When did I blame Pop? Not agreeing with him is one thing, blaming's another.
The team's 34-6 ... not sure what I could be blaming him for.
Tiago played well when he first started getting minutes and has regressed pretty much ever since. Which leads me to believe, in combination with his body language and urgency of play, that he's fighting an unwinnable battle for minutes in his view.
One other thing that has to be considered is how much Chip and Co. have been working on his shot and game. He may not be sulking as much as all of the retooling has him thinking out there more than reacting, which could very well be the case -- just got done listening to Tiago talk about how they've been working on his shot.
But regardless, the guy doesn't suck. This is a proven player. He's not some future star or anything but given the opportunity to play minutes, get a rhythm and learn his teammates (namely the Big 3), we'll all begin to see the player he truly is and what he's capable of bringing to a contender.
Pop doesn't believe Splitter's upside and potential this year is that of someone who gives them a better chance at long-term success than Blair or Bonner. That's what I've comes to believe, anyway. I disagree -- I believe the Spurs are going to need Splitter and the only way he'll be what they need him to be is to have him get his reps, take his lumps and figure out his role out by the time the postseason rolls around.