Monday, April 5th, 2010...12:25 pm
Tiago Splitter’s Adjusted Plus/Minus
European basketball site In the Game is running a long list of APM observations regarding some of Europe’s best players. Regarding San Antonio Spurs draftee Tiago Splitter, they write:
Tiago Splitter is known for his high ball-IQ and sweet lowpost moves. But what about defense? Well, the opponent scores 11,51 points less per 70 possessions when he is on the court, and 5.7 percent worse on field goals. Might also have to do with the mediocre defense his backup, Stanko Barac, plays.
(Poor Stanko, always the foil.)
Last summer M. Haubs made a prescient comment. After watching Tiago Splitter compete in the World Games, Haubs wondered whether his absence from the Spurs’ roster might be the difference between them and the Lakers. Splitter, he contends, is the world’s best center not playing in the NBA.
Despite yesterday’s victory over the Lakers, I finished the game with an abiding worry.
DeJuan Blair played a mere 9 minutes in the Spurs’ victory. His lack of height is a problem against the Lakers, who, remember, were without Andrew Bynum. The Spurs’ bigman rotation against the Lakers is, more or less, Tim Duncan, Antonio McDyess and Matt Bonner. That’s problematic.
Problematic enough to make me bemoan Ian Mahinmi’s lack of development and Tiago Splitter’s absence. San Antonio could use their size against the league’s elite teams. It’s a subject for another day, but Blair’s 6’7” frame is not something Gregg Popovich can fix. Blair is a workhouse and willing competitor, and he’s certain to maximize his defensive ability against players like Gasol. But Gasol uses his height and length so well, there is only so much DeJuan Blair can do.
19 Comments
April 5th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
If we had Splitter, I don’t think it’s a stretch to think this Spurs team might be 5-6 games better and challenging for the division crown. We sorely lack a deterrent at the rim when TD isn’t on the court.
April 5th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Thanks a lot Varner,
Now I have to get my umbrella out after you’ve rained on my pre-championship parade.
April 5th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
Maybe if the Spurs drop to the 8th spot, the can play the Lakers in the 1st round where Bynum might be just getting back. that would help account for the lack of height. Would be a weird strategy, but why not try and rest the big 3 enough/not overwork them.
April 5th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
If the Spurs played this season again, they’d easily be 5-10 games better, simply because they’ve lost a lot of fluky games. They are 15-21 in games decided by less than 10 points. In past seasons, they have been closer to 25-11, and it’s really only statistical noise that is the difference.
The big deal here is the 32-8 record in games decided by 10+ points. This is the best statistical team since the last title, and they’ve gotten almost nothing from Parker. If he comes back healthy, it could be a playoffs like the ’94-’95 Rockets had.
April 5th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Shhhhhhhhhhhhh! I’ve been specifically NOT trying to think of that 95 Rockets team so as not to jinx it!!!!
April 5th, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Thanks, Tim. This is the point I repeatedly come back to in my comments: we simply do not have the right combination of height, experience, youth, depth, or defense in the paint, to “truly” contend with the likes of Cleveland, Orlando, or LA, and maybe even Dallas now.
I’m confident that Blair will someday maximize is success in dealing with his height disadvantage, but it will take some time. Very few have done it in the history of the league, but I think he can do it. It will be a big test for the Spurs coaching staff to develop him properly. I think they’re smart enough to figure it out, and even contract with specialists if needed, or helpful. Blair needs to further develop his “small ball skills” and use them (and his “strength”/girth) to his advantage against taller competition. I think he’s got the attitude, desire, and ability to do it with the right coaching. We sometimes forget that he’s only 20 years old!
April 5th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
Just to play devils advocate.
Tiago Splitter signs elsewhere in europe.
What then for the spurs?
The kind of guys i see that we would need are just not going to be available in free agency.
It would make a very interesting discussion topic.
Right now we have some superb building blocks with a potent mix of vets & youth, great guard rotation, up and coming forwards and a few solid roleplayers, but no Depth in the 7 foot department.
Who out there is someone that could be available and should be looked at?
April 5th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
heck, if we held onto Luis Scola………..
April 5th, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Not young, but Marcus Camby is a good fit, and as safe & obvious of a choice as you can get, in my view.
Again, not young, but perhaps Erik Dampier, if Dallas figures they can’t afford both he and Haywood?
We could possibly go back to Nesterovic, if he has some gas left in the tank?
A young guy that we might be able to sign is Amir Johnson, of the Raptors. He’s not very big, but he’s a 6’9″, athletic jumper/shot blocker that can defend the weak side. He also rebounds, and is only 22 years old. Something to look at if we can’t get a “real” big.
I think Tyler recently provided a list of PF/C options that are free agents in the off-season. That’s a good place to start, but really the options aren’t for the most part particularly promising, for a variety of reasons.
April 5th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
@Bushka, I don’t think it’s possible to project offseason targets until the Manu situation is resolved.
