Call him Tiago Splinter

[024]

the longer splitter sits on the bench, the less likely he'll get meaningful minutes in the playoffs, especially against a championship team like the lakers. i can almost guarantee splitter will not crack the rotation in the playoffs because this has been popovich's style. a lot of people here still in denial but popovich has done this before and there is no reason to think the outcome will be any different. there's always next year.

[slayermin]

I don't think Splitter has embarrassed himself this season. He just needs to get in there and play. And like others have mentioned already, Pop doesn't want to burnout McDyess before the playoffs. So Splitter will get his shot.

There's gotta be a method to Pop's madness but yeah, it's getting a little worrisome that he didn't play some decent minutes against Minny. It probably has a lot to do with the defense. Pop hasn't been happy with the consistency of the defense and putting Splitter out there for significant minutes would make it worse.

[silverblk mystix]

Sean Elliott is a corporate stooge. He gets paid by the Spurs and he just spouts the company line BS. This is the same guy that claimed several times on TV that "Tiago Splitter was the best big man in Europe". Which I believe is one of the main reasons why so many Spurs fans are deluded into believing this crap.

The truth is that Splitter was never even remotely near being in the discussion, nor the conversation of being the "best big man in Europe".....

If Splitter was the best big man in Europe, then Andersen Varejao is also the best big man in the NBA. PERIOD.

This forum is full of people with as low of basketball IQs as Elliott has.

With that being said, there is no reason why Splitter should not be playing ahead of McDyess. He is definitely better than McDyess is.

Manu forever/KBP calling Sean Elliott---low BB IQ

Manu forever just revealed himself to be a lame troll...

[mystargtr34]

I don't think Splitter has embarrassed himself this season. He just needs to get in there and play. And like others have mentioned already, Pop doesn't want to burnout McDyess before the playoffs. So Splitter will get his shot.

There's gotta be a method to Pop's madness but yeah, it's getting a little worrisome that he didn't play some decent minutes against Minny. It probably has a lot to do with the defense. Pop hasn't been happy with the consistency of the defense and putting Splitter out there for significant minutes would make it worse.

Outside of Duncan, Splitter might be the best defensive player on the team. The main reason for the inconsistent defense is Blair. I hate to on him all the time.. but he has no business starting on any NBA team really.. let alone one with championship aspirations. He would obviously be a stud in an energy role off the bench like he was last season. He just needs to go back there to maximise his potential as an NBA player.

At the end of the day, actions speak louder than words. Pop has gone out of his way a couple of times in the last month to mention the importance of defense and how the Spurs havent changed from the Spurs of old... then continues to turn a blind eye to missed rotation after missed rotation from Blair.. continuous scoring and rebounding outbursts from opposition power forwards... and trot out Blair-Bonner frontcourts... while an athletic 7 footer who defends rides the pine.

[Capt Bringdown]

Pop has elected to stand pat -we're going to the playoffs with the same front line as last year, woohoo!
Yep, the regular season has been a blast so far, and it's great to see RJ's improvement and the emergence of Neal as a viable opt - hey, wait a minute, Neal's a rookie, will he see any PT in the PO?
Anyway, I would think that even the most optimistic among us would have to be skeptical about Bonner/Blair and McMummy getting us out of the second round.
I'm not convinced Splitter would help us turn the corner, but I can't imagine him being worse than Blair. Bottom line, we'll never know -until next year that is.

[Ice009]

Pop is doing a big mistake by not giving playing time to Splitter. If Spurs wants to have a chance against a healthy Lakers team, they will need help from him. I don't even know how he could possibly think that Blair and Bonner are an answer against Lakers frontcourt. Splitter will also makes Spurs defense better which is a requirement to be a legit contender.

I'm glad you agree Bruno. Pop is being very stupid to not play Splitter at all.

[mystargtr34]

Pop has elected to stand pat -we're going to the playoffs with the same front line as last year, woohoo!
Yep, the regular season has been a blast so far, and it's great to see RJ's improvement and the emergence of Neal as a viable opt - hey, wait a minute, Neal's a rookie, will he see any PT in the PO?
Anyway, I would think that even the most optimistic among us would have to be skeptical about Bonner/Blair and McMummy getting us out of the second round.
I'm not convinced Splitter would help things, but I can't imagine him being worse than Blair.

I agree. I dont want to come accross as ing about winning basketball games. This regular season has been out of this world fun.. theres nothing quite like seeing your team win. But for the life of me i cant imagine a scenario where the Spurs will win the championship with DeJuan Blair and Matt Bonner as the second and third best bigmen on the team. Ill have to see that to believe it.

[polandprzem]

Well now I'm worried.

Pop still gives time to players that are bringing it and are the best at the moment. But isn't it the time of year when he must decide to give all his players a chance?
Esp. Splitter who has missed most of the camp?

We will need his size and defensive rotations in the playoffs.

I do not think that Bonner is the guy who can make all teams consistent pay in the playoffs for leaving him.

You can take a look when spurs are not playing transition - how much worse is halfcourt now and on the other side we really have no people who can stop other guys. Damn I don't know how much more sharp spurs can be on D to overcome best offensive squads in the playoffs.


Pop needs to give Tiago time on the court. The real and the last chance for Tiago is after ASB. It's when Pop reavaluates teams plans and heading to the playoffs.
The rodeo

[TE]

Tiago Splitter is by far the best player in Europe not in the NBA (or was, now that he's in the NBA). Manu_Forever is a horrible poster a damn low BB IQ.

[Ice009]

Here's a Pop quote I just found. The first bit he is referring to the starting lineup.

“It seems we’ve been fairly steady in what we’ve been doing, but not because I’m totally comfortable with it,” Popovich said. “We could change it at any time, based on what’s going on, winning and losing, matchups, that kind of thing.

