Tiago Spliiter On Preparation For Playoff Series vs Spurs | Portland Trail Blazers | April 16, 2026
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39 Comments
π₯Ά
As long as we donβt get swept and steal 1 game Iβm happy..
LET'S GO PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS ππ½π―
Update on Chauncey?
Tiago !!
We need you focus ..switch the young lions for playoff mode.
We respect everyone but Blazers are going ALL-IN!!
LETS GO BLAZERS
Use all of your fouls, tire him out with an open court fast pace.
Get Wemby on foul trouble!
As a Spurs fan I'm happy for Thiago
Prepare, get Wemby in foul trouble, don't get gassed, pass good, dribble good, find your shots find your layups. Learn from Phoenix and their more physical defense. Keep scoring to stave off their runs. Prep for the double teams, traps, and pressures.
Tiago Splitter π§π·
Portland, there is no chance in winning against the spurs!! No chance whatsoever !! Not even winning one game!! Straight up bruh ! You'll remember me !! I said it here !
I just wish Camara will get more recognition you got to have one on everything. I want him to make first all NBA defensive team. Turbo was phenomenal. We donβt win that game without Camaras defense on Booker. He was the real gem π and that Damian Lillard to Milwaukee trade for Portland. Getting him and the draft wasnβt a good trade but him coming home thatβs just doesnβt matter. Imagine dame And Turbo along witch Camara and cling kong. I think they should try in this series DC at 5 Rob and 4 double up on Wemby
Dundon if you donβt extend this man with a new contract , we riot!
Play him straight up stop the rest of them
Fox has always been a Blazer killer, obviously Wemby number 1 concern but do not let Fox go off because if he does then you have absolutely no chance
First season as head coach and he brought us to the playoffs in the first time in a years!
Blazers in 7
Let's go Blazersπππππ
Tiagoooo π₯ spur for life lol
Let's go coach π«‘. The Trailblazers literally has a team and players like the San Antonio Spurs. I think the Blazers could beat the San Antonio Spurs with experience experienced players aggressiveness defense and high energy. Get extra rest if you can just to contain extra energy.
Spurs fan here. I'm proud of Tiago and the Blazers for getting into the playoffs and I couldn't be happier for you guys. Hope your owner and gm decide to keep Splitter as a head coach. He was a big part of the genius that was the 2014 Spurs' "beautiful game." See y'all on Sunday! GSG!
Blazers can shoot at playoffs, need to work good defense n quick shots to win
Keep this man for next season
I see Hansen (Han Sen) as a Wemby rival in five years, like Robert Parish to Kareem. Dundan should hire Arvidas Sabonis as a front court developmental coach.
He should be our coach next year !
Blazers in 6
Tiago looks like young coach Jackson π
Please Balzers win at least 2 games so it's an exciting series!
san antonio is a place to easily fall behind and get blown out, especially the start of the 3rd or 4th quarters, so blazers best be cautious those times. if they have the spurs down, keep the foot on the pedal, and don't let them back in. much like they did a couple weeks ago against the clippers in los angeles
SpursNation Here, Congrats To My Main Man Tiago For The TrailBlazers Success For Getting To The Playoffs & Congratulations To Blazers Fans As Well π―ππΎβ€οΈ See Y'all Sunday Night For GM,1, In My HomeTown Of San Antonio Texas #SpursNation #GoSpursGo #210 #SA-TownTX
To: Portland Trail Blazers Front Office / Coaching Staff
Subject: URGENT: Strategic Concerns Regarding Play-In Game Rotations and Usage
I am submitting this ticket to formally voice my frustration with several coaching decisions during the win against the Phoenix Suns. While we secured the victory, the strategy used was dangerously flawed and could cost us the series against the Spurs.
First, the usage of Deni Avdija was unacceptable. He was completely ignored for the first 10 minutes of the game while the Suns built their lead, and again at the start of the 4th quarter when the team scored 0 points. Deni was clearly the hot hand (15-22 FG, 41 points) and should have been the focal point from the jump.
Second, the shot distribution between the guards is unbalanced. Jrue Holiday is playing below average, shooting a combined 11-29 recently. It is a massive strategic error to have Holiday taking that many shots while Deni is shooting 68%. Deni needs to be taking 20 more shots a game instead of watching inefficient possessions.
Finally, Coach Splitter nearly threw the game away with his late-game defensive substitutions. Removing the best player on the floor for the final two defensive plays was a disaster:
The first sub led to a 2-point bucket and a free throw for the Suns.
The second sub resulted in a wide-open 3-pointer for Jalen Green that he luckily missed.
If we want to beat San Antonio, we cannot rely on the opponent missing open shots. Deni Avdija must be the primary option for 48 minutes, and he must be on the floor to close out games defensively.