If he bolts our #1 option would have to be bringing in a distributor that would bring to the table some of the things that Manu does and that would likely come from our MLE b/c we wouldn’t have the money to sign anyone.
If he stays but costs us multi years at $12-$13 million per would we even use the MLE?
Also as much as I hate to say it, I think the only way we would be able to sign Splitter is for a 1 year deal that would allow him opportunity to go back overseas in the event of the lockout, especially if the reports on here are true about Foreign teams willing to offer him big bucks, sitting out a year would cost him anywhere from $5-$8 million. Would the Spurs sign Splitter for only one year and then risk being outbidded for him by another team with no Birds Rights?
April 5th, 2010 at 4:46 pm
Also let’s remember that if Splitter was here this year the minutes he would get would likely have decreased the role that Dejaun Blair ended up having this year, not saying that I don’t wish Splitter was here but the fact that Blair had the opportunity to be thrown right into the fire shouldn’t be forgotten.
April 5th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
What if we bring in Malik (Rose) in a special assistant role to help out Beast (along with Bruce for Hairston)?
That might offset the problem a bit.
And I’ve been thinking of the ’95 Rockets analogy since forever. *still crossing fingers*
April 5th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
@Jim Henderson, @Bushka:
Darko Milicic. Just throwing it around. I think all he needs is the professionalism of the Spurs and the tutelage of one of the greatest big men to play the game. (He’ll be cheap too. I’d rather take his upside rather than Mahinmi’s - even if he might be a bit more expensive)
I like Amir Johnson for the spurs. We’ll need a mobile big, because TD is now a C, and can’t hang with the athletic PFs of this league anymore.
April 6th, 2010 at 5:12 am
Ratliff’s failure to make the rotation/playoff roster has to be mentioned in any conversation about the Spur’s current lack of height.
April 6th, 2010 at 6:47 am
@Jethro
on one spurs blog i said that if we could have bruce as an assitant to the assistant (defense)i would sign him right away…i think if we improve blair and improve malik that would be great but then sometimes they still show inexperience…but i really wish we could sign haywood and raja then draft good c/pf in the draft…so many to list…just take a look at 10-25 possible picks for the draft that are making outstanding games in the ncaa(i mean c’s and pf’s)..i can say udoh or whiteside and there are still others to choose from,and i guess if we sign 1 yr with tiago that would be great that means we got length…pg i guess its thin,i think c.jackson was great but anyways if we send gee and curtis to the toros for improvement then that would be great,i really think ian should be in the d-league no disrespect but i see the potential but pop doesn’t play him…so sad..then if ther’s room i’d sign either gee i mean hill and tp are the pg and manu can play the pg too plus i’ve seen gee playing for the wiz and his stats in the d-league,like gee curtis is showing some brilliance in the d-league,either of the two i’d sign if there’s a room for 15 guys
April 6th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
i like the idea of bringing in darko milicic. he is a long big and his duties won’t go beyond clogging the lane and contesting shots. he also posesses more court savvy than mahinmi.
if we can’t get splitter or milicic, than we might have to consider some trade scenario.
i also think resigning mahinmi to our summer league is a good move. anyone agree? jim?
April 6th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
@BlaseE
That is a very curious comment. Intersting point when we look at the Ratliff situation. Pop received a lot of heat (and deservedly so) for his love affair with small ball and lack of PT for Ratliff. Theo has shown in Charlotte that he still has enough in the tank to make the rotation and provide blocks/boards. So why did Pop let him rot on the bench in SA? Was he saving him for the playoffs to play a Motumbo role against the lengthier teams and gave up that position midseason when it looked bleak? Surely not???Does Pop somehow NOT think we need more length, hence the lack of development for Mahimi and letting Theo go to save some money on the books? I sure hope he sees the obvious. Only time will tell. But with Pop, you can never tell what in the world he is thinking.
The Lakers are already a very tough match up due to Gasol, Odom and Artest; if and when Bynum returns it will only be worse. Not to mention, Dallas (who sucks!!!) made a great trade in getting Haywood and Butler. Their length along with a healthy Portland is a major problem for the Spurs. Manu’s resigning or not resigning does change the landscape of what FA will be in the crosshairs. I won’t hold my breath for Splitter, but it would be a welcome sight to see someone above 6’7″ playing with Timmy.
April 6th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
rj
April 6th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
“i also think resigning mahinmi to our summer league is a good move. anyone agree? jim?”
Honestly, Mahinmi baffles me. He has some very interesting skills and athleticism, but he also has some significant problems in terms of displaying effective “team” instincts, and mastering some of the base fundamentals for his position. It’s a toss-up on what the Spurs will do with with him during the off-season. I’d have to be on the “inside” to provide any meaningful opinion on his ultimate disposition after this season, but I do suspect that his “time” is running out.
May 3rd, 2010 at 2:37 pm
SPLITTER ES LO MAS DE LO MAS EL PIVOT MAS INTELIGENTE DEL MUNDO Y CON BUEN FISICO ADEMAS GUAPO QUE MAS SE PUEDE PEDIR
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