ACB playoffs - watch Tiago Splitter and Nando De Colo play today

by Tim C. on May 21, 2010 9:16 AM CDT in Outside the League

What's the best cure for Spurs basketball being over until October? Possible future Spurs basketball, and there's plenty of it today.

The best basketball league outside the NBA started its playoffs yesterday. But, the two teams Spurs fans would be most interested in start their respective playoff runs today. Join me after the jump for more details.

The ACB playoffs are pretty similar to the playoff system of an NBA conference. There's 8 seeds, and the brackets work the same way. The playoff series, however, are much shorter - it's a best of 3 arrangement, so teams should play with a greater sence of urgency to avoid getting behind the proverbial 8-ball. Now let's meet our heroes.

Caja Laboral nabbed the second seed in the playoffs, due in large part to league MVP Tiago Splitter. Walter Herrmann also plays with Caja, for all the Brazilians among us. They'll play at 1:15 PM Spurs time against the 7th seed, Asefa Estudiantes.

Power Electronics Valencia ended up with the 4th seed, partly due to the highlight-reel playmaking ability and shooting(fills a need for the Spurs, no?) of Nando De Colo. They'll face off against Unicaja Malaga at 1:00 PM Spurs time.

For those of you who haven't seen these guys play, this is a good opportunity to see them in action. Nando especially will be facing the highest level of competition he's faced, after PEV won the Eurocup quite handily. If he can perform well in these playoffs, the Spurs may try to bring him in for next season, instead of waiting for him to spend a season in the tougher Euroleague competition.

I feel like noting that #1 seed Barcelona won the Euroleague championship quite easily, and were far and away the best team in the ACB this year, so it's unlikely either of our guys' teams will beat them . But, you still have to play the game.

Update: Go here for video feeds, per Wayne: http://acb360.orange.es/diferidos/LACB/54/309

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Comments

probably more interesting than the combine….I wish I could watch these games

by BlaseE on May 21, 2010 9:21 AM CDT reply actions

These games all have completely legal feeds through the ACB.com web site.

You should be able to watch them here. http://acb360.orange.es/diferidos/LACB/54/309

We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.

by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2010 9:31 AM CDT reply actions

Ah, cool. I’ll add that to the post. I hope someone can record highlights and make .gif’s, since I’m at work all day. :(

Free Tiago Splitter!

by Tim C. on May 21, 2010 9:34 AM CDT up reply actions

Go ~~Spurs!~~ Caja Laboral and Valencia!

Yo, I’m 6-11, but I just want to dribble through my legs and shoot jumpshots like a guard. - Marc Blucas on Tim Duncan

by TDzilla! on May 21, 2010 9:41 AM CDT reply actions

Nando’s game should be starting. Tiago in 15 more minutes.

Free Tiago Splitter!

by Tim C. on May 21, 2010 1:01 PM CDT reply actions

I think Nando was 2:00, not 1:00.

We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.

by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2010 1:48 PM CDT up reply actions

screwy wikipedia page.

Free Tiago Splitter!

by Tim C. on May 21, 2010 1:55 PM CDT up reply actions

Tiago already with 3 points, 6 boards, and 4 assists.

We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.

by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2010 1:50 PM CDT reply actions

5 points, 10 boards, 4 assists at the half.

We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.

by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2010 1:55 PM CDT reply actions

Dejuan LOL’s at such paltry totals.

Free Tiago Splitter!

by Tim C. on May 21, 2010 1:56 PM CDT up reply actions

DeJuan LOL’s at assists.

We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.

by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 21, 2010 1:58 PM CDT up reply actions

Hey, Wayne, since most of us (I’m assuming here) are at work and catch these games will you do a little write up on how our two guys looked and your impressions?

by Big50 on May 21, 2010 2:15 PM CDT reply actions

Some people at ST are talking about Tiago’s game live here. That might help a bit.

Free Tiago Splitter!

by Tim C. on May 21, 2010 2:33 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks Tim

by Big50 on May 21, 2010 3:02 PM CDT up reply actions

you can watch all the games recorded on that link too….

