Tiