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I don't think anyone is saying he hasn't been our C. Although, if you pair Splitter next to Duncan they could rotate guarding the smaller PFs of the league depending on matchups and Duncan would still be the more reliable option offensively. .
Tim has been a C since about 2006-2007 when Oberto came into the starting lineup. He has been the biggest guy on the court for the Spurs since then... and he has guarded the opposition C 90% of the time.. and has been guarded by the opposition C 90% of the time.
Just because Tim sets the screens doesnt really mean he is the PF.. which ever guy is more comfortable recieving the ball off the roll or pop usually is the guy setting the screen. Dwight Howard sets the screens for the Magic.. he isnt the PF.
I don't think anyone is saying he hasn't been our C. Although, if you pair Splitter next to Duncan they could rotate guarding the smaller PFs of the league depending on matchups and Duncan would still be the more reliable option offensively. .
Sure. They would make a good combination. I see Tim as a C/PF and Tiago as a PF/C. I guess there isnt much difference.. Splitter clearly has good lateral quickness so he would mainly defend 4's.
That's what i think as well. In the end, i think that's what is going to happen. Splitter is our best option to start and with the expendable pieces that we have, we cannot land a starting PF, at least not a good one.
Hopefully, that won't be the case.
What's more likely - Splitter develops into a 20/10 force to be reconned w/ every game (All Star) or Anderson or Butler and Leonard developing into prolific scorers/defenders on the perimeter that would prove to be more of a replacement for Manu and Bowen than Splitter is as a replacement for Duncan?
If you figure the latter, as I do, then I think the Spurs are just ONE piece away from serious contending. That one piece, however, is a GREAT PF.
Man Splitter can be a great contributor, but he will never be a 20/10 guy. At best, he will be like Varejao, a 10/10 guy. He is an ok rebounder, he takes charges, he is a good P&R defender and help defender and that's it. I don't expect much else from him, especially offensively.
You are overrating Splitter if you think he will be a 20/10 player.
Tyrus Thomas = Stromile Swift = Marcus Fizer
I don't. The scenario was a question . . . one which I mentioned that Anderson and Leonard will be more contributory to the Spurs future than Splitter.
With the right minutes (and more importantly STEADY minutes) Splitter can be a 15/10 player IMO.
If his minutes once again consist of occassional random stretches predicated entirely on Pop's whim of the moment, I don't expect his numbers to even improve from last year.
His realistic ceiling is probably 12/7. He's just not tough enough or hungry enough to average 10 boards in the NBA. He watches the flow of the game go by him, instead of sticking his nose in. Even your beloved St. Luis, who has averaged 30+ minutes 3 times, has never even hit 9 rpg, and his motor runs MUCH faster than Splitter's.
Only nine players averaged 10 or more rebounds last season, and that's rounding up.
It's a number that's just thrown out there without thinking.
Is there anyway the mods can just make a TJastal/Chump thread?
this year - TD used to hover around 20/10 in the past...
Tiago could probably be a 12-7 guy with a bigger role.. at least 25-28 MPG.. he should get 30+ with the current state of Spurs bigmen but all joking aside we know that there is 20 reserved for Bonner regardless of performance. Floor spreading doesnt come up in the box score.
Anyway.. if FatBlair can average 8 a game with his offensive repetoire consisting of only wide open layups on feeds from Manu.. then Tiago should be able to score an extra couple of buckets based off his length around the basket.. given that he will get similar wide open looks as Blair.
About the rebounding.. Tiago finished his rookie season with a rebound rate (% of all available rebounds taken) at 15.8 which is above average for bigmen. His rebounding has actually become under rated.. especially on the offensive end. For comparisons sake
Pau Gasol 15.6
Luis Scola 14.2
Chris Bosh 13.6
LaMarcus Aldridge 13.5
Paul Millsap 13.4
Amare Stoudemire 12.7
Dirk Nowitzki 12.0
Matt Bonner 9.7
Its quite amazing how he couldnt get on the court ahead of Blair and Bonner... amazing. Obviously Pop panicked and admitted his mistake by desperately throwing him out there against the Grizzlies. Beating a dead horse here but its hard not to think about how the Spurs season may have been different had Tiago been integrated during the 82 game season.
Last edited by mystargtr34; 07-16-2011 at 11:28 PM.
15/10? He can't shoot, can't create his own shot, can't jump, and he's only a scoring threat when he rebounds garbage thrown at the rim. He's nowhere near a model of consistency and hasn't shown the ability to stay on the court with the first unit. He's second unit fodder and I will be flabbergasted if he can post a 10/7 by season's end. The only way to improve his minutes on the court is to demonstrate basketball skill and show vast improvements in practice. If there's a shortened season, its going to kill practice time between games which is going to directly affect Splitter's court time.
That Splitter was able to outrebound established guys that have been in the league awhile in his rookie season with what amounts to Pop's used toenail clippings for minutes.... that says alot. As I said before with the right minutes (and steady minutes every game Splitter can pull double figure rebounds. , Kevin Love nabbed almost 16 in 35 minutes a game.Tiago could probably be a 12-7 guy with a bigger role.. at least 25-28 MPG.. he should get 30+ with the current state of Spurs bigmen but all joking aside we know that there is 20 reserved for Bonner regardless of performance. Floor spreading doesnt come up in the box score.