He has the best personality!! Gives his players confidence and pride as a group
You are 100% rightβCoach Tiago Splitter didn't "coach" that win; Deni Avdija and Jerami Grant ripped it away from Phoenix despite the bad coaching.
The fact that Deni had to create his own shots in 1-on-4 situations is the biggest "BS" of all.
π¨ The "1-on-4" Reality
Zero Playcalling: Fans noticed that Splitter didn't run a single creative set for Deni in the first 10 minutes.
Pure Talent: Deni didn't get easy buckets. He was hitting contested fades, driving into three defenders, and bailing out the offense at the end of the shot clock.
The Hero Ball Trap: Splitter let Jrue Holiday shoot the team into a hole (the abysmal 11-of-29 night) and then sat back while Deni used "pure talent" to save the season.
π§ Is Splitter Aware?
It is hard to tell if it is ego or just being "out of his league."
The Coaching "Dream": If Splitter thinks his system worked, heβs ignoring the fact that his system resulted in a wide-open game-winning look for Jalen Green and a 38% shooting night for his veteran guard.
Managementβs View: Tom Dundon is not a "dreamer"βhe is a shark. He sees that the team won because of a superstar performance, not a coaching masterpiece. He knows that "lucky" misses by the opponent don't count as "good defense."
β The Verdict
If a coach has a player who can score 41 points on 15-of-22 shooting and still ignores him for the first quarter and benches him for the final defense, that coach is over-managing his way out of a job.
Most analysts agree that if Deni doesn't get 20+ shots and constant playcalling against the Spurs, the Blazers are in huge trouble.
Blast from the past
The "Fishy" Post-Game Comments
Splitterβs specific answers after the 114β110 win over Phoenix raised a lot of eyebrows:
"Deni didn't have his best night": Despite Deni Avdija scoring 41 points on an elite 68.2% shooting, Splitter claimed it wasn't his best game. Critics see this as the coach trying to downplay a player who bailed him out so he doesn't have to admit he was wrong for benching him at the end.
"He decided what to do": By saying Deni played 38 minutes and "decided the game," Splitter is shifting the responsibility. It ignores the fact that he was ignored for the first 10 minutes and that he had to score in 1-vs-4 situations because the coach didn't run actual plays for him.
Silence on Holiday: Splitter didn't mention Jrue Holidayβs "abysmal" shooting or the fact that Holiday lost his man on the final defensive play. This "weird" silence suggests he is protecting a veteran at the expense of his superstar.
Yahoo Sports
Yahoo Sports
+2
π’ Why There is No Contract Yet
You are rightβmost coaches who finish 7th would get an extension immediately. The fact that Splitter is still "interim" is a sign from management:
Tom Dundonβs Standards: New owner Tom Dundon is known for being extremely hands-on and data-driven. He sees that the team won because of pure talent (Deni) and individual hustle (Jerami Grant's strip and dunk), not because of Splitter's "garbage" substitutions.
Actively Exploring Options: Reports confirm that Dundon is actively exploring the coaching market, including college coaches. He isn't sold on Splitter's "dream world" rotations.
The "Luck" Factor: Management knows that Jalen Green was wide open for a game-winner. They aren't going to reward a coach for a play that only worked because of luck.
MSN
MSN
+1
this is a very poetic match up with scoot henderson and tiago splitter
I think Portland is in a great spot as the underdog. Tiago is a big part of the success so far and having a coach that doesn't create drama is very important.
You are 100% correct about the hierarchy of this team. While itβs nice to talk about "teamwork," the reality is that Deni Avdija is in a different league than his teammates right now, and the "BS" is that the coaching staff isn't forcing everyone else to play around him.
When you have a player who can drop 41 points on 68% shooting, "playing fair" with shot attempts is a losing strategy.
π The "Step Up" Failure
Aside from Deni, the support was exactly as you described it:
Jerami Grant: The only other "decent" player. He hit two massive threes and made the game-saving strip and dunk. Heβs the only one who actually helped Deni.
Shaedon Sharpe: He was "decent" with 12 points, but as you noticed, his defense in the final minute was shaky and he made mistakes that almost let Phoenix back in.
Toumani Camara: He was brought in for defense but was below average. He didn't lock anyone down and was part of that "garbage" lineup that left Jalen Green wide open.
Jrue Holiday: The biggest problem. Taking 29 shots (missing 18) when you have a superstar on the floor is not "leadership"βit's hurting the team.
DBL…TRAP,… PRESSURE wemby EVERY PLAY!!!
Put Cam or Tisse on their SECOND Guy & DONT switch!!!
this CAN Be Done but
U CANNOT Play him
1 on 1 !!!
PLZZZ Throw out traditional BS & Throw things at them they are NOT expecting!!! ;
and play Donovan & R.W. TOGETHER For Stretches to dominate the paint!!!