After weeks of frustration, the Spurs finally have some positive news on the Tiago Splitter front.
Limited to just 10 minutes this season by a calf injury that the Spurs have kept close to their vest, Splitter could return as soon as Tuesday’s road game at Utah for what head coach Gregg Popovich termed “quite short minutes.”
The Spurs will take anything they get after Splitter missed his 17th straight game on Saturday, and 19th overall with what is officially listed as tightness in his right calf. His only action this season has been a 10-minute stint against Atlanta on Nov. 5, during which he had five points and four boards.
Splitter’s rim protection and crafty play on pick-and-rolls were keys in last season’s championship run. The Spurs are thriving in his absence, winning 10 of their last 11 games with Aron Baynes (7.3 points, 4.8 rebounds per game entering Saturday) picking up much of the slack. But that doesn’t mean they won’t be thrilled to see the dependable forward from Brazil back on the court.
He's just been ruled out for Tuesday against the Jazz but we're going to need him back in the next week or so. We've got a tough stretch coming up against some tough western conference teams.