and Stanko Barac or some such at 33, I'd rather they take a shot at the bush.

[mathbzh]

no, they should stop drafting Spanish players (or players from any country where it is impossible to enforce personal services contracts).

So they should stop drafting any player. Can you force an US player to sign a contract? It should not append tomorrow but in a few years and if the NBA don't change its rules, some of the top US prospect may sign with the top Euroleague teams for huge contracts instead of taking rookie contracts.

[Oh, Gee!!]

Can you force an US player to sign a contract?

you can't force a US player to sign a contract (unless you're Don Corleone); but when a US player does sign a contract, the US court system can be relied upon to enforce the agreement.

[my2sons]

it just means that 2nd round picks will be used for euros and overseas players, that way no money will be committed and teams can still own rights.

[mathbzh]

you can't force a US player to sign a contract (unless you're Don Corleone); but when a US player does sign a contract, the US court system can be relied upon to enforce the agreement.

Maybe CIA-Pop should have made Splitter an offer he couldn't refuse.

I don't know the situation. Did Splitter signed anything? Would it make a difference if he was an US player accepting the same kind of offer from an Euro team?

[SuperDave]

you can't force a US player to sign a contract (unless you're Don Corleone); but when a US player does sign a contract, the US court system can be relied upon to enforce the agreement.

It doesn't work that way in the U.S., either. It's that whole prohibition against slavery thing, caused quite a ruckus a while back. You can't force someone to work for you, contract or not.

All of this ignores the fact that Splitter never signed a contract with the Spurs, anyway, IIRC.

[EJK5032]

drafting Splitter was worth the risk. the only player that was taken after Splitter in the 2007 draft that is worth anything was Carl Landry with the first pick of Round 2.

actually the Spurs could use a guy like Landry.......kind of ironic that the Rockets got both Landry and Scola !

[Oh, Gee!!]

It doesn't work that way in the U.S., either. It's that whole prohibition against slavery thing, caused quite a ruckus a while back. You can't force someone to work for you, contract or not.

All of this ignores the fact that Splitter never signed a contract with the Spurs, anyway, IIRC.

sure, you can't physically force them to perform. but you can get money damages or even enjoin them from signing with another team.

[T Park]

drafting Splitter was worth the risk. the only player that was taken after Splitter in the 2007 draft that is worth anything was Carl Landry with the first pick of Round 2.

actually the Spurs could use a guy like Landry.......kind of ironic that the Rockets got both Landry and Scola !

and even then Carl Landry wasn't coming up on alot of teams radars.

[nil.ball]

If I am being interviewed by two company. One of them is a huge american corporation who's ex-manager is arrested and being invested by FBI for conspiracy and fraud. The other is a smaller european competitor who is an outstanding company with increasing profit. The american company offers me $50,000 with a lowly title, the european company offers me a senior level position and a $100,000 euro or $150K US. I mean i think it's pretty easy for me to pick which company to work for. Beside european has hotter chicks anyway.

Tiago Splitter, where keep it real happens.

[Marcus Bryant]

Landry's about the only one drafted after Splitter last year who appears to be worth anything.

[wildbill2u]

Gotta give props to Pop for falling on the sword for RC. Also kept the door open for Splitter at some point in the future.

It's also a good sign that Pop seems involved in the offseason a lot more than usual. The last few summers, Pop has let RC run the ship while he disappeared to the Maine wilderness. This summer Pop has stayed in town.

Hopefully offseason magic ensues.

:hungry:

I don't think Pop fell on the sword for anyone. He was just as involved in the draft as RC. However, he did state the obvious.

1.No one knew or expected that Splitter would get that good an offer from Tau so the draft pick was done.

2. Splitter would have to be an idiot to turn Tau's offer down.

[timvp]

I don't think Pop fell on the sword for anyone. He was just as involved in the draft as RC. False. By the time Pop stopped floating down the river and put down his bottle of wine, the draft was already over. Pop let RC handle the whole draft last year.

This year he's not.

[wildbill2u]

it just means that 2nd round picks will be used for euros and overseas players, that way no money will be committed and teams can still own rights.

But it's new territory we're in nowaday because of the financial growth of Europe and the Euro teams. It's very conceiveable that a Euro team could offer a huge and more lucrative contract to any U.S. player who is drafted in the 1st round by an NBA team. It could even be a lottery player.

