It’s official. The Tiago Splitter era begins tonight for the Spurs.
Forty months after the Spurs made Splitter the 28th overall pick in the 2007 draft, and after he spent his entire first NBA preseason on the shelf with a strained calf muscle, the 6-foot-11 Brazilian player has been cleared play in tonight’s game against the L.A. Clippers at the Staples Center. Splitter will come off the bench, and his playing time will be limited, but for now, any minutes are good minutes for Splitter.
“Being off the court all this time, nobody likes it,” Splitter said after shootaround this morning at Santa Monica High School. “It’s passed, and that’s it. I’m going to get better every day, get in shape and be part of the team.”
Splitter’s teammates are just as eager to see to see him on the court as he is to be on it. He was regarded as the best center in Europe last season, spent playing in Spain, but few of the Spurs have ever seen him in extensive action before. His big body could come in handy tonight against a large Clippers front line that features 7-footer Chris Kaman and Blake Griffin, a 6-foot-10 Rookie of the Year candidate.
RUN JUMP PASS 
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