TIago Splitter fights for position against Hawks center Al Horford. Photo Credit: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule
Many mixed emotions were on display at the news of the San Antonio Spurs re-signing big man Tiago Splitter to a four-year contract worth $36 million.
After a disappointing NBA Finals in which the Miami Heat exposed his ineffectiveness against their smallball strategy, Splitter saw his minutes go down after each game, was on the receiving end of the block seen around the world by LeBron James in Game 2 and left many wondering if he should be retained by San Antonio.
What many forget is that without Splitter, the Spurs possibly don’t make it to the Finals. His seven games against Miami shouldn’t eclipse the impact he had on the Spurs in the previous 93. Against the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals, his defense against Zach Randolph proved to be the difference maker, holding Z-Bo to 11 points per game, compared to 19.7 points in the playoffs before the series.
He ranked 16th in points allowed in the post and forced his opponents to shoot 41.3 percent overall. Not only that, but his qualities on the other end of the floor, such as basketball IQ, passing and ability to run the pick-and-roll, make him a key cog on offense as well.
Tiago just couldn’t find his place in the Finals and found himself sitting on the bench, but against the other 28 teams in the league he can prove to be effective. Especially in today’s NBA free agency market, it’s no secret that big men are hot commodities that are often overpaid, some based solely on potential without proven production.
Here are a few examples of recent contracts that give an idea of the going rate of big men in the league:
· DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers center: signed to a four year, $43 million contract after averaging 7.1 points and 7.2 rebounds the previous season.
· Omer Asik, Houston Rockets center: signed to a three-year, $25 million contract after averaging 3.1 points and 5.3 rebounds the previous season with the Chicago Bulls.
· JaVale McGee, Denver Nuggets center: signed to a four-year, $44 million contract after averaging 11.3 points and 7.8 rebounds in a split season with the Washington Wizards and Denver.
It seems as though Splitter will be vastly overpaid if you only look at his line of 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, but taking into account the big-man market and his contributions that don’t show up on a stat sheet, this contract is worth the risk. Not only that, but it’s also good for the Spurs to have negotiated their way through and not allow Splitter to sign an offer sheet elsewhere.
Just as the Bulls couldn’t afford Omer Asik’s three-year, $25 million contract and as the Knicks could not with Jeremy Lin, Spurs could have suffered from a back-loaded contract that would have made it difficult to retain him or to rebuild with him beyond 2015 when the contracts of the Spurs’ big three all expire.
Ultimately, the Spurs got value that they can’t argue with. Major moves aren’t needed for a team that let a championship slip through its fingers.