The Euro teams are in the catbird seat right now as far as a bidding war is concerned. They know to the penny what any NBA first round draft choice can be offered. It's like knowing what cards your opponent has. They could easily pick off some U. S. 1st round draft picks if they chose to build their teams through contracting young U.S. players with potential star quality.

The difference between the old bidding wars between established leagues like the NBA, NFL, etc and a bidding war between the NBA and the Euro teams is that their leagues are already well-established and some of the teams have outside financial resources that give them financial parity with some NBA owners.

[Marcus Bryant]

Not when you consider endorsement potential and the familiarity of playing in your own country. The only American lottery pick who's opted to play in Europe instead of for an NBA team was Ferry and that's because he really, really did not want to play for the Clippers. If you have the talent to be a star, you want to be in the NBA.

[wildbill2u]

False. By the time Pop stopped floating down the river and put down his bottle of wine, the draft was already over. Pop let RC handle the whole draft last year.

This year he's not.

Are you saying that RC didn't even bother to pick up the phone to tell Pop that Splitter was in their sights before making the pick?

[T Park]

Are you saying that RC didn't even bother to pick up the phone to tell Pop that Splitter was in their sights before making the pick?

Pop probably said whatever.

[lrrr]

Well, not publicly anyway. I'm sure behind closed doors Pop was not so diplomatic and understanding, but the Spurs FO is in no position to burn bridges right now so it was definitely the right thing to say.

Yeah, hopefully the Spurs sign Tiago after 2 years, then trade his ass to Memphis.

[Brutalis]

Pop is awesome in the fact that he says what's politically correct yet inside he knows what's up. Pop knows he is a dumb ass following the money. Real talent plays in the NBA. For players that have a passion for the game it's not about the green, it's about heart and desire to prove you have what it takes at the highest level and Tiago lacks that. Knowing he opted for the money makes me glad he never came here, because it shows where his heart is at.

Props to Pop. And him sticking around this summer has me wondering if a wave is going to hit. I wonder what's going on for him to stick around.

[Brutalis]

If I am being interviewed by two company. One of them is a huge american corporation who's ex-manager is arrested and being invested by FBI for conspiracy and fraud. The other is a smaller european competitor who is an outstanding company with increasing profit. The american company offers me $50,000 with a lowly title, the european company offers me a senior level position and a $100,000 euro or $150K US. I mean i think it's pretty easy for me to pick which company to work for. Beside european has hotter chicks anyway.

Tiago Splitter, where keep it real happens.

That made no fucking sense and had shit to do with the Spurs. What a retard you are sir.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Well, not publicly anyway. I'm sure behind closed doors Pop was not so diplomatic and understanding, but the Spurs FO is in no position to burn bridges right now so it was definitely the right thing to say.
By the way Spurs fans reacted on the board from how we first heard. I'm sure Pop turned over some tables when he heard Spitter was backing out.

With the "by the way the economy is...he'd be an idiot" seemed like he was talking to himself, trying to make himself feel better for the Spurs trusting the Euro pickups.



Yeah, hopefully the Spurs sign Tiago after 2 years, then trade his ass to Memphis.
Who knows ...maybe in two years, the dollar will have bounced back, and the Euro might see some rocky step back. In the event of that happening,
I hope they keep Splitter out of the NBA forever; if we don't need him, let him rot in a pool of lukewarm competition and mediocrity.

[timvp]

Sadly for Spurs fans, Tiago Splitter is one example of the dollar's weakness keeping a prized player on the other side of the Atlantic. His projected NBA numbers are outstanding -- 18.5 points and 10.3 boards, 54.4 percent shooting, 18.11 PER -- and it's unfortunate that such a wise draft choice has to be wasted because of a silly thing like currency fluctuations.Damn, if Hollinger is anywhere close in this projections of Splitter, the Spurs lost a guy who would have been a beast.

:pctoss

[T Park]

Yeah Splitter was gonna be a special one.

Damn the rookie pay scale.

[Marcus Bryant]

Hopefully he'll be ready to come over in 2010.

[ChumpDumper]

So should we be upset that the Spurs picked this guy at 28?

