Before Tiago Splitter stepped onto the court for the first time as an NBA head coach, a reporter attempted to get him to share his perspective on the gambling scandal that had unexpectedly thrust him into this interim role with the Trail Blazers.
Splitter had, after all, played eight years in the NBA. He won a championship with San Antonio in 2012. Though only 40, in league circles he qualifies as something of an old head, especially among the young Blazers.
What did he believe this week’s revelations and federal indictments would mean for the league?
He squinted as he considered his answer.
“I would like,” the Brazilian said, “not to talk about that. You put me in a tough position.”
Splitter has found himself in a tough position, indeed. If not an impossible one.
How can anyone be expected to navigate such an unprecedented situation?
After Chauncey Billups was indicted Thursday on federal wire fraud and money laundering charges and implicated as a co-conspirator in the league’s betting scandal, Splitter was elevated to the interim position. On Friday night, he became the first member of the Trail Blazers’ organization to publicly address the remarkable developments.
“We all had a great experience with Chauncey and how he coached and we are thinking of him and his family,” Splitter said. “But we’ve got a job to do. We’ve got a job to do and move forward.”
There is almost no historical comparison to the circumstances by which Splitter became the Blazers’ head coach.
His predecessor was not fired. He did not resign, die or become ill. He was placed in handcuffs and arraigned in federal court as part of a conspiracy that touches both the NBA and the world of organized crime.
And it was Splitter, whose only previous head coaching experience came last year with Paris Basketball in the French league, who the franchise tasked with helping this promising but young roster navigate the shock of that.
If a small sample size is to be believed, Splitter’s ascent may prove to be the silver lining of this whole sordid situation.
The Blazers rocked the Golden State Warriors on Friday night in Splitter’s debut, winning 139-119 and overcoming a 35-point night from Stephen Curry. Yes, the Warriors are old and were playing on the second night of a back-to-back.
But Friday felt like a culture win for the Blazers. A statement of intent. And that matters going forward.
The hallmarks of the Billups’ blueprint were on full display, with the Blazers forcing 25 turnovers (13 of them steals) and nearly doubling up the Warriors in fast break points.
“That’s going to be the identity of this team and I’m not going to change it,” Splitter said. “I’m part of the process of putting this together and we’ve been working for two months or more on our identity and how we’re going to play this season.”
Whether Splitter deserves credit for it carrying over without the architect of that vision will come into sharper focus in the weeks and certainly months ahead as this slowly transitions from being a Billups-led team to one with Splitter at the helm.
But Splitter passed his first test in spectacular fashion.
He was composed and direct in his public comments. It was far from ideal that the interim coach would be the first person from the organization to address the situation while the team’s executives were muzzled due to the legal implications of the situation.
The team blocked out the noise of being at the nexus of the biggest story in basketball, and one of the biggest news events in the country, to play a complete and dazzling game, with eight players scoring in double figures.
Splitter cut an impressive figure on the sideline and was poised despite being thrown into an unfamiliar situation.
“He definitely has maturity to him,” Blazers guard Jrue Holiday said, “and the demeanor to balance us out. I think the way that he carries himself is very stoic. So coming in here, we definitely have confidence when he talks and everybody listens.”
Players seem to have quickly embraced Splitter.
They doused him with cold water after his first win and players joked about playing hard for Splitter because he promised them a day off from practice if they blew out the Warriors.
“He understands the players,” Deni Avdija said. “He understands basketball at the highest levels.”
Splitter was a coveted candidate for assistant coaching jobs last summer before landing in Portland. But he was on nobody’s radar to become a head coach this season.
Extraordinary circumstances have led him to an incredible opportunity.
Could he turn this unexpected interim tag into the full-time gig?
That is several steps down the road. But Friday night’s win over the Warriors in the season’s second game was an impressive validation of the system Billups and the Trail Blazers spent the summer implementing and of Splitter’s ability to see it through.
Adversity has a way of bonding teams and these Blazers are now working through a singular situation in NBA history, with Splitter suddenly their leader.
Golden State had defeated the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets to open the season, and the Blazers ran the Warriors off the court.
More games like that, and Portland will be in the thick of the postseason hunt.
Talk about finding yourself in an unexpected position.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.