HOUSTON — Luis Scola and Tiago Splitter went from South America to Spain to Texas.
Only now are they in a different place.
There was a time when the Spurs wondered if Scola and Tim Duncan were a good fit on the court together.
Today, the Spurs have to wonder if they have any other choice but to play Splitter with Duncan.
Scola met Splitter when Splitter was just 15 years old. “He was a little kid,” Scola said Saturday, smiling, and that’s a memory that would surprise some. Splitter already was close to his 6-foot-11 size then.
Scola also remembers him as smart. They were teammates for five years in Spain, where Splitter admits Scola was the better player.
But Scola says Splitter improved, year by year, and Saturday showed how much. Then, with Duncan sitting out, Splitter went for a career-high and team-high 25 points on ?11-of-13 shooting.
“He’s a big-time pro,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said afterward. “He’s a workhorse … he plays the game the right way.”
He did that most notably in the fourth quarter. He posted, worked with Tony Parker, scored with an offensive rebound and generally gave the Spurs a chance.
Asked if Splitter needed to be on the court more, Popovich shrugged. “It’s hard to get him on the court any more than he is because he is playing a lot. There are only two bigs at a time, and sometimes only one because teams play small. He’s getting as much time as I can play him.”
It’s not much time. Splitter was averaging just 20 minutes coming into Houston. The 25 minutes he played against Sacramento the night before was the most since opening night.
There are reasons. Matchups dictate different lineups, as does the rotation. Starting DeJuan Blair with Duncan, for example, allows Popovich to have either Duncan or Splitter in the lineup.
Splitter says he understands. Besides, it’s not his job to decide such things. “It is Pop’s job,” he said.
Popovich’s decisions are changing this season, though, as he learns more about his roster. And what he keeps learning, as Splitter gets more and more comfortable with the NBA game, is that his backup center might be even better than he thought.
For example, has Popovich already been rethinking the night before against Sacramento? Then, with the Spurs’ shooters missing as they did again Saturday, they failed to go to Splitter in the post. He had only six attempts in the game.
It’s becoming clearer Splitter needs more touches and more time. And eventually, as Popovich and his staff debate the pros and cons of various lineups, they will come to an issue that once included Scola.
Who is the best fit next to Duncan?
Scola says no one with the Spurs ever told him he couldn’t play with Duncan. But among the reasons the Spurs traded him to the Rockets was this:
Would they get in each other’s way on the low block? Did Duncan need another kind of complement other than a scorer?
The years have changed the equation, with Duncan drifting farther out on offense. But so has the roster. Even if the defensive matchups aren’t ideal, sometimes the best players have to be on the floor no matter.
In Duncan’s absence, Splitter looked like one of them. Popovich spoke afterward as if he is one of them, too, as did Scola. He thinks Splitter will be a solid NBA big man for years to come.
So when asked if his former teammate, if this onetime “little kid,” could play next to Duncan, as some once questioned whether he could, Scola said what Popovich and his assistants are likely saying today.
“Why not?” Scola asked.
bharvey@express-news.net
– Associated Press photos
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Rockets 105, Spurs 102 – Jan. 21, 2012
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich gestures to his players in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs’ DeJuan Blair (45) and Houston Rockets’ Samuel Dalembert, right, battle for the ball in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (AP)
Houston Rockets’ Chandler Parsons (25) passes the ball over San Antonio Spurs’ Richard Jefferson (24) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs’ DeJuan Blair (45) bowls over Houston Rockets’ Patrick Patterson (54) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Houston. Blair was called for an offensive foul on the play. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (AP)
Houston Rockets’ Patrick Patterson, center, is double-teamed by San Antonio Spurs Gary Neal (14) and Richard Jefferson (24) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs’ Richard Jefferson chews on his shirt in the final minutes of an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Houston. The Rockets won 105-102. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker (9) passes the ball under pressure from Houston Rockets’ Samuel Dalembert (21) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Houston. The Rockets won 105-102. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (AP)
Houston Rockets’ Patrick Patterson (54) and San Antonio Spurs’ Richard Jefferson (24) go after a loose ball in the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Houston. The Rockets won 105-102. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (AP)
Houston Rockets Courtney Lee (5) and Jordan Hill (27) watch the final seconds of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Houston. The Rockets won 105-102. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (AP)
Houston Rockets coach Kevin McHale questions a call in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Houston. The Rockets won 105-102. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (AP)
Houston Rockets’ Patrick Patterson (54) and San Antonio Spurs’ Richard Jefferson (24) go after a loose ball in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Houston. The Rockets won 105-102. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard (2) tries to maintain control of the ball as Houston Rockets’ Kevin Martin, left, pursues during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Houston. The Rockets won 105-102. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (AP)
San Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker (9) shoots over Houston Rockets’ Courtney Lee (5) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Houston. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) (AP)
