Why Splitter doesn't play more

[choppsboy]

I would love to see Splitter getting at least 30 minutes a game. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why Pop doesn't play him more.

Then, as I watch Splitter gasping for air, a possible reason came to me.

If you look at Splitter's game, he is constantly running. He runs the floor, he runs out to set the pick and then runs to the basket. If the pick doesn't work, he runs right back.

I think he runs more than any big man I have ever seen. I don't know if he can keep that pace up in a game for more than 15 minutes at a time.

What do you all think?

[Uwe Blab]

I have a feeling he'll get more minutes in the playoffs, along with Diaw. Blair didn't even play the second half yesterday, if I recall correctly. But you're right, his best game is the pick and roll, and you have to move a lot to get those shots.

[grizzly_bexar]

He is somewhat injury prone. I think that and the fact that we maximize his effectiveness when he has the most room in the paint mean that he plays with Bonner most often and can't really play with Blair.

[MichaelWi101]

I don't have a problem with his minutes especially since we now have Diaw to come in and play. My problem is that Blair continues to start against the taller lines and I'm sorry but for all his hustle he just doesn't have the length to be much of a factor. And I noticed that even when he has good box out positioning sometime the opposition simply reaches over his head to grab the rebound.

I'd like to see Blair with the 2nd unit giving 15 minutes or so a game, if he can stay positive and provide hustle.

[Bryhn]

Hopefully pop us trying to avoid injury and or not showing his cards yet, because splitter can help us a lot with more minutes

[JuanCaca]

since splitter injury, it seems that he is not 100%
maybe he is one of those ultra slow recovery guys...

[Rodny21a]

Pop is stubborn. He did it with Finley's last two years here. At least in Finley's case maybe the argument could be made that there wasn't another person on the bench better than him.(this doesn't explain using Finley as a power forward though)

Blair is the current Micheal Finley. He is a guy pop is going to play because that is how he wants it to be. The Bottom line is he is the fifth best big on the Spurs. If you are ranking Centers in the NBA on Talent(injury pron smingery Prone) then Splitter would be a top 12 center and Blair wouldn't even start at center on any of the other 29 teams in the NBA. That is just a fact. He is playing center(Finely played power forward in certain lineups....)

So there is no Justifiable reason why he gets more minutes than splitter, why get gets more touches than splitter, why he gets more shots than splitter. He does because Pop Makes it so.

Again early in the year maybe there was a case that you had no other bigs on the Bench better than Blair. However, with his recent performance and with the recent acquisition a case can be made that if you rank the Front court 4', 5's on the roster it would go like this.

1. Duncan (goes with out saying)
2. Splitter(facts are facts and he has the highest FG%)
3. Diaw (maybe a case can be made here that he has certain weakness and has shown focus problems in his career)
4. Bonner(at least he has the potential to hit 3's and for what ever defensive liability he brings to the table and that is something plus he fist in to Pop's professed style of play)
5. Blair(he is a defensive sieve against a guys who are longer and taller than him. This whole "he is physical" argument is dead because his rebound rate is headed south, He has a very limited offensive game, LOL a "center" shooting floaters, and he makes way to many "dumb" plays,

So the bottom line question to why Splitter gets limited time.

Because Pop is a wizard and he makes it so. We all just have to live and die with it.

[Uwe Blab]

Originally Posted by Rodny21a

Pop is stubborn. He did it with Finley's last two years here. At least in Finley's case maybe the argument could be made that there wasn't another person on the bench better than him.(this doesn't explain using Finley as a power forward though)

Blair is the current Micheal Finley. He is a guy pop is going to play because that is how he wants it to be. The Bottom line is he is the fifth best big on the Spurs. If you are ranking Centers in the NBA on Talent(injury pron smingery Prone) then Splitter would be a top 12 center and Blair wouldn't even start at center on any of the other 29 teams in the NBA. That is just a fact. He is playing center(Finely played power forward in certain lineups....)

So there is no Justifiable reason why he gets more minutes than splitter, why get gets more touches than splitter, why he gets more shots than splitter. He does because Pop Makes it so.

Again early in the year maybe there was a case that you had no other bigs on the Bench better than Blair. However, with his recent performance and with the recent acquisition a case can be made that if you rank the Front court 4', 5's on the roster it would go like this.

1. Duncan (goes with out saying)
2. Splitter(facts are facts and he has the highest FG%)
3. Diaw (maybe a case can be made here that he has certain weakness and has shown focus problems in his career)
4. Bonner(at least he has the potential to hit 3's and for what ever defensive liability he brings to the table and that is something plus he fist in to Pop's professed style of play)
5. Blair(he is a defensive sieve against a guys who are longer and taller than him. This whole "he is physical" argument is dead because his rebound rate is headed south, He has a very limited offensive game, LOL a "center" shooting floaters, and he makes way to many "dumb" plays,

So the bottom line question to why Splitter gets limited time.

Because Pop is a wizard and he makes it so. We all just have to live and die with it.