I just saw Nando’s team lose by 1 on a layup as time ran out

by BlaseE on May 21, 2010 6:13 PM CDT reply actions

Boxscore

http://www.acb.com/fichas/LACB54310.php

I'm not saying something is wrong, but something isn't right.

by SinCitySpur on May 21, 2010 7:35 PM CDT up reply actions

thanks

by BlaseE on May 22, 2010 1:14 AM CDT up reply actions

Splitter’s team won by 16. I can’t find boxscores. If anyone knows where they are, please put up a link.

by BlaseE on May 21, 2010 6:15 PM CDT reply actions

Boxscore

http://www.acb.com/fichas/LACB54308.php

I'm not saying something is wrong, but something isn't right.

by SinCitySpur on May 21, 2010 7:36 PM CDT up reply actions

13 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and (I think) 3 blocks. Yeah, he might be useful to us.

Free Tiago Splitter!

by Tim C. on May 21, 2010 9:06 PM CDT up reply actions

and again

by BlaseE on May 22, 2010 1:15 AM CDT up reply actions

Splitter and Nando de Colo

As the league MVP Splitter will be able to demand a much bigger paycheck than the Spurs can afford or will be allowed to pay. In short, if the Spurs get Splitter it will be a gigantic surprise. He could pull down $20 million in Europe and only $6 mil with the Spurs. Duhhh!, What decision would you make? De Colo is a possibility, but he will be competitng against Pops favorite Hill and TD. That might make him decide to play in Europe another year. In short don’t look to Europe to pad the roster like the past. It is scouted by other NBA teams much heavier than five or ten years ago. There are some really good players over there, but they’ll be expecting much more than the NBA minimums.

by jimjule on May 22, 2010 3:36 PM CDT reply actions

Splitter is not a free agent in Europe – he’s already under contract is less than the MLE. As I understand he can opt out only to go to the NBA, not to another Euro team. Of course his current contract can be renegotiated, but the figures being thrown around (perhaps by Tiago’s agent???) are way above the top Euro player salaries. This is more than a little questionable with Spain about to follow Greece into financial crisis.

by doggydogworld on May 23, 2010 11:56 AM CDT up reply actions

a glimmer of hope

Yo, I’m 6-11, but I just want to dribble through my legs and shoot jumpshots like a guard. - Marc Blucas on Tim Duncan

by TDzilla! on May 23, 2010 9:05 PM CDT up reply actions

1. Hermann is from Argentina, not Brazil.

2. ACB is not the best league in the world after the NBA. The Euroleague is. Big error there.

by Ming on May 23, 2010 5:17 AM CDT reply actions

1. Confusing Argentina for Brazil is an inside joke. Remember, there was one time during a game against Memphis that the commentator mistook Anderson Varejao for being an Argentinian.

2. For Spurs fans, we consider ACB as the best league in the world after NBA because Tiago and Spurnando is there.

Yo, I’m 6-11, but I just want to dribble through my legs and shoot jumpshots like a guard. - Marc Blucas on Tim Duncan

by TDzilla! on May 23, 2010 6:28 AM CDT up reply actions

Talking about domestic leagues there, bud.

Free Tiago Splitter!

by Tim C. on May 23, 2010 1:31 PM CDT up reply actions

If you are talking about domestic leagues why don’t you say “2nd best domestic league”? “2nd best league in the world” is clearly factually wrong. Also, NBA isn’t considered a domestic league either, as it has teams from 2 countries.

So it’s either ACB is the 3rd best league in the world, or best domestic league in the world.

Otherwise it sounds amateurish on basketball knowledge.

by Ming on May 24, 2010 2:58 AM CDT reply actions

OK. I bow to your superior knowledge, o great one.

Nevermind that Euroleague is a conglomeration of teams that change every single year. I think of it as more of a “tournament” than a “league”, because most teams in Euroleague play far more games in their domestic leagues than they do in Euroleague. But forget it. You are all-knowing, I’m obviously an idiot.

Free Tiago Splitter!

by Tim C. on May 24, 2010 10:44 AM CDT up reply actions

I love it!

