Atlanta Hawks Player Profile: Tiago Splitter

We’ve all heard the cliché that the apple never falls too far from the tree. While this normally applies to parents and their children, the same philosophy is applicable to coaches and their former mentors. Assistant coaches who become head coaches often take elements of their old boss’ style and philosophy and apply it to their new franchise.

One example is Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer, who spent 17 years learning under Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, the greatest coach of this era and one of the best of all time. Pop built a philosophy that favored ball movement, surgical and methodical decision-making by players on the floor, and a full embrace of the NBA spacing revolution.

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Coach Bud has taken the same principle with his job in Atlanta. Now, his next test as coach will be accommodating a different style of player that he acquired from his former mentor. Brazilian center Tiago Splitter was traded from San Antonio to Atlanta over the summer, and while his fit is not great, his contribution will be substantial.

Splitter has always been something of a quiet workhorse. Playing next to three Hall of Famers and one of the best young players in the league will do that to a guy whose job is to do the physical work inside and not get a lot of touches on offense. However, Splitter was an underrated aspect of the Spurs’ success machine.

His primary function on offense is as a pick-and-roll roll man. While he’s not a monster athlete like Tyson Chandler or DeAndre Jordan, he’s got both craft and strength to finish at the rim effectively. Per NBA.com, 84 percent of his shot attempts came while tightly or very tightly defended, so he must be finishing through or around someone quite often.

He also possesses a solid mid-post game. He can hit floaters or hook shots if he finds the room, making him a good dumping target for trapped guards in the interior. He’s also a fine passer, which should ease his transition from Pop’s offense to the offshoot run by the Hawks.

The Hawks under Budenholzer have really never played a big like Splitter for heavy minutes. Their frontcourt rotation last season was Paul Millsap, Pero Antic, Mike Scott and Al Horford. The first three all took more than 2.5 three-pointers per 36 minutes last season, and Horford is one of the best midrange shooting bigs in the NBA. On the flip side, Splitter attempted a grand total of 17 shots from outside eight feet last season.

This is where his presence creates complications. Coach Bud is all shooting, all the time. I’ve used this clip before, but this play really stands out to me as the 2014-15 Hawks condensed into one play. The spacing and unselfish motion just leaves the Brooklyn Nets’ defense dazed.

To be fair, the Nets basically ignored Antic on the perimeter there, but the fact remains that the Hawks putting five shooters on the floor and moving the ball among them is what made them a great team last season. Having Splitter does alter the dynamic a bit.

However, Splitter is fast on the roll and can move the ball, so he doesn’t have to just stand within five feet until it’s time to set a screen. Defenses will still not be stretched as much on the perimeter when he’s on the floor, but sometimes those sacrifices have to be made.

His high basketball I.Q. and awareness make Splitter a gifted passer at his position. He isn’t fancy with the ball, but he knows how to find tight windows and quickly execute and accurate pass. In this clip, Splitter never even breaks his focus from Tony Parker. He basically just gives Parker a split second to get separation.

A driving Jeff Teague will also be able to profit from that kind of pass just as well.

Splitter also had excellent big-to-big communication with Tim Duncan, and they could share the ball and space in the paint very effectively. With a frontcourt pair that has no stretch big, being able to share space is difficult on both ends of the floor. DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin are a recent example of two dominant inside forces who had to learn to coexist.

Duncan and Splitter had this down, though. Both of them are gifted passers (though Duncan is transcendent while Splitter is just very good). Finding those tight windows around defenders for the other big man takes awareness and talent, both of which Splitter can bring to the table.

The Brazilian big is more known for his defense, and it is there where he excels. For example, in the 2015 playoffs, opponents (meaning the Los Angeles Clippers) had a 99.6 offensive rating with Splitter on the floor, and a 112.0 rating with him off, according to Basketball-Reference.

Splitter is primarily labeled as a rim protector, but he brings a lot of different defensive skills. He doesn’t have the speed to cover guards on the perimeter, but his 7’2″ wingspan allows him to chase down faster players and block/disrupt their shot. He’s an intelligent help defender as well.

Last season was actually not Splitter’s best on the defensive end. After holding opponents to 44.7 percent shooting at the rim, Splitter allowed 50 percent last season. In part, this was due to the calf and back issues that nagged him throughout the season.

While Splitter isn’t a monster shot blocker, healthy or not, he still has a few emphatic “Hell no!” moments.

The Hawks will benefit from having a genuine rim protector. While they are both plus defenders, neither Horford nor Millsap can bring the same level of power in the paint that Splitter does.

The Hawks were also 28th in total rebounds and last in offensive rebounds. While Splitter is not a glass cleaner, he battles for rebounds and the Hawks can tolerate not having five shooters on the floor if it can net them more on the boards.

In general, that’s the point of the Hawks having Splitter. He’s a different kind of player than they have previously used, and adjustments will be needed to account for his presence on the floor. However, the team seems to have recognized that wavering slightly from its usual ethos is good for the team.

Giving a little in one area to gain in a different area is how great teams are usually constructed. Assuming his health concerns do not resurface, Splitter brings a needed new dynamic for the Hawks. The expectations, even if he comes off the bench only when the matchup needs his skills, should be high for the next stop of Splitter’s career.

Stats courtesy of NBA.com unless otherwise noted

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