Spurs' 2007 draft pick Tiago Splitter will make his NBA debut in 2010.

The Spurs’ signing of Euroleague center Tiago Splitter earlier in the week had very little fanfare. There were no ESPN one-hour specials, no Jim Gray playing emcee and the news was absent from all the 24-hour news networks.

It was your typical Spurs offseason transaction. Very low key and very business-like.

The move may not look significant now but when the season begins in October teams will realize that the Spurs just got bigger and better by adding the best big man in Europe.

“We’re very fortunate to be adding one of the best players not playing in the NBA,” Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said of the heralded 6-foot-11 Brazilian star who was drafted by the Spurs in 2007 with the 28th pick, but played in Europe the past three seasons. Now, he will play alongside his idol, Tim Duncan, in the San Antonio frontcourt.

In the Euroleague, Splitter wore No. 21 because of Duncan. In the NBA, he will wear No. 22.

“I really decided that I wanted to come here,” Splitter told the Associated Press. “I stayed more time in Europe to improve my game a lot. It was the right time at the right moment.”

The 25-year-old was MVP of both the Spanish League regular season and finals while leading Caja Laboral Vitoria to a second championship, averaging 15.4 points and 7.1 rebounds in 38 games. He shot 59% from the field and 76% from the line.

The 235-pound Splitter still has room to grow physically, but he easily becomes the most talented big man to play with Duncan since David Robinson retired in 2003.

The Spurs are a franchise built on dominant big men. There was Artis Gilmore in the 1980s, followed by Robinson in the 1990s and then Duncan in the 2000s. But Duncan prefers to play power forward and he’s had to endure a slew of low-level, journeyman-type centers the past seven years.

Remember Rasho Nesterovic? Or, how about Nazr Mohammed? And who could forget the very bland Fabricio Oberto era?

Splitter is expected to contribute right away and it would be a huge disappointment if he’s not in the starting lineup on opening night. He’s certainly upgrade from Matt Bonner and Antonio McDyess.

Bringing Splitter aboard was an offseason target for the Spurs after being swept by Phoenix in the Western Conference semifinals. San Antonio hasn’t drastically changed its roster since, apart from swingman Richard Jefferson opting out of his deal for free agency.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Splitter didn’t appear lured by an immediate NBA payday. The most the Spurs could offer Splitter this season was their midlevel exception, around $5.8 million, whereas his Spanish club could have offered him more.

“If I stayed in Spain I could have made more money,” Splitter said. “But this is my moment.”

Splitter has played for Caja Laboral Vitoria in the ACB League since the 2003-04 season. In his seven seasons with Caja Laboral, he has established himself as one of the dominate big men in Europe. He has led Caja Laboral to four Spanish League regular season titles (2003-04, 2004-05, 2006-07 and 2008-09) and two Spanish League championships (2007-08 and 2009-10).

In addition the team has advanced to at least the quarterfinals of the Euroleague Championship six straight seasons (including four straight semifinal appearances from 2004-08).

During the 2009-10 Euroleague action, Splitter averaged 13.0 points and 5.4 rebounds in 26.1 minutes in 16 games. He shot 54% from the field and 63% from the line. He earned All-Euroleague honors for the third straight season.

Originally signed by Caja Laboral in April of 2000, at the age of 15, Splitter played, on loan, with Araba Gorago Alava in 2000-01 and Basket Bilbao Berri in 2001-02 and 2002-03 before joining Caja Laboral for the 2003-04 season.

Born and raised in Brazil, Splitter has played for the Brazilian National Team since 2002 and is a teammate of Leandro Barbosa and Nene. Splitter’s Brazilian teams have captured gold medals at the 2003 South American Championship, the 2003 Pan American Games, the 2005 Americas Championship and the 2009 Americas Championship.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Popularity: 1% [?]

During the Tim Duncan Era in San Antonio, making the playoffs is about as automatic as filing taxes each year in April.

However, making the playoffs this season has proven to be very taxing on Duncan and the Spurs.

The Spurs are currently in a dogfight just to hold on to their low seeding in the Western Conference, a far cry from their glory days when home-court advantage was a given.

In the middle of this uncharacteristic struggle is Tim Duncan, San Antonio’s franchise player and three-time NBA Finals MVP.