Yo, I’m 6-11, but I just want to dribble through my legs and shoot jumpshots like a guard. - Marc Blucas on Tim Duncan

by TDzilla! on May 25, 2010 12:57 AM CDT up reply actions

Well if you think of the EuroLEAGUE as a “tournament” and not a league then apparently you should not be commenting at all about European basketball because you don’t know anything about it.

And your arguments are funny to say the least because the ACB also has different teams every year. I don’t even know what point you are trying to make. Anyway, only novices on European basketball make this mistake about the ACB being “the best league in Europe”.

The only place that says that is Draftexpress which is owned by the Spanish League, which also owns the Euroleague. You could not find a basketball fan on the contient of Europe outside of Spain that would not totally laugh at all this talk in the US about how the ACB is “the best league in Europe”.

So you can mock and patronize and make fun all you want and “bow down” but you just sound like you have no clue what you are talking abotu to anyone from Europe when you post “ACB is best league in Europe”. It’s the sort of thing that only an American NBA fan that reads Draftexpress or BallinEurope, which is owned by ESPN would say.

It’s like a European coming here and calling the D-League the best league in North America, so whatever.

by Ming on May 25, 2010 1:09 AM CDT reply actions

What is this “Europe” you speak of?

Joking, seriously, these are the Top 5 leagues in the World (and they are because I said so):

1. NBA
2. NBDL
3. NCAA
4. And 1 Mixtape Leauge
5. The Over 30 Co-Ed (GIGGITY) League team I play on at the local Rec.

Ok, seriously this time. Next thing you know you’ll be saying Milos Teodosic is a better point guard than Ricky Rubio!

Ok, ok, seriously serious this time, really. Instead of “so whatever”, you should have finished with, Every single thing I said in this forum was proven true and the rest of you were proven to be liars. I expect an apology for how I was treated and I expect that you will admit that you were wrong and I was right and that you insulted me and attacked me personally for no reason and that you owe me an apology.

You should be a scout. Wait…what?

I'm not saying something is wrong, but something isn't right.

by SinCitySpur on May 25, 2010 2:46 AM CDT up reply actions 6 recs

Nicely done.

Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.

by silverandblack_davis on May 25, 2010 7:50 PM CDT up reply actions

We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.

by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 25, 2010 10:15 PM CDT up reply actions

I’m curious, from what movie did this come from?

Yo, I’m 6-11, but I just want to dribble through my legs and shoot jumpshots like a guard. - Marc Blucas on Tim Duncan

by TDzilla! on May 25, 2010 11:36 PM CDT up reply actions

Citizen Kane

We specialize in misinformation around here. Facts and stats just get in the way.

by Wayne Vore (ATS) on May 26, 2010 12:04 AM CDT up reply actions

Thanks!

Yo, I’m 6-11, but I just want to dribble through my legs and shoot jumpshots like a guard. - Marc Blucas on Tim Duncan

by TDzilla! on May 26, 2010 12:50 AM CDT up reply actions

After the last couple of weeks I’ve had, I really needed a laugh. Thanks so very much, SCS.

by CapHill on May 25, 2010 11:56 PM CDT up reply actions

Fun times.

I smell death... everywhere.

by LatinD on May 26, 2010 7:26 PM CDT up reply actions

It’s the little word at the bottom of every post that says “REPLY”. Learn to use it, love it and treat it like a family member…or even a Euro league that is better than the ACB.

by Big50 on May 25, 2010 12:02 PM CDT up reply actions

Rubio was voted the third best player on his own team and the fourth best point guard in the Euroleague this season. Teodosic was voted the Euroleague MVP.

This site is clearly full of NBA only fans. Which is no surprise because Texas basketball fans are the most ignorant basketball fans on the planet.

by Ming on May 26, 2010 4:59 PM CDT reply actions

You are a delight, and I’m glad I got to know you.

I smell death... everywhere.

by LatinD on May 26, 2010 7:24 PM CDT up reply actions

How about giving us a background of yourself, Ming? Nationality? Are you really a scout? Do you eat nails for breakfast? Can you break down the flaws in Michael Jordan’s game? You seem like an interesting guy.

Just cause we're crippled, don't mean we gotta take the crumbs.

by silverandblack_davis on May 26, 2010 7:49 PM CDT up reply actions