Say hello to Tiago Splitter
Peter Schrager / FOXSports.com
While most of America will be following the Oden/Durant sweepstakes next Thursday night, there's another 6-11 big man that several hoops fans will be tracking with a careful eye throughout this year's NBA Draft as well.
Though I've never seen him play in person, I feel like I've known him forever. He's an old friend I've never met; a crony I couldn't recognize in a police lineup.
Of course, I'm talking about the king of the mock draft — Brazilian center Tiago Splitter.
Who, you ask?
Simple enough question. And if you're not a die-hard NBA Draft guy who checks HoopHype.com 10 times a day like it's a disease, eats and sleeps Jeff Goodman's work, and updates his own personal mock draft on a regular basis — you may not be familiar with the name.
Where's the beef?
For the rest of Peter Schrager's Weekly Buffet, check out the Weekly Temperature, the Loose Ends and the Mailbag.
But if you ARE an NBA Draft-aholic, Tiago's part lifelong buddy from overseas/part flakey friend. On the one hand, he's one of the most well known international basketball prospects of his generation. On the other, he's an elusive enigma.
In truth, Splitter's only 22-years-old. But with the number of years he's been mentioned as an NBA draft prospect, you'd think he honed his skills playing with James Naismith on a peach basket.
So who is this guy with the funky name? And why does he have more experience with mock drafts than Mel Kiper, Jr. and Chad Ford combined? Well, there are reasons.
Kinda.
Splitter is a Brazilian player currently suiting up for the Spanish team Tau Ceramica. Having been in Spain playing ball since the age of 15, his name has been on the tip of scouts' tongues for the greater part of the past decade. A fluid big man who both runs the floor and plays a formidable post, Tiago's averaged more than 10 points in the highly competitive Euroleague, starred on the Brazilian national team, and gotten high praise from some of the top basketball minds in the world.
He's also been included in every NBA mock draft printed since 2004. Yes, 2004. The same year Dwight Howard and Sebastian Telfair were drafted and Scott Peterson was on trial, Splitter was being rumored as a Lottery pick. Feels like ages ago.
And yet, somehow, Splitter's STILL not in the NBA. He hasn't even been drafted yet.
What's the deal? Well, Tiago emerged in '04 as an exciting international talent. Only 19, he erupted during the 2005 FIBA America's Men's World Championship Qualifying Tournament with a 25 point effort in the finals. Already a contributor in the Euroleague, Tiago rapidly emerged as one of the top young international prospects. When the 2004 NBA Draft rolled around, Splitter fished around, but when no team was willing to promise him he'd be a lottery pick, he withdrew.
He did the same routine again in 2005. Asked around, withdrew.
Then again in 2006. Rinse and repeat. Enter and withdraw. Three years in a row.
Now, in 2007, Splitter's finally entering the draft. For real.
Of course, due to his current contract situation with TAU, he legally cannot play in the NBA until 2008.
Confused? Frustrated? Welcome to the club. It's like Tiago Splitter is "The Simpsons" movie: some great rumor that we've heard about for a decade, that can't seem to possibly be true. You tell me Tiago Splitter's coming to the NBA, I'm telling you "I'll believe it when I see it."
Jonathan Givony, the man behind mock draft mega-site draftexpress.com says there's a chance Splitter stays with TAU, even if he is drafted by an NBA team on June 28, "He has a contract for another two years, with a $1 million dollar opt-out clause next summer. If Tau chooses to, they can extend him until 2012 if he doesn't buy himself out."
Splitter quite possibly may be the most famous international star to never step foot on an NBA court.
He could also very well be the most highly overrated big man to come along in recent years. Some mock drafts have him listed going in the lottery. Others have Splitter being scooped up in the second round. When asked to compare Splitter to a current NBA player — any of them — Givony chooses P.J. Brown. And if not Brown, then Pacers forward Jeff Foster.
All these years of waiting, all this hype, all this build-up — all for the next P.J. Brown or Jeff Foster?
Sam Rubenstein, senior writer at SlamOnline.com, gives his own take on Splitter, noting, "I don't really have strong feelings on Tiago. He's one of those international mysteries that American journalists over-romanticize so that they can make it seem like they are doing work when traveling to Brazil or the outback or the eastern bloc, wherever. Can't blame them for doing it that way and trying to snag an all-expense paid trip to the far reaches of the world in the process."
And though Rubenstein's kidding around (I think), there's something to be said for the fascination NBA scouts have with young foreign big men. Darko Milicic was taken over Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony in the 2003 draft. Nikoloz Tskitishvili was selected four spots ahead of Amare Stoudemire in 2002. The list goes on. On the other side of the fence, you have the Dirk Nowitzkis and Pau Gasols — legit foreign big men who lived up to their potential and more. When words like "upside," "potential," and "length" are used as the primary adjectives to describe these players' games, it's really quite a crap shoot.
As for Splitter, I have no idea what he'll be in the NBA. Is he the next great international star? Or the next P.J. Brown? Is he even an NBA player at all?
His clip montage on YouTube makes him look fabulous — tough and surprisingly mobile. But what's that even mean? Nine out of 10 high school seniors can put together a nifty mix tape. Checking out YouTube to assess a player's skills is like judging a woman by her Match.com photo. Not exactly impartial. It's the Glamour Shots of game film.
In the end, some GM is going to draft Tiago Splitter. And after four years of mock drafts, nearly half a century of buzz, and more hype than a summer blockbuster with Jessica Alba, the King of the Mock Draft will finally be linked to an NBA team.
Of course, we'll have to wait at least another season to see what he's really got.
At this point, what's another year?
Tiago Splitter Revisited. Again.
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Originally Posted by boo_radley
