So why has Splitter played in just 29 of 40 games this season, averaging 11:18 per? The simplest, shortest answer is this: He is not one of the Spurs’ top five big men right now.
Tim Duncan, DeJuan Blair, Antonio McDyess and Matt Bonner are all ahead of Splitter in line for minutes right now, and the allotment of available time grows shorter on nights coach Gregg Popovich elects to go small.
Typically, having too much depth on the frontline would be fall under the heading of “good problem to have.” For Spurs fans, who have waited — often impatiently — for Splitter since the Spurs made him the 28th overall pick in the 2007 draft, it is cause for consternation.
“I’m sure that he’s frustrated and would love to be on the court,” Popovich acknowledged. “At the same time he’s been a total team positive, working hard to be ready if called upon. He’s conducted himself in a totally professional manner.”
The bigger Splitter question is this: With 42 games remaining in the regular season, does he still have time to solidify himself as part of Popovich’s playoff rotation?
“We’ll see,” Popovich said, and so will Spurs fans.