After watching Duncan shoot 1-for-10 against the Magic on March 17 and go 2-for-11 against the Lakers last night, it is becoming clear that Duncan is no longer the dominant post player in the league. Heck, he may not be the best player on his own team.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Duncan is still an All-Star player and NBA teams would kill to have him on the roster. He’s the greatest power forward in history. He is still a decent scorer (18.2 points per game), still one of the top rebounders in the game (10.3) and remains the anchor of the Spurs defense (1.6 blocks).

But against Pau Gasol on Wednesday night, Duncan appeared overmatched and had two of his jump shots sent right back in his face by the 7-foot-1 Spaniard, who is not known to be a lock-down defender. Duncan finished with only six points and was never a factor.

Which leads me to two very important question that need to be addressed: 1) Is Duncan still capable of leading the Spurs to a championship? 2) Do the Spurs still run their offense through Duncan?

I think the answers to both questions are “No” and “No.”

Duncan has also logged more than 35,000 minutes throughout his 12-year NBA career and is probably closer to retirement than close to being the best interior player in the league.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has been trying to monitor his minutes the past three seasons, but because the Spurs are not a cinch to make the postseason this season Pop has no choice but to play Duncan deep into ballgames.

This puts a heavy strain on Duncan, who seems to be laboring whenever he tries to extend himself against quality teams. He doesn’t have the usual lift on his jump hooks and opponents have learned to defend his signature bank.

Popovich and Spurs GM R.C. Buford need to take a hard look at this team and decide whether or not to stay with the Duncan-Ginobili-Parker as the base of their franchise.

Duncan is 33 years old and his creaky knees are major issues. Manu Ginobili will become a free agent at the end of the season, and his future remains uncertain. Parker still has many good years as the team’s point guard, but he can’t do it alone.

DeJuan Blair has been a nice addition this season, but he’s a 6-6 power forward who struggles against length. George Hill is probably the only young player on the Spurs roster who can develop into a superstar.

The Duncan-led Spurs can still make the playoffs this year, but the Duncan-led Spurs are no longer in the championship conversation. San Antonio has a daunting schedule down the stretch and there is a strong possibility the Spurs could fall to the No. 8 spot, which means a date with the L.A. Lakers in the first round. And judging by how the Lakers stifled the Spurs on their home court, it could be a very short series.

The rebuilding process in San Antonio is already underway and there’s a lot of work to be done.

Popularity: 1% [?]

I can’t believe it has been 10 years since Kobe Bryant set up Shaquille O’Neal with that memorable lob pass in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference finals that resulted in a earth-shaking one-handed slam dunk that changed the landscape of the NBA and ignited one of the best runs in league history. This past decade, from 2000 to 2009, will forever be known as the Shaq and Kobe Era. No two players commanded the spotlight on and off the court better than The Diesel and The Black Mamba. They each have four NBA championships (three of them as teammates), and between them they have four NBA Finals MVPs and two regular-season MVPs and 27 All-Star Game appearances. Their on-court dramatics nearly matched their off-court soap opera. Their legendary feud was the best long running reality TV in the NBA. Bryant and O’Neal head a list of the 10 players, compiled by OneManFastBreak.net, who defined this past decade (from 2000-2009) regardless of position.

10. STEVE NASH, guard: Nash was a very good point man in Dallas and posted some very good numbers. But when he got traded to Phoenix, some media members must have developed some kind of Alzheimer’s because they voted him MVP…twice! Sure, his stats got better and his Suns teams were fun to watch. But Nash’s game hasn’t changed since Don Nelson made him a full-time starter. The knock on Nash is that he’s the only two-time league MVP who has NEVER gotten past the conference finals.

9. DIRK NOWITZKI, forward: Zeeee German has easily been the best European player the past 10 years and is still the only Euro to win the Maurice Podoloff  trophy as the regular season MVP. Nowitzki, who has redefined the power forward position as the “soft” forward position, can sometimes get lost in a physical battle but when he’s allowed to float near the top of the free throw line, he is one of the deadliest shooters the game has ever seen.

8. DWYANE WADE, guard: When Pat Riley drafted Wade in 2003, the fortunes of the Miami Heat turned for the better. Nicknamed “The Flash” by Shaquille O’Neal, D-Wade rose to prominence with his spectacular play in the postseason. He powered the Heat to the Eastern Conference finals in 2005 in only his second season, and then lifted the Heat to a NBA championship in 2006. His place his history was permanently etched when Wade captured the MVP of the Finals with a spectacular series against the Mavericks.