[Marcus Bryant]

So should we be upset that the Spurs picked this guy at 28?

Yes.

"FAIL" or whatever.

[Bruno]

Damn, if Hollinger is anywhere close in this projections of Splitter, the Spurs lost a guy who would have been a beast.

:pctoss


See the bright side.
timvp will stay timvp and won't become splittervp.

[Marcus Bryant]

Is Hollinger doing nothing more than projecting out his Tau stats from last season on a 48 minute basis?

[T Park]

Yes.

"FAIL" or whatever.

Wrong.

"Epic Fail" :lol

[Harry Callahan]

So should we be upset that the Spurs picked this guy at 28?


Not because of ability. He was a talented player obviously. The contract situation made him available in the first place.

The Spurs have first shot if he wants to play with the big boys down the road.

He was good enough to contribute now and that won't happen. That is the problem.

[ChumpDumper]

He was good enough to contribute now and that won't happen. That is the problem.And the Spurs were supposed to know all of this a year ago.

[timvp]

Is Hollinger doing nothing more than projecting out his Tau stats from last season on a 48 minute basis?


Fortunately, I have a system for converting Euroleague performance to NBA performance, one that's been uncanny in its accuracy in previous seasons. For instance, a year ago I projected a PER of 7.36 for Marco Belinelli, 15.16 for Juan Carlos Navarro and 16.27 for Luis Scola. The actual numbers were 8.23, 11.90 and 16.18, with only Navarro deviating from his projection. Previous seasons have shown similar accuracy.

The reason this works is that there's a predictable relationship between a player's stats in the Euroleague -- the highest level of European basketball -- and what they'll be in the NBA. Crossing the Atlantic does the following to a player's results:

• Scoring rate decreases 25 percent;
• Rebound rate increases by 18 percent (there are more missed shots in NBA play);
• Assist rate increases by 31 percent (Euro scorers are tightwads with assists);
• Shooting percentage drops by 12 percent; and
• Overall, PER drops by 30 percent.Given that is only a one year sample size but I'll hand it to Hollinger that his projections were pretty accurate.

Which sucks considering he has Splitter rated better than everyone. According to Hollinger, Splitter would have gone third overall in this draft.

:depressed

[T Park]

Yeah the notion that RC "fucked up" with this pick is a misnomer.

He picked a great player. It just sucks the rookie scale got in the way.

Had he came over and played as it showed above, AND, Ian played also and they drafted a Mario Chalmers, and signed a JR Smith, this team would've been unbeatable.

[MoSpur]

Quit it timvp!!! We're already in the dumps about not going to the NBA Championship. Splitter taking more money to stay in Europe was salt on the wound.

[Marcus Bryant]

Given that is only a one year sample size but I'll hand it to Hollinger that his projections were pretty accurate.

Which sucks considering he has Splitter rated better than everyone. According to Hollinger, Splitter would have gone third overall in this draft.

:depressed

So keep his rights and see how he feels about making the jump in 2010. The Lux Tax shouldn't be a concern that summer. Perhaps with a couple of years at his new salary that will be enough for him to stomach taking the NBA rookie contract...if he indeed ever wants to play in the NBA.

[Marcus Bryant]

Or maybe Ian's PER will be 100.8 then and we won't care.

[T Park]

Or maybe Ian's PER will be 100.8 and we won't give a shit.


:lol

I wonder what his projections from NBDL to NBA are :lol

[Harry Callahan]

And the Spurs were supposed to know all of this a year ago.


No they didn't know a year ago. From the time they drafted TS until the first of this month, it was generally assumed on both sides he would be here. It just hurts the cause to miss out on a good player, that's all.

I think it was a good pick given the information available in June of 2007.

Only 20-30% of the guys that are drafted in the first round in a particular year turn out to be quality players anyway.

TS was way better than the 28th best player available.

[polandprzem]

What's making it even worse is that we did not got the european Championship vbookies :depressed

[Marcus Bryant]

No they didn't know a year ago. From the time they drafted TS until the first of this month, it was generally assumed on both sides he would be here. It just hurts the cause to miss out on a good player, that's all.

I think it was a good pick given the information available in June of 2007.

Only 20-30% of the guys that are drafted in the first round in a particular year turn out to be quality players anyway.

