Reply With Quote
nevermind, it's already been addressed in the topic
The main criticisms with Splitter are poor finishing (he misses unbelievable layups often, and most of the time he should've just dunked that ) and not playing tough all the time (even though he has the tools to).
At least his freebies seem to have improved enough where you feel hack-a-Splitter won't make a reappearance this time around.
nevermind, it's already been addressed in the topic
Last edited by jimbo; 01-18-2013 at 03:26 AM.
I've gotta say, while I always liked Splitter, after the last four or five games I'm really starting to love his game. You can tell he's really taking his insertion into the starting line up seriously, he's just playing with this level of toughness that I honestly didn't think he had in him. I imagine, in his mind, it's all coming together. He came over with the goal of being the starting center on a possible championship team. Now that he's achieved that goal, the only one left is to be the starting center on a Championship team. He seems to recognize that, and has stepped up his game to "National Team Level."
Speaking of which, so the Spurs get so much praise for being "geniuses" at international scouting. But it seems to me like all they do is watch National team games at qualifiers and Olympics prep games etc, note the 1-2 best players on the team, then offer them a reasonable contract using, for a sales pitch, the promise of getting to develop their game with the best, most stable, franchise in the NBA. That's basically it, right? Australia, France, Argentina, Brazil, Slovenia (meh), are all teams we've nabbed top guys from. Where can I submit a resume for that gig? Gotta be the easiest and cushiest job ever.
Splitter wasn't tough, now he's recently grown a pair & has played a tough style of basketball, especially against the Grizzlies which is a big positive!
He's not.
Everybody complains about Tiago's minutes over the last two years. Most of you forget that he missed the whole training camp as a rookie, putting him way behind on his learning curve. By the end of the season, he was getting more minutes but not huge minutes. Then in his second season, he was caught in the lockout. NO training camp. Again, he was having to learn on the fly. Two seasons-no training camp. Training camp is where you learn the system, not in games or a practice session every few days. Year two was hard on the regulars, much less someone still learning. Look at what he has done with a full training camp this season.
this would be a fine excuse except for the fact that Kawhi didnt have one either, coupled with playing a new position, plus having Zero professional basketball playing experience. and he started, and played well. and wasnt soft.
Spurs "system" is stand in the corner and launch 3s after tim/tony/manu create something for you
a few plays where you set a screen/backscreen and move around if your a guard
Bigs just set high screens and roll to the basket and if youre Tim you pop out
doesnt take 3 years for a player to learn that tbh
theyve been running the same defensive scheme for years too
this year is more like the older spurs days where they funneled defenders into Tim and ran guys off the 3 line
I thought the Euroleague was more physical than the NBA? At least that's what I've heard.. Anyways, a fly can land on Splitters head and he would fall back about a foot. They need him to hit the weight room during the summer or something. At least he's playing better than Blair though.. If he wasn't we'd be in deep .
He actually lost weight this summer, in part to prevent him from getting injured. So far (knock on wood) he hasn't had any lingering injuries.
That makes sense. He just looks frail in the paint. It's like he can't handled being fouled.
Fair enough. The way I see it, Diaw's still getting minutes and he's closed quite a bit this season. I guess I just don't view it as a demotion. But like you I think the big rotation is about where it should be with the Spurs getting off to great defensive starts and Diaw coming to help with ball movement and spacing.
I'm starting to agree on benching Green (I'm always in favour of starting Manu) but more because the backup pg situation is reaching crisis levels in my opinion. Assuming Pop opts to play NDC or CoJo until a trade happens, I think that Green should be the backcourt running mate for defensive purposes. Unlike Neal or Mills, Green might miss shots but he won't be the one handling the ball or wasting possessions and I think there's more flexibility there defensively because Green seems to be pretty good with pgs.
Btw, tonight's game looks like it was an example of what I was talking about. TD got into foul trouble and Splitter kinda filled in until he got back in the second half.
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursna...ly-on-his-way/“Tiago Splitter … was fantastic,” Popovich said. “He’s just been hurt a good portion of the time he’s been here and hasn’t had a chance to play consistent minutes. But he’s played like this all over the world. People are finally getting to see him healthy.”
Vintage Pop
couldnt get consistent minutes because the turds and old mcdyess had to get them
"It's only fair to the team"
Pop the troll master
i dont think u need to be tough to win championships...look at rasho for example...
Sure, Pop, that must be some injury to last so long. I've been saying it from day 1 - you should have been giving Splitter 30+ minutes instead of the Twin Turds. Imagine how much better he'd be now and how much less wear and tear on TD.
Wasted two years of TD to give more minutes to Bonner/Blair. Even Dice said that Splitter should start back on day 1. He would have been further along if he had been starting and Dice had been helping as a vet of the bench. Could probably have also helped extend Dice's career. Randolph likely doesn't destroy us in the playoffs with Splitter starting and we probably win the championship.
+1
McDyess also always vigorously asserted he was most comfortable to come off the bench since day one, but regardless of that I don't doubt for an instant he was giving an honest assessment of Splitter's ability. In the few rare instances Pop had McDyess and Blair on the court together, I always thought they made a great combo chemistry-wise. McDyess with the spacing plus both could crash the offensive glass back then. Unfortunately Pop was always too hung up on getting Boner into the rotation to either notice or care about anything else. Which always caused other problems, esp in that playoff matchup vs the grizzlies. Bottom line is Boner should have had the role he plays now all along and the spurs might be toting another trophy or two in their display case.
Pop spent two years doing something very important. Showing to Splitter who's the boss, stablishing the hierarchy as in the military culture.
This very well could be true. For whose benefit we can only sit and ponder. Sure as didn't help the team, or Splitter's game any.Pop spent two years doing something very important. Showing to Splitter who's the boss, stablishing the hierarchy as in the military culture.
Dude came to the states in the prime of his basketball career as a seasoned veteran of professional basketball. He was nothing short of humble, polite, and soft spoken from the minute he showed up in SA. And I'm sure he just assumed he'd be getting a large role as a starter on the team from the get go. As it turned out, the joke was on him as he could barely scratch the rotation for two years with every excuse known to man being tossed out as to why by both Pop and every popsucker known to man. Yet he never publically criticized the organization or anything Pop did, or his lack of minutes. Now that he has finally been given some proper la ude he is showing people exactly what he could have been doing all along.
In the military culture, they don't give a if the guy is humble, polite, soft spoken. The hierarchy is in the first place. So why keep Bonner and Blair ahead in the rotation? Very militaryish thing: the seniority above the meritocracy. The order (fair to the team?) in the first place.
Then Tim was treated as a civilian.
He puts the best Group of guys on the floor when HE feels necessary.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
