Wish your former star well Caja Laboral Baskonia fans, and be very afraid NBA Western Conference, for today it’s (reportedly) official: Tiago Splitter has come to terms with the San Antonio Spurs on a multi-year deal for an as-yet undisclosed amount.
San Antonio sports radio station KTKR-AM broke the news, going on to report that Splitter is expected to sign the contract on Monday.
With San Antonio’s budget wiggle-room now presumably all taken up and Matt Bonner re-signed, this will probably mark the end of the Spurs’ off-season moves – barring that rumored Tony Parker-to-New York trade.
In ACB (Spanish League) play in 2009-10, Splitter statistically dominated the Spanish League to take the season MVP award and later the championship series MVP nod as well.
Splitter led the ACB “playing ranking value” over 27 of the league’s 34 weeks. He ended up ranking first in ranking points per game (at 21.2, he blew away second-place finisher Gerald Fitch’s 17.9); sixth in scoring at 15.7 ppg; eighth in boards at 6.72 rpg; third in defensive rebounds with 4.9 per game; 14th in blocks at 0.76 per; fourth in total free-throw attempts (despite missing five games); and first in fouls drawn (with a crazy 5.72 per game).
And the verdict from ESPN TrueHoop Network blog 48 Minutes of Hell: “Between Splitter and James Anderson […] this offseason, given expectations, has been a success.”
Video follows, just to pump Spurs backers up a bit more (yeah, like they need it). For a sneak preview of the ACB MVP’s skills, San Antonio faithful will surely be tuning into the FIBA World Championship, in which Splitter is still expected to be leading Team Brazil.