7. CHAUNCEY BILLUPS, guard: His career took off when Larry Brown became the head coach with the Pistons. At 6-3 and well over 200 pounds, Billups is one of the most physical point guards in the league. He overpowers smaller guards and he is deceptively quick enough to get past most PGs. Billups’ crowning achievement came in 2004 when he led the Pistons to a victory over the Lakers in the NBA Finals and was named the series MVP. Nicknamed Mr. Big Shot, Billups is one of the best clutch shooters when the game is on the line and his supreme confidence never wavers.

6. ALLEN IVERSON, guard: From 2000 to 2007, A.I. had all the answers. He was the most dominated little man in the game and a certain Hall-of-Famer. Iverson was an explosive scorer, a player who can had the great ability to overcome any type of defense. All defenders were at his mercy when he isolated at the top of the key. During the decade, Iverson hit the 30-point scoring average five times and was named the 2001 league MVP. He took the Sixers to the NBA Finals that year, but lost to the Lakers in five games. A.I. was also a polarizing figure off the court. He was the poster boy for the Hip-Hop generation with his trademark cornrows and countless tattoos. His “we’re talking about practice!” soundbite has become a timeless loop on SportsCenter.

5. LEBRON JAMES, forward: Even though he came to the party late, LeBron James has certainly left an indelible mark in just seven seasons. He was the most heralded and super hyped high school player to ever enter the NBA, and was tabbed the Chosen One by Sports Illustrated. King James has changed the culture in Cleveland after the Cavaliers made James the No. 1 overall selection in the 2003 draft. James’ arrival gave Cleveland sports fans a ray of hope, something that has been absent for years because of past failures by the Cavaliers, Browns and Indians. In his fourth season, James powered the Cavs to the franchise’s first appearance in the NBA Finals. Then, in 2009, James captured the league MVP, joining Jim Brown, Otto Graham, Brian Sipe, Al Rosen and Lou Boudreau as the only Cleveland pro athletes to be named MVP. LeBron will move up on this list if he ever wins a NBA title.

4. KEVIN GARNETT, forward: The Big Ticket has redefined the power forward position. Before KG, power forwards were like plow horses whose were main jobs were to protect the centers and the guards and, outside of a few guys like Kevin McHale, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone, did most of the dirty work. But Garnett had the unique ability to play inside and outside and could outrun most guards in the open court. From 2000 to 2005, KG’s stat line was 22-12-5. His length was also a huge weapon on defense as he could defend any of the five position players. KG was named regular-season MVP in 2004 and, after getting traded from Minnesota to Boston, won a championship ring with the Celtics in 2008 that pretty much sealed Garnett’s legacy. If it weren’t for the next guy on this list, Garnett would be the No. 1 power forward in the history of the Association.

3. TIM DUNCAN, forward: Nicknamed The Big Fundamental by Shaq, Duncan was a picture of consistency the past 10 years and the foundation of the San Antonio Spurs’ mini-dynasty. Duncan was named regular season MVP in 2002-03, earned NBA Finals MVP in ‘03 and ‘05, and a member of the All-NBA first team seven times. The Spurs were consistently one of the better defensive teams in the league because Duncan was such a great help defender. At times, Duncan was overlooked because his game is unspectacular. But let me ask this? Is averaging 20-plus points, grab 10-plus rebounds and block nearly two shots a game unspectacular? Thought so. My only knock on Duncan is that he was reluctant to play center because of the physical nature of the position. He was more finesse. But I’m not hatin’ on Timmy D. He will go down in history as the greatest power forward in the history of the game.

2. SHAQUILLE O’NEAL, center: Dominant. That’s the best way to describe Shaq, also known as The Diesel, Superman, The Big Aristotle, and The Big Shaqtus. Though he only won one regular season MVP award (2000), you could argue that Shaq was the best player in the Association from 2000 to 2005, and could have easily won five consecutive MVPs. He did, however, manage to win three consecutive NBA Finals MVPs. The only person to ever pull that off is the great Michael Jordan. O’Neal averaged 30.7 points and 15.4 rebounds in 23 playoff games in 2000, and averaged 30.4 points and 15.4 rebounds in powering the Lakers to a record-setting 15-1 mark in the 2001 playoffs. In his prime, and when healthy, no player in the league commanded such big attention as O’Neal did. Sometimes a double was not enough to slow down Super Shaq because he would simply overpower mere mortals who got in his path.

