Atlanta Hawks: Grading The Offseason
The Tiago Trade
The rest of the Western Conference may hate the Hawks for this one, but Atlanta helped add a new dimension to it roster by trading for Tiago Splitter — thereby giving the San Antonio Spurs the room needed to sign LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency.
The Hawks may have inadvertently cleared the path for the Spurs to win their sixth championship this year, but one can hardly blame them for adding such a versatile big like Splitter for the measly price of the rights to Georgios Printezis and a protected 2017 second round draft pick.
Mike Budenholzer's promotion paying off for Hawks. Surely, his relationship with Spurs helped with the Splitter trade
— Dan Feldman (@DanFeldmanNBA) July 1, 2015
Splitter, a power forward/center, is obviously not a direct replacement for DeMarre Carroll, a small forward. But his presence helps mitigate the loss of Carroll, allowing Budenholzer to get a little more creative with his frontcourt lineups. Millsap (who quickly became Atlanta’s next priority) and Horford are both versatile bigs who can pass the ball extremely well, and Splitter fits that same mold.
He also brings interior defense, a high basketball IQ and a familiarity with Atlanta’s system. Don’t forget, Budenholzer was an assistant coach for the Spurs not too long ago, and his spread offense is similar to what Splitter is used to from his time in San Antonio.
Splitter doesn’t space the floor particularly well, but he’s played alongside another big for most of his career without causing offensive problems. He crashes the boards, will help bolster the defense when he’s in and he gives the Hawks one of the more versatile frontcourts in the NBA.
Grade: A-
Next: Making Millsap Whole