In hindsight, should we have traded Diaw instead of Splitter?

[littlecoyotecoin]

Tiago plays great position defense thats what I said, but hes not gonna block shots or scare any one from driving inside on the Spurs. Will we miss Tiago in some places, sure but West is no scrub and neither is Diaw Spurs will be fine on the defensive end.

He doesn't have to scare anyone to protect the rim. He did alter shots.

[MultiTroll]

What do you call a "rim protector"?

I hope Chump doesn't comment on this.
Meh, usually stays clear of the Spurs Forum.

[JuneJive]

I don't think there ever was any intention by the PATFO to trade/salary dump Diaw / Mills.
Splitter, from the get-go, seemed like an ideal player, bussines issues included, to get moved.

His skillset is specific yet very useful to many teams, while Diaw, even though his bbiq is high, and is highly versatile, i don't see many teams willing to take him on as i don't think he can be as effective in non-Spurs surroundings.

Tiago is an excellent defender, with a soft touch on the other side. He is a player with a more sought after skillset.

[Darkwaters]

This isn't a debate about who between Splitter and Diaw is the better player. It's a debate about who fits better alongside David West in the second unit. In my view, Splitter on paper would seem to be the better fit.

Of course, as numerous people have pointed out, there were other considerations (e.g. length of the contract, health, etc). But I believe that the team ultimately would've been better off with a true center in the 2nd unit, rather than having 2 power forwards.

Pretty sure that David West wasn't available when we traded Splitter. And even if he technically was, he definitely hadn't agreed to a contract. Hindsight is 20/20 afterall - but we didn't know that West was coming until he actually came.

[K...]

It's still a mystery how much splitter is worth. I thought he was worth a late lottery pick but instead he's worth a ing greek deadbeat.

of course, we know splitter was traded to give the spurs flexibility, so he may still have been worth the pick but SA wanted to get the timing exactly right and forwent offers on draft day.





Anyway, i was going to laugh at op for hindsight, we haven't seen a minute of the new team and he wants to reconsider....but i do think that if PAFTO had known we'd get West, Mccolly, Jimmer, Simmons, and a Good KA, maybe we'd have given up mills/diaw




but trading Mills/diaw would have required some heavy lifting and persuasion.




Ultimately, the spurs went with the best choice at the time. The team is so stacked that second guessing is dumb. T/F op is a fail.

[barbacoataco]

West can handle any big man from a 2nd unit, and he really can handle just amount any big man from a starting unit. He is way stronger and tougher as a defender than some here realize.

[Nathan89]

Diaw has value to other contenders.

I rather have Diaw over Splitter. He makes us a versatile team. Can't wait to watch Lma and Diaw lineups.

[barbacoataco]

Can't wait to watch Lma and Diaw lineups.[/QUOTE]

What about having Duncan, LMA, West and Diaw to use in different combinations? They are all big men with playmaking skills and high IQ.

[littlecoyotecoin]

West can handle any big man from a 2nd unit, and he really can handle just amount any big man from a starting unit. He is way stronger and tougher as a defender than some here realize.

Stronger and tougher don't make you three inches taller, your wingspan any wider, feet any quicker, or your age ten years younger. West is a bonafide badass, but he still has some limitations.

[barbacoataco]

Who are all these 7 ft with skills playing on 2nd units around the NBA? West might give up an inch or two at the most, and he is a strong player that doesn't get pushed around. His numbers were down a little last year, but the previous 2 he ranked top 10 in NBA defensive rating. Players his age often re-energize with a new team for a year or two. Especially with the
Spurs managing his minutes. Plus his mid range jumper will make him effective coming off the bench.

[GSH]

The question is ultimately whether it was better for the Spurs to give up Splitter or Boris and (probably) Patty (given where things stood at the beginning of free agency).

I personally think that Tiago was more expendable than Boris for a number of reasons, mostly because (as others have pointed out) he's more versatile and can contribute against a lot of teams in a lot of cir stances in a lot of ways -- more than Tiago likely could, particularly given that Tiago became unplayable at times against certain types of teams.