“Off-the-bench rotation is certainly not set.”

[spurspokesman]

The Spurs starting center is Duncan, not Blair. Duncan just insists on keeping up the absurd lie that he is a "power forward" by having the Spurs call him that. He is the Spurs center, not Blair.

Second, Blair is 6-7, not 6-6, and he is 270 with a huge wingspan, which is hardly undersized at all for the PF position. The NBA is full of 6-7 and 6-8 power forwards, most of which do not have the wingspan, nor weight of Blair.

This whole thing about the Spurs starting PF/C positions being undersized is BS. Are they undersized against teams like Boston or the Lakers? Yes. But so is just about every single other NBA team.

And Splitter could never guard heavy centers in the low post anyway. He never could in the Euroleague, so why do so many Spurs fans think he will now?

He is much more effective against the Pau/Garnett/Dirk type of players on defense. So he should be used as a defensive match up against them. Especially if Bonner is missing shots. He won't be that effective against guys like Bynum or Howard on defense, just as he struggled on defense against heavy centers in Euroleague.

He should be used to guard the Dirk/Gasol/Garnett types. So basically, at this point he is a defensive subs ute for Bonner, if Bonner isn't spreading the floor.

With that being said, that is assuming that Popovich keeps playing McDyess. Splitter is better than McDyess is and he should be playing over him. But it's not going to make this huge difference, like the Spurs winning a le or not. But 80% of this forum is convinced that is the case.

If the Spurs wanted a true center, that is a defensive center and that can guard the other big, heavy 7 foot centers then they should have signed Javtokas instead of Splitter. Javtokas excels at exactly that and Splitter does not and never has.

It is more proof that the Spurs European scouts appear to be complete re s.

splitter better than dyess=

[spurspokesman]

Well now I'm worried.

Pop still gives time to players that are bringing it and are the best at the moment. But isn't it the time of year when he must decide to give all his players a chance?
Esp. Splitter who has missed most of the camp?

We will need his size and defensive rotations in the playoffs.

I do not think that Bonner is the guy who can make all teams consistent pay in the playoffs for leaving him.

You can take a look when spurs are not playing transition - how much worse is halfcourt now and on the other side we really have no people who can stop other guys. Damn I don't know how much more sharp spurs can be on D to overcome best offensive squads in the playoffs.


Pop needs to give Tiago time on the court. The real and the last chance for Tiago is after ASB. It's when Pop reavaluates teams plans and heading to the playoffs.
The rodeo

if its not one area of lack its another.

[spurspokesman]

7+ posts saying the same exact thing again Manu_Forever. You are getting to be a great troll. You are so opinionated it is ridiculous. You constantly call out people here on ST about a low BBIQ, yet you continue to show your own ignorance.

Not one person can say you aren't consistent. So here is to you.

oops

[Sofaking]

Could it be that Tiago just isn't as good as you all thought? Honestly I expected at least 8 & 7 from him based on the hype from the last few yrs. I remember cpl of yrs ago, he was listed as high as #2 on the mock drafts. His game never looked special to me but I took bait. Watching him play, very un impressive. Even his defense has been overrated. As a low post defender he's terrible. Pick n roll defender awesome but team are not gonna run pick n roll all night. Against teams like the lakers,Celtics you need low post defenders n only Duncan n Dice can do that for this team. Blair gambles a ton but he can sneak front n come up with steals. His man D is below average but he can throw guys off by using his body. Sean El1iot is annoying btw, I can see why ESPN never brought him back. I've said before, the key to beating the top team lays in the hands of Hill. Whenvhe's clicking, we ...are...unstoppable

[OrEmuN]

No player on the planet can stop Pau one to one in the low post.

TBH, I think Kobe has been doing a remarkable job of limiting Pau's productivity...

[Hoops Czar]

Pop is doing a big mistake by not giving playing time to Splitter. If Spurs wants to have a chance against a healthy Lakers team, they will need help from him. I don't even know how he could possibly think that Blair and Bonner are an answer against Lakers frontcourt. Splitter will also makes Spurs defense better which is a requirement to be a legit contender.

Stay zen Tiago, stay zen...

Your 1st team all- spurstalk.... How could pop not listen to you. Thank god he hasn't. Splitter would be a train wreck vs the Lakers. But you can deny it all you want. Maybe you just need more proof. He looks like in garbage time against scrubs and somehow Pop doesn't get it.

[cheguevara]

According to Pop, Bonner spreads the floor and Blair has great tats.

[cheguevara]

Your 1st team all- spurstalk.... How could pop not listen to you. Thank god he hasn't. Splitter would be a train wreck vs the Lakers. But you can deny it all you want. Maybe you just need more proof. He looks like in garbage time against scrubs and somehow Pop doesn't get it.

playing next to Bonner and our benchwarmers?? I am not surprised Splitter looks bad.

how about putting Splitter next to Tony, Duncan + Manu?

[Martin R]

Bynum wins.... fatality

[Bruno]

Your 1st team all- spurstalk.... How could pop not listen to you. Thank god he hasn't. Splitter would be a train wreck vs the Lakers. But you can deny it all you want. Maybe you just need more proof. He looks like in garbage time against scrubs and somehow Pop doesn't get it.

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70267

[Hoops Czar]

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70267

Yes, thank you for that. I'm not sure what that has to do with Splitter and his awfulness...

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70260

p.s. Don't click this link..

[DesignatedT]

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70267

[Brazil]

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70267

Bruno regulating this poor guy

[Hoops Czar]

Bruno regulating this poor guy

Hmmm,..

You no likey?,..surely you're terrified by what you're being informed.

[dirkdirkastan]

Yes, thank you for that. I'm not sure what that has to do with Splitter and his awfulness...

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=70260

p.s. Don't click this link..

You stupid .