1. KOBE BRYANT, guard: Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006. Meditate on that one for a few seconds…EIGHTY-ONE points! I never saw Wilt Chamberlain score 100 points in 1962, and no one seems to have any footage of that game. I’ve seen the box score but that’s it. I have Kobe’s 81-point game at Staples Center on my DVR and I still can’t believe a NBA player, while competing against paid professionals, can score that many points. Michael Jordan’s best scoring output was 69 points. Kobe surpassed that in the third quarter! Jordan is the ultimate barometer for today’s NBA superstar. His six NBA championships is considered the benchmark because, let’s face it, nobody is going to beat Bill Russell’s 11 rings. Jordan supporters say MJ was a once-in-a-lifetime player and there will never be another like him. ESPN’s SportsCentury series tabbed him the No. 1 athlete in the past 100 years. Well, obviously those people who said MJ is the greatest is completely ignoring Kobe Bryant.

Popularity: 5% [?]

San Antonio's Tim Duncan is ahead of Boston's Kevin Garnett when it comes to championship rings. Duncan owns four while KG has one. (GETTY IMAGES)

Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward in the history of the NBA! Shhhhh. Don’t say it too loud because someone may hear it and tell Timmy. In case you don’t know, the San Antonio Spurs’ super stud prefers the low-key approach.

The big man from the Virgin Islands is not one who boasts about his accomplishments. It’s not his style. This season, Duncan surpassed 10,000 rebounds for his career, making him the 33rd player in NBA history to do so. When someone brought it up to the Big Fundamental, he said “It just means I’m getting older.” Last month, he became only the 14th player in league history to surpass 2,000 blocks.

Duncan is one of only four players in league history to have at least 18,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 2,500 assists and 2,000 blocks. The other three are Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

While most great players embrace the spotlight and thrive on being loud and proud, Duncan chooses to be just one of the guys. His actions speak volumes, though. He owns four championship rings, two league MVP trophies and three NBA Finals MVPs. His name has been on the all-NBA teams and all-defensive teams 11 times. San Antonio has never missed the playoffs in the Tim Duncan Era.

OneManFastbreak.net rates the best power forwards in NBA history:

1) TIM DUNCAN: The total package. Can change the game on both ends.

2) KEVIN GARNETT: His stock rose five spots after helping the Cs raise championship banner No. 17 last June. Defense is KG’s big ticket. Has the size, speed and wingspan to guard all five positions. His entry into the 1995 NBA draft straight from high school and the $120-million contract he signed when he was in Minnesota forever changed the game.

3) KARL MALONE: Great individual numbers, but no rings.

4) CHARLES BARKLEY: See Malone.

5) KEVIN McHALE: The long arms and the steady diet of post moves drove opponents batty. Very underrated defender and made Larry Bird a better player.

6) JAMES WORTHY: Whether he played small forward or power forward, “Big Game” James was Magic Johnson’s go-to guy when the Showtime Lakers needed a hoop. Nothing small about Worthy’s game. He blended power and speed, and is one of best finishers on the break.

7) BOB PETIT Had to pay homage to the original “best PF.” The great Bill Russell said that “Bob made ’second effort’ a part of the sports vocabulary.” Won an NBA title in 1958 and was league MVP twice.

8) DENNIS RODMAN: Ignore all the antics and the off-the-court issues and you have a unique player who might one of the five best defensive players of all time. Phil Jackson calls him one of the smartest players he’s ever coached. While a number of players has struggled to learn Jackson’s triangle offense, Rodman learned it in a week.

9) BOB McADOO: One of the greatest scoring forwards in league history. A three-time NBA scoring champion and MVP of the 1975 regular season. Helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the championship in 1982 and 1985. Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.

10) ELVIN HAYES: The Big E was and still is the face of Houston basketball – in college and at the pro level. His signature baseline turn-around jumper has been imitated but never duplicated.

Popularity: 18% [?]