But I don't think, at the time of the trade, that the question for the Spurs was simply Boris OR Tiago. It was Boris and Patty OR Tiago and in that instance, the decision the Spurs ultimately made is pretty clearly the better choice.

If the choice is Splitter vs. Boris + Patty, the math doesn't come close. Spurs really, really need that backup PG. If Patty is fully recovered, and as good as he was at the end of the 14 season, he's an absolute necessity.

As for Tiago vs. Boris? Just keep saying "LaMarcus Aldridge". Assume trading Tiago was the only way, and it feels pretty good.

[LiSpurs516]

Splitter helped us get to the '14 finals, but without Diaw we don't win it tbh. In terms of this off season, Tiago had to go for salary dump purposes. Personally I'd much rather see Splitter leave then diaw, used to lose my mind watching splitter get denied 3,4,5 times at the rim. So soft.

[100%duncan]

I see your point. There are certainly several matchups in the playoffs where we would be better off with Diaw than Splitter.

But you can't compare the two players in isolation. You have to look at them in the context of who they're playing with and the entire length of an 82-game regular season. Under those cir stances, I think you and I can both agree that it's better to have a rim protector in the second unit than none at all.

Because it's unfair to look at it as a rim protector vs too many playmakers issue. You have to look at what you got by trading splitter and you would have lost by trading Diaw because of salary. Another thing is that, this rim protecting traditional C is too overblown, the Spurs wont be playing against Howard, AD,Gasol every night. And like Nono said, Splitter wasnt even a rim protector but was rather an elite pnr defender and low-post defender. LMA is already a good low-post defender and can be taught to guard the pnr since he is still relatively young and quick. And you have to take in consideration who you might have lost out if you traded diaw instead etc2. Lastly, when was the last time Diaw's health became a detriment to the team? Never. Splitter was rather unreliable. Do you want to bank another season on that?

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Disagree that Boris wouldn't be valuable to other contenders, however, not to Atlanta obviously, as they have lots of PFs and needed a true center. Also, it seems the Spurs were willing to work with them on the trade instead of dumping him to another team with cap space for a lot of reasons, including sending Splitter to a good situation where he knows Bud and he'll play rather than burying him in the NBA purgatory that Philly or Sacramento are. It raises their image to FAs when they show they care about their own even when trading them. Morey or Hinkie would have probably looked for the best possible asset they could get without giving a damn about the player being traded, but not Pop and RC.

[AFMadison]

Diaw is our Robert Horry, tbh

I like that. I will miss Splitter's defense though, but one of the guys he played that great defense against during that 2014 finals run is now on our team. Bobo also stretches the floor and is our best passing big. His defense I think will come more in handy in the future, sometimes he's put on Lebron and sometimes Durant. Bobo can also stay healthy.

[sexinthatsx]

PATFO is just that much more confident in Boban Marjanovic tbh.

[Nathan89]

PATFO is just that much more confident in Boban Marjanovic tbh.

Boban doesn't factor in to the decision at all tbh.

[steeledl]

Boban doesn't factor in to the decision at all tbh.

How do you know ?

[Nathan89]

How do you know ?

He's a 5th big that won't see the court in the playoffs.

[steeledl]

He's a 5th big that won't see the court in the playoffs.

How do you know?

[glen907]

You'd rather have versatility of the bench than whatever rim protection Tiago would've offered "IF" healthy...we can play a mul ude of different lineups with the second unit depending on who we're facing at the time plus it's not like there is a plethora of dominant bigs on most teams second units, most teams go small with their bench that's not even mentioning the play making ability of Diaw and money considerations...Easy choice between Diaw and Splitter teams actually will have to guard Boris

[DeRozan m8]

People are over hyping Anderson lol

[Biernutz]

I always liked Splitter and he was good around the basket and the pick and roll. But Bobo
can play inside and outside to stretch the floor. the tipping point for me was Splitter
getting hurt all the time and Bobo on the floor..........

[mkurts]

No.

Diaw was bad but Splitter was far worse.

[703 Spurz]

no. Diaw can shoot and pass. Splitter stinks.