#1 Tiago Splitter
7-0, Center, 1985, Tau Vitoria (Brazil)
Dimitris Ritsonis
Another Euroleague season, and another year in Vitoria for Splitter, with the court likely filled with NBA scouts looking to see whether his potential and improvement will surpass his buy-out difficulties and finally make him an NBA lottery pick.
Although he is right there talent-wise, Tiago has the obvious drawback that most top European teams make sure to impose on their young players in order to not lose them to the NBA or rival European clubs that easily. The buy-out is still undetermined, but is rumored to be either negotiable or high enough to prevent Splitter from becoming a lottery contender. When approached about the subject by DraftExpress Jonathan Givony at the Las Vegas Summer league, Tau Vitorias GM assured that the club will not stand in Tiago Splitters path this time around.
Still, as mentioned dozens of times here at Draftexpress, Splitter has been one of the best and most experienced young players around, scouted very closely since his arrival in Vitoria from Brazil. Spanish powerhouse Tau Ceramica helped him progress in an excellent way, so that he now has become one of the best big men in international basketball, having extensively proven himself in all the top levels of basketball, including at the recent World Championships, when he was Brazil's best player.
Nice footwork, an improving defensive game, good rebounding instincts and positioning, a regained confidence in his mid-range jumper and some nice post moves come to play along with his excellent size, fine athletic ability and high competitiveness. His ability to become a great interior force, though a second offensive option most of the times both for Tau and Brazil, is beginning to emerge.
Although he has always been overshadowed by Argentinean super star Luis Scola, a Euroleague MVP candidate again this year, Splitter has stepped up in some cases and this has been proven good early in the ACB season, where many times he was the team's go-to guy in the paint, before he got injured and missed a couple of games. Additionally, Scola's defensive limitations have helped Splitter become the team's best defensive presence, pushing and gaining confidence in the post, while he is a nice help defender too. His improving passing game and nice ball-handling skills make give him some potential at the power forward spot as well, although he will spend most of the time at center, being Tau's only guy who can really excel there.
Although he is a top candidate for the U-22 award this year and probably the best Euroleague player around when it comes to NBA potential, Splitter will again meet similar difficulties he had in the past, referring to both his strength (hes still yet to fully grow into his frame) and his offensive tools. Nobody asks from Tiago to compete with Scola for shots, as he is hardly that mentally strong and doesnt possess as much in terms of post moves or power down low, but this season it is necessary for him to become more stable offensively for both his sake as well as his teams. Tau is again among the very best teams in Europe and Tiago's improvement will be very important for their journey towards another Final Four, and maybe this time the title.
Although he is right there talent-wise, Tiago has the obvious drawback that most top European teams make sure to impose on their young players in order to not lose them to the NBA or rival European clubs that easily. The buy-out is still undetermined, but is rumored to be either negotiable or high enough to prevent Splitter from becoming a lottery contender. When approached about the subject by DraftExpress Jonathan Givony at the Las Vegas Summer league, Tau Vitorias GM assured that the club will not stand in Tiago Splitters path this time around.
Still, as mentioned dozens of times here at Draftexpress, Splitter has been one of the best and most experienced young players around, scouted very closely since his arrival in Vitoria from Brazil. Spanish powerhouse Tau Ceramica helped him progress in an excellent way, so that he now has become one of the best big men in international basketball, having extensively proven himself in all the top levels of basketball, including at the recent World Championships, when he was Brazil's best player.
Nice footwork, an improving defensive game, good rebounding instincts and positioning, a regained confidence in his mid-range jumper and some nice post moves come to play along with his excellent size, fine athletic ability and high competitiveness. His ability to become a great interior force, though a second offensive option most of the times both for Tau and Brazil, is beginning to emerge.
Although he has always been overshadowed by Argentinean super star Luis Scola, a Euroleague MVP candidate again this year, Splitter has stepped up in some cases and this has been proven good early in the ACB season, where many times he was the team's go-to guy in the paint, before he got injured and missed a couple of games. Additionally, Scola's defensive limitations have helped Splitter become the team's best defensive presence, pushing and gaining confidence in the post, while he is a nice help defender too. His improving passing game and nice ball-handling skills make give him some potential at the power forward spot as well, although he will spend most of the time at center, being Tau's only guy who can really excel there.
Although he is a top candidate for the U-22 award this year and probably the best Euroleague player around when it comes to NBA potential, Splitter will again meet similar difficulties he had in the past, referring to both his strength (hes still yet to fully grow into his frame) and his offensive tools. Nobody asks from Tiago to compete with Scola for shots, as he is hardly that mentally strong and doesnt possess as much in terms of post moves or power down low, but this season it is necessary for him to become more stable offensively for both his sake as well as his teams. Tau is again among the very best teams in Europe and Tiago's improvement will be very important for their journey towards another Final Four, and maybe this time the title.