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Atlanta Hawks: Tiago Splitter and the Front-Court Rotation

By Jonathan Savitske

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The Atlanta Hawks acquired Tiago Splitter on the first day of the NBA’s free agency period in a trade that sent the Brazilian big man to Atlanta from the San Antonio Spurs.

Splitter’s addition to the Atlanta Hawks gave the team something they lacked for most of last season: a legitimate center. Though Pero Antic may have possessed a similar build to Splitter, Antic’s game could not be more different. Splitter is a traditional center whose offense primarily comes close to the basket, not away from it.

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Splitter will not space the floor and drive opposing bigs away from the basket; but he will however provide a physical presence in the paint for the Atlanta Hawks to use. His experience on a championship team, as well as his physicality will benefit the Atlanta Hawks greatly in the coming season.

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So the question is how does adding Splitter fit into the Atlanta Hawks front-court rotation? Al Horford and the newly re-signed Paul Millsap will once again make up the starting the front-court for the Hawks with the their ability to space the floor with efficient jump shooting. Mike Muscala, Mike Scott, and Walter Tavares should come off the bench in a reserve capacity, with the young Tavares no doubt learning from players such as Muscala and Splitter in his rookie season.

Splitter will have a less defined role with the Atlanta Hawks next season. His size enables the team to match up better with bigger and more physical clubs such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Head Coach Mike Budenholzer may very well insert Splitter into the starting lineup, shifting Horford down to his natural Power Forward position and Paul Millsap to the 3.

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While many Atlanta Hawks fans will cringe at the idea of Millsap moving to the wing, he demonstrated during the 2015 postseason that he is capable of playing the position. With Millsap’s developing long-range shot and adequate defense to defend opposing swingmen, inserting Splitter into the starting lineup could be advantageous for the Hawks when the need arises.

Splitter can conversely be used off the bench, providing much-needed size and offense when Horford is not on the court. He can easily be paired with almost any front-court player to create a dynamic front-line for the Hawks, whether it is Splitter and Mike Scott, Splitter and Muscala, or my personal favorite, the ultra-large lineup of Splitter and Tavares.

Whatever way the Atlanta Hawks intend to use Tiago Splitter’s services next season, it will no doubt benefit the team and afford an opportunity to clearly fill a deficiency they possessed last season. Whether in the starting lineup or coming off the bench, the addition of Tiago Splitter will give Mike Budenholzer a myriad of options on the court next season.

Next: Mike Scott Falling Out of Bud's Rotation?

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