Anyway.. if FatBlair can average 8 a game with his offensive repetoire consisting of only wide open layups on feeds from Manu.. then Tiago should be able to score an extra couple of buckets based off his length around the basket.. given that he will get similar wide open looks as Blair.
About the rebounding.. Tiago finished his rookie season with a rebound rate (% of all available rebounds taken) at 15.8 which is above average for bigmen. His rebounding has actually become under rated.. especially on the offensive end. For comparisons sake
Pau Gasol 15.6
Luis Scola 14.2
Chris Bosh 13.6
LaMarcus Aldridge 13.5
Paul Millsap 13.4
Amare Stoudemire 12.7
Dirk Nowitzki 12.0
Matt Bonner 9.7
Its quite amazing how he couldnt get on the court ahead of Blair and Bonner... amazing
And lmao @ Bonner's rebound rate.
I believe he can shoot, and he has some post moves in his arsenal, it's just a matter of getting the PT to make the adjustment to the nba game which usually takes a year or two for most European players. It didn't help at all that Pop didn't give him any kind of consistent minutes last season which would have went a long way in developing some confidence, but we all know Pop is an idiot who basically gave away all of Splitter's development minutes to the undersized SG poser named Bonner..
Anyway, here's the first TS mix google came up with and guess what.... he can shoot the basketball.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swj7Nx_uxlA
@ :35 top key jumper
@ :45 baseline 18 footer
@ 1:17 jump hook
@ 1:22 top of key jumper
@ 1:27 baseline jumper
@ 1:33 3pt shot
Keep in mind that Splitter's minutes mostly came against other teams' 2nd and 3rd team PF/Cs. I would've loved to see what he was capable of vs starting lineups in the West.
maybe we'll get to see whenever the lockout is over...
I know it's been discussed here, but I'd like to hear more opinions on the realistic proposal that Tiago will primarily be used as our starting PF, if no trade is made for one? It seems obvious that 5 is his natural position and coming off the bench for Tim would be preferable. I still see many people referring to Tim in mock line-ups as a 4, a position he no longer plays. We need a true PF more than anything, but is Tiago the only answer otherwise ?
I would agree completely. A true PF w/ skill is more difficult to find than a PG w/ true PG skills.
That's why I tend to favor trading TP for Josh Smith or someone of that sort. I like TP, don't get me wrong, but he's more easily replaced than a good PF (which the Spurs lack).
I think the Spurs lack a lot of players right now to be contenders. I'm open to trading TP as well for the right player, but at some point the Spurs have to play their better players and see if they work together. Yeah, in theory, TS maybe shouldn't play next to Tim, but if they are our two best post players, then we might just have to play them. If you step back and think what player is more suited for Pop's team - Tiago or say Josh Smith, isn't it obvious that Tiago is more of a Pop player? We have him. Thought we'd play him last year but Pop's stubborn BS got in the way. Next season he needs to play.
People are just used to seeing Tim Duncan having done it for more than a decade.
Might happen (Splitter + Duncan starting). Mostly because of the issue of size in the paint and Duncan being so worn down to the nub thanks to Pop(and seemingly getting thinner each year). Timmy has needed a larger body next to him for over 4 years now, and the situation is getting dire. Pop just doesn't understand that he's no longer an MVP candidate & defensive player of the year. As evidenced in the playoffs when combined might of the grizzlies frontline clobbered him.
Now Splitter is defenitely quick enough to cover the 4 plus he's big and strong enough to cover the 5. He's surprisingly mobile for his size. Problem will be getting Pop to not only try him in the starting lineup, but stick with it through the learning curve to get to the point where Splitter would be comfortable and know his role in the offense. I really see no reason why it wouldn't be just as effective as a Blair/TD frontline. I think Splitter no question would be an upgrade defensively, and he's a much better offensive player than he showed in limited minutes last year. And I'm tired of watching Blair make a good post move only to duff the layup.
And IF Leonard can provide some good defense at small forward, it might even make the Bonner/Blair backup tandem feasible.
Mr Jastal, I have no idea why you are so high on Splitter - perhaps the guy owes you money, perhaps you're dating his sister, whatever...
Some of what you say is correct - he does have decent mobility and I agree that he should be just as effective if not MORE effective than a TD/Blair frontline.
However, no one, including you, should be of the mindset that Splitter is a PF that can be relied upon to bring the Spurs the le. His usefulness, if used appropriately, should be as the C of the future along side some other player playing PF. THAT PF isn't on the roster yet. So, as much as I actually appreciate some of your comments from time to time (and I realize I'm in the minority about that), the obsession to try and talk/blog/chat Splitter into something he's not is getting quite old. I know that this posting will probably result in a few immature personal attempts at insult about me personnally, but that won't help Splitter's cause either.
The guy is a Center. He walks like a center, acts like a center, rebounds like a center (marginally) and moves like a center. He is not and probably never will be a KG, TD, P Gasol, Aldridge or Stoudamire.
Let's hope that Pop and the FO can get him some legitimate and youthful help at the PF position soon.
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