Tiago Splitter: A difference maker off the Atlanta bench

Tiago Splitter has only started one game for the 2015-16 Atlanta Hawks, but has been more valuable coming off the bench as the third big in the Hawks’ rotation.

The trade made by Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer to acquire former San Antonio Spurs starting center Tiago Splitter was a move that made sense for both Atlanta and San Antonio this offseason.

Atlanta needed a third big man to compliment center Al Horford and power forward Paul Millsap now that Pero Antic elected to play back in Europe in 2015-16. San Antonio had recently acquired former Portland Trail Blazers star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge via free agency and Tiago Splitter’s minutes would have diminished playing in San Antonio in 2015-16.

In 28 games played for the Atlanta Hawks, Tiago Splitter has averaged 5.5 points per game and 3.3 rebounds per game in 15.9 minutes played per game. While this is definitely a decrease from his career averages in San Antonio (8.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG), Splitter has made the Hawks a better team when he is on the court.

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Atlanta has an 18-10 record in games that Tiago Splitter plays, but is only 6-7 in the 13 that he has missed this season. At the halfway point of the 2015-16 NBA season for the Atlanta Hawks, Tiago Splitter’s health will stand as a crucial element should the team want to orchestrate another deep playoff run this spring.

Throughout his six-year NBA career, Tiago Splitter is a great complimentary player on a sound fundamental basketball team. His career offensive rating is a staggering 116 and he’s no slouch on defense either, with a 101 career defensive rating. Splitter’s 111/105 offensive/defensive player ratings this year are still solid despite dealing with some injuries that have cost him 13 games this season.

Where I believe that Tiago Splitter can help the Atlanta Hawks the most in the second half is in a strong low post presence off the bench. Outside of Walter Tavares, who on the Atlanta Hawks’ bench is more than willing to fight in the low post for rebounds and put-back buckets? Most of Atlanta’s big men are more inclined to use their stellar jump shots like Mike Muscala and Mike Scott than to command the basketball in the paint.

Splitter provides Atlanta with a sound scoring option in the low post should Paul Millsap get in foul trouble or Al Horford prefer to play his patented mid-range game. Pero Antic would give it his all down low defensively, but was nowhere near the back-to-the-basket player of Tiago Splitter.

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Splitter’s ability to play with both physicality and grace down low aids the Atlanta Hawks should they want to make another deep playoff run. If he’s healthy down the stretch, Atlanta should play a more complete brand of basketball in the second half, possibly ascending to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference behind only the behemoth Cleveland Cavaliers.

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