Playing only one of Duncan and Splitter alongside a "stretch 4" makes the most sense but I can see Pop going back with Tim and Tiago starting. In the regular season it won't matter much.
So against OKC and Miami, we were basically 5-0 combined when Bonner/Diaw started and Pop didn't put Splitter/Duncan out on the court together. I honestly think the Parker/Green/Leonard/Diaw/Duncan lineup is best against the majority of teams, not just OKC or Miami. When Diaw is playing aggressively, he makes our offense practically unstoppable. I can't help but think Pop knew how effective that lineup was, but just didn't use it too much in order to preserve some strategy for the playoffs.
Will Pop go back to the Splitter/Duncan pairing next year during the regular season?
I know it's early to be talking about strategy for next season already, but I thought about it and it made me curious![]()
Playing only one of Duncan and Splitter alongside a "stretch 4" makes the most sense but I can see Pop going back with Tim and Tiago starting. In the regular season it won't matter much.
Pairing makes sense against most teams other than Heat and Thunder. Splitter did wonders on Aldridge and Dirk, and likewise would do the same against the Clippers, Grizzlies and others. Houston and GS maybe less so, but either way it doesn't matter much in the regular season.
If only Splitter had ANY range outside of the paint...
Yes. It lessens the defensive load that Duncan has to carry over the course of a season as Tiago is an elite defensive big tbh.
I'm hoping Splitter adds a jumper to his game over the summer. For spacing purposes and my personal enjoyment tbh.
He doesn't have another option. Diaw is a bench player at heart. If the Spurs can swing a deal for Young or Ilyasova, then that'd be for the best.
That's not the real question, he may or he may not but they have trade Tiago for sure...
It doesn't matter as long as you have an incredible bench to make for the broken starting unit... Manu will be one year older... Beli is MIA since the All Star break, Mills may get a bigger role elsewhere...
So basically it could really matter.
Playing them together won a championship. Why change.
Yes. Just change it against OKC and Miami.
Splitter defended Dirk and LMA very well, a thing that TD couldn't do anymore in a consistent basis in a 4-7 game series.
Splitter is the best man-to-man defender among the bigs. Timmy is the best rim protector. Against teams that have an elite offensive big and an elite guard (e.g. Dallas with Dirk/Monta, Portland with Aldridge/Lillard, Houston with Howard/Harden, etc) Tim and Tiago will work well.
Teams like OKC and Miami are best when they play small. Diaw is a must vs those teams with his combination of mobility, post play, dribbling, passing etc
This. The only reason we had to switch to a stretch four was to guard their stretch four.
It saves a tremendous amount of wear and tear on Duncan through a long season. I would like to see 25 minutes a game for Duncan during the regular season.
It also hides our best line-up and makes it harder for the other team to prepare for it.
The Splitter haters won't accept how critical he has been in extending Duncan's expiration date and how difficult it would have been to fill that role if he had left in free agency.
Yeah exactly. It allows Duncan to take the easier assignment defensively throughout most of the season and lets Splitter bang a little more.
I'm interested to see what happens with Baynes as well. Guy has shown some good flashes. I think he deserves a shot at some consistent minutes.
This. With Splitter I can see Duncan playing another couple years.
Agreed. I'd like to see Baynes take the minutes that are left over from Bonner, assuming Bonner doesn't come back on the cheap.
Unless Ayres shows drastic improvement over the off-season and learns how to actually catch a damn basketball, Baynes should have first shot at that spot.
Splitter-Duncan works extremely well through the regular season and was instrumental through the first half of the playoffs. OKC and Miami are special cases.
I also like Diaw off the bench. The bench is well-poised with him and Ginobili to murder teams, plus Diaw in the second unit helps take some wear off Ginobili as well.
Splitter ain't going anywhere, and likely stays in the first unit, thankfully.
It actually didn't work well in the latest regular season, it's revisionist history by the Splitter lovers.
And while it might save Duncan a bit on defense his offense goes to and it puts pressure on Ginobili off the bench to make up for the broken starting unit...
Really it's a simple decision, he has to go, ideally you trade him for picks to ensure that you have a contender in the post Duncan era.
I almost think you didn't watch the Spurs at all this year.
I did, the bench made up for the starting unit most of the season...
No, just functionally re ed.
Everything this guy said.
Unit Min Off Def +/- W L Win% Parker-Green-Leonard-Duncan-Splitter 262 1.04 .90 72 17 9 65 Parker-Green-Leonard-Diaw-Duncan 103 1.17 .88 63 16 4 80
It's clear as day that Splitter can't start anymore, sure you can get away with it in the regular season because there's more ty teams than good teams but against the best it doesn't work at all...
You start Boris and you get some more 20 games winning streak just like when he first got here...
Last edited by Baam; 06-17-2014 at 11:22 AM.
Also the player who is the most impacted by the starting PF is Kawhi, if you want to make Kawhi an All Star you start Boris, no question... That may be the number one reason Boris is gonna get the nod.
you start splitter and duncan
not like you are going to bring Duncan off the bench
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