I'd say that more people get that than don't.
The beauty of this Spurs team (like some others from the past) is that their depth and versatility make them well-suited to play against almost any style and to deal with almost any matchup issue. It would be asinine of Popovich to say that the only way the Spurs will play is the way that they most often play. That sort of stubbornness was one of the things that Spurs fans criticized Pop for in the early years of his tenure. They wouldn't have played themselves into each of the last 2 Finals if Pop had insisted that 2 bigs was the only way his team could possibly play.
It all boils down to match-ups and the Spurs have the versatility to match-up with anyone. We don't dominate teams like Memphis without Tiago. There's a reason Memphis is a tough out for any team in this league, and it's their inside presence. Tiago helps negate that. He's a huge asset for the Spurs. Tiago's contract was worth it.
The problem is that he went away from that incredible team/lineup since then, he underplayed Boris massively even in the Finals...
The bottom line is that you can't argue with the result if they win, the problem is that there's still an argument because 1/ they lost 2/ Splitter was the worst player in the Finals and 3/ when Pop goes back to that incredible 2012 lineup we beat the only team that beat that 2012 team... So there's a pretty clear argument that they got it wrong.
That 2012 lineup didn't beat the 2012 Thunder; they beat the 2014 Thunder. And with that, Tiago's minutes may have been diminished from other rounds (and the regular season), but his ability to credibly spell Duncan when Pop went to the Big + Stretch 4 lineups to matchup better with the 2014 Thunder was also important.
As it is, Tiago is basically paid like a middle-of-the-pack center and there's plenty of reason to think they've gotten a bargain in getting him at that price (and on a contract that apparently gets smaller and smaller by the year).
I think it's really hard to argue that Tiago and his contract have cost the Spurs in any significant way. The much stronger argument is that Tiago is a significant part of the Spurs successes and that they don't get to consecutive Finals if Tiago isn't on the roster and doing the things that he has done for this team.
This franchise is far from perfect. However, the difference between this team, and say a certain big market team out east, is they dont give out cap destroying contracts and rarely pay over market value. As cliche as it might sound, big men are prized specifically cerebral big men like Splitter. When they do sign a lame ass player ie Jefferson, they move them, or cut their loses.
Baam i've asked you this same question a billion times and you always dodge it. it i'll try again
what did you think of Splitter's defense against Dirk and Aldridge?
Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam Baam
I just can't fathom how Splitter's contract could possibly be worse now than it was a year ago. If you think it was bad then it has to be better now because it decreases and is a year closer to expiring.
Also, Splitter's defense > Diaw's offense imo.
there's nothing to disagree. Without Tiago we have noone to guard Dirk and we get sent home in the 1st round. pretty ing simple
the same thing can be said about round 2 and Lamarcus
$10M for someone who didin't do last year... PATFO got lucky he ended up being useful for 2 rounds
Aaaaaaaand now he'll be a (-) for the final 2 rounds
Tiago is an elite rim protector/pick and roll defender. And oh yeah, he can play elite man-to-man defense on LMA and Dirk. Sure, he can't play against teams that like to play small, but then he becomes the best backup Center in the league.
You lock those guys up for as long as you can.
He was stastically the worst player of the Finals so I dont think it's clear about him being such a great backup center...
Steal of a contract. Don't forget the deal is front loaded, so there will actually be some cap Releif as the years go on.
Boris had a great year this year. He's is also older.
he is so much better then lopez
splitter d during the season helped keep Duncan so he is effective in postseason and does not look like kg
3 years age difference is also a thing. Splitter would also get a lot of interest just because he's a center... they get interest on the market regardless of talent
Tiago's contract sounded good last year. He played even better this year, asserted himself in his role, and was key in the first 2 rounds of the playoffs, especially against Dirk. Therefore his contract looks even better right now.
The issue with Diaw is what's the best he can get from another team? His Charlotte days scare some, and those that might like him don't have cap space or are rebuilding. Could Kobe tolerate Boris (it would be fun watching).
Meanwhile, Portland was interest in Splitter.
I'm more concerned with Mills.
The fact that the Spurs don't have any dominant player anymore makes it especially hard to stick to a basic rotation and still prevail against the NBA's very best. The Spurs have managed to build an incredibly versatile roster that gets things done in many different scenarios. He's one of the big reasons why teams with big scoring frontcourts are not a problem anymore. Tiago has been crucial in several playoff series, and useful centers come expensive. Overreacting to a player struggles against certain teams is particularly wrong with this team.
/ Thread
Baam brings bunk takes on the reg imo tbh
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