I actually agree with you Rodny. I'm wondering if it's because Blair has a personality that doesn't take well to being on the bench, and Pop is coaching to that personality. It hasn't hurt anything yet. It will in the playoffs, and that's probably when we'll see Diaw take over Blair's minutes. Splitter works very well with the second unit, so I don't see him starting.

[choppsboy]

Originally Posted by Uwe Blab

I actually agree with you Rodny. I'm wondering if it's because Blair has a personality that doesn't take well to being on the bench, and Pop is coaching to that personality. It hasn't hurt anything yet. It will in the playoffs, and that's probably when we'll see Diaw take over Blair's minutes. Splitter works very well with the second unit, so I don't see him starting.

I mostly agree with both of you on Pop's mindset on this.

It will only hurt us against 2 teams - Lackers because of the Bynum Gasol combination, and Memphis because of Gasol and Randolf.

Against the Lackers, it only hurts us if Kobe is smart enough to let Gynum dominate. . . . . . . but I don't see that happening if Kobe is healthy.

Basically, Kobe plays the other night, and the Spurs win.

[Jose_TheGenius]

Originally Posted by choppsboy

I mostly agree with both of you on Pop's mindset on this.

It will only hurt us against 2 teams - Lackers because of the Bynum Gasol combination, and Memphis because of Gasol and Randolf.

Against the Lackers, it only hurts us if Kobe is smart enough to let Gynum dominate. . . . . . . but I don't see that happening if Kobe is healthy.

Basically, Kobe plays the other night, and the Spurs win.

agree with you guys. i wouldn't be shocked into seeing Pop switching the lineups (since we all play so well together) before the playoffs either (sort of to get that feeling of an injury before the playoffs with our bigs).

Blair doesn't work against any team realistically. he outsmarts the younger teams but the veteran teams know what to do against him. the Lakers will have Bynum camping out in the lane the whole time since he can't shoot (and Parker won't penetrate). that's where we need him to not play. Diaw/Parker P&R may work, i would say start Bonner and make Gasol and Bynum go to the perimeter since Duncan can shoot. Splitter/Duncan doesn't work either without a balanced guy next to them where they can kick it out far enough or make them move more.

truth is this: we play small-slow ball with Blair every night. we can't do that with the Lakers. we're better off starting Leonard/Bonner/Jackson at PF vs. the Lakers than Blair. they at least give us an advantage on offense vs. their bigs in some way (like shooting) than with Blair who doesn't give us an advantage in anything.

[ibanezsr]

Originally Posted by Uwe Blab

I actually agree with you Rodny. I'm wondering if it's because Blair has a personality that doesn't take well to being on the bench, and Pop is coaching to that personality. It hasn't hurt anything yet. It will in the playoffs, and that's probably when we'll see Diaw take over Blair's minutes. Splitter works very well with the second unit, so I don't see him starting.

I hear a lot of people say Pop is coaching to Blair's personality. If that is true I just don't get it. Start a guy that ranks 5th on the team for big men just because he will possibly throw a fit if he doesn't start??? If that is the case than Pop has grown mega soft. He is sacrificing the quality of the team for one selfish "kid"? It boggles my mind. And usually Bonner is the 1st big off the bench. Blows my mind as well. Pop better have a plan up his sleeve because if Blair continues to start and Bonner continues to be 1st big off the bench this team won't stand a chance.

[Mombear]

[Dulce]

[MichaelWi101]

rookie, rookie, rookie

[Uwe Blab]

Instigate much, Rodny?

[katyspursfan]

No he won't.

Jose doesn't usually think once, let alone twice

It was too easy to leave alone, Jose

[Jose_TheGenius]

Originally Posted by Rodny21a

Nope... just giving just deserts when a member/moderator goes and starts a Facebook thread calling me out and then weeks later parrots me for for the very same thing he he called me out for.

rookie? Ok. But boorish behavior is boorish behavior. He acted boorishly. I've responded in kind. Now maybe he will think twice before acting boorishly and with condescension towards the members he is supposed to moderate.

it's called a comparison with Blair over the rest of the guys we can play in that position, not saying we SHOULD start Bonner vs. EVERY team.

yes i got owned....not really....if it helps your ego, sure

*thinks about putting pictures on this post to maximize the legitimacy like yours, but then again, i'm 25 years old, I've been out of high school for 7 years*

[Rodny21a]

Originally Posted by Jose_TheGenius

it's called a comparison with Blair over the rest of the guys we can play in that position, not saying we SHOULD start Bonner vs. EVERY team.

yes i got owned....not really....if it helps your ego, sure

*thinks about putting pictures on this post to maximize the legitimacy like yours, but then again, i'm 25 years old, I've been out of high school for 7 years*

Originally Posted by katyspursfan

No he won't.

Jose doesn't usually think once, let alone twice

It was too easy to leave alone, Jose

[Jose_TheGenius]

Originally Posted by Rodny21a

[choppsboy]