TS was way better than the 28th best player available.

He was available because of his contract. Spurs took a gamble. Maybe it'll pay off in 2010. Perhaps never.

[mikekim]

we'll be fine. we'll adjust and be solid contenders with realistic hopes/expectations of winning again...as usual

[Nbadan]

Thank G.B. for making our dollar valuation worthless - just goes to show, you can stay away from the political forum, but the political forum won't say away from you....

[T Park]

Thank G.B. for making our dollar valuation worthless - just goes to show, you can stay away from the political forum, but the political forum won't say away from you....


Thank you for polluting our forum with your idiocy.

[objective]

the mistake wasn't the gamble on Splitter, it was the gamble that Splitter made Scola frivolous.

[Brutalis]

If I remember correctly Tiago was a projected mid first round pick. And he fell all the way to us. Which now makes me wonder if SA maybe knew what other teams knew, but decided to take the chance anyways? Knew = Tiago might just resign in Europe.

[Nbadan]

Thank you for polluting our forum with your idiocy.

"our" forum :rolleyes


.........Yeah, kinda like 'those' people....

[T Park]

"our" forum :rolleyes


.........Yeah, kinda like 'those' people....


:lol

Way to twist something into a racist connotation jerkoff.

[The Franchise]

Gotta give props to Pop for falling on the sword for RC. Also kept the door open for Splitter at some point in the future.

It's also a good sign that Pop seems involved in the offseason a lot more than usual. The last few summers, Pop has let RC run the ship while he disappeared to the Maine wilderness. This summer Pop has stayed in town.

Hopefully offseason magic ensues.

:hungry:Pop only spoke the truth. Splitters decision was common sense.

[angelbelow]

yea i think the spurs let tiago go afterall, thats why there were no reports of ginobili ro duncan or pop recruiting him. i believe pop 100% right now because i felt that the spurs didnt try hard enough to get tiago to the point were i started spectulating whether it was by design. now that pop says that it hasnt altered our plans too much, i believe him and have full confidence in our FO.

[T Park]

I think if you believe Pop, that when they got word that Tiago was gonna get that contract they said "fuck it" and just altered the plans.

They were expecting him to come back, I just think that the decision to stay in europe didn't bother em as much as it did us :lol

[itzsoweezee]

four years from now will be the same problem. he's never going to be a spur.

[Marcus Bryant]

four years from now will be the same problem. he's never going to be a spur.

two years.

[mrspurs]

all i can say is....pop you brought it on yourself....go spurs go

[nfg3]

RC's pick of TS last year was a good one based on what info they had available. It was only last month that TS changed his mind due to the $$ offered by Tau. Any hadn't TS turned down previous contracts from Tau before accepting that big one? The Euro vs. the $ is out of the Spurs' control. Anyway as previosly stated the only good player drafted after TS was Landry and we still have his rights to use as they see fit - play or trade. So I can't blame RC for last year. But it is good to see Pop more involved this year. IMHO I think RC needs a little supervision.

[Kill_Bill_Pana]

Is Hollinger doing nothing more than projecting out his Tau stats from last season on a 48 minute basis?

No he have special way of predict what Euro player do. Take average of all Euro player in history before when they play in Euroleague then compare to when they go to NBA difference in their number. Only work though if player is allow play by team.

In Hellas is report Spanoulis predict average 16 point and 6 assist in NBA as rookie but not happen because coach refuse plays him. But Scola predict get 18 point and 10 rebounds if he play 40 minute as rookie. He get 10 point and 7 rebound in 24 minute and 14 point 10 rebound in playoff where he play more minute.

So predictions is accurate but only base if player get play time or not by coach. Formula is well know thing in Europe because is use all time to predict how Euroleague player will do in NBA.

[jjktkk]

He has a NBA buyout after two years and it's equal to the maximum the Spurs can pay. By then maybe he'll be ready to make the jump. If not, it was a low 1st round pick and a good gamble that didn't work out.

It seems that the Spurs do quite a bit of gambling with their 1st rounders. Not a good thing when your almost the entire roster can qualify for medicare.

[kobyz]

i still think it's a good pick, Splitter is a top 10 player in this draft and in some time he will wont to play in the NBA and then we be glad