It's Time for Tiago Splitter to Start over DeJuan Blair for San Antonio Spurs

It's still too soon to write DeJuan Blair off entirely. Despite only averaging 7.2 points and four rebounds in his last five games, he's still scoring a career high 10.1 a game in his third season with San Antonio.

That doesn't mean Blair is still the best man to start alongside Tim Duncan, though. As DeJuan struggles to rediscover his game, Splitter has earned high grades for his recent play.

The Brazilian big man had a career 25 and 10 performance against Houston on January 21st, highlighting an impressive stretch in which he emerged as a key part of the bench unit. He scored 10 or more in six straight games, and has averaged 11 and six over his last 10 while playing over 21 minutes a contest.

Those are great numbers for a 6'11'' center getting limited minutes, and Tiago's play has stood out even when the statistics haven't. In his 27 minutes against the Mavericks, Splitter only scored eight points but hustled for a couple of huge baskets down the stretch of a tight game.

The heroic effort by a bench unit (anchored by Splitter) brought the Spurs back from a 17-point deficit to force overtime and nearly steal the game from the Mavericks' starters.

As impressive as Splitter has been off the bench, you've got to wonder how he'd look as a starter. Splitter has a good four inches on Blair and would be a much longer complement to Tim Duncan. There's no question he'd give the Spurs a different look defensively on the front line.

Popovich has been known to alternate starting lineups in years past (switching Finley and Ginobili at the 2, for example). There's also a good argument to be made for switching Splitter and Blair, at least when the matchups call for it. Against taller front-lines (like the Lakers), Splitter might make more sense. Against teams without the size, Blair could continue to get some starts.

Currently, playing Splitter and Duncan together creates a few problems for Popovich's rotation. When the second unit comes in, Pop is forced to play Blair and Bonner together more frequently, leaving San Antonio at a severe size disadvantage down low. The Spurs may be able to find creative solutions (e.g. a more staggered substitution pattern), but there are also signs San Antonio is looking for a more drastic solution to their undersized front court.

Rumors abound that the Spurs are interested in either trading for Chris Kaman or signing Kenyon Martin when his team in China frees him to sign in the NBA. Either acquisition might make starting Splitter a moot point. Kaman and Martin both represent a potential upgrade over Blair and would, at the very least, give San Antonio more size up front.

On the other hand, acquiring another post-player might give the Spurs the flexibility to start Splitter while bringing the more experienced veteran (e.g. Kaman or Martin) off the bench. With more size to pair with either Blair or Bonner, it would be easier to justify playing Splitter and Timmy together.

Of course, if the Spurs did end up acquiring Kaman, there's a good chance San Antonio would have to part with either Splitter or Blair. The two young bigs each feature player efficiency ratings over 18 and are the closest thing to trade assets that R.C. Buford has to work with.

Whether the Spurs make a move or go forward with their current personnel, don't be surprised to see a shake-up with the starting lineup. As Duncan increasingly patrols the high post on offense, San Antonio needs a companion who can hit the glass and make an impact on defense.

At the end of the day, this may be a decision that has more to do with hustle and focus than it does scoring and statistics.

Either way, Splitter makes a strong case for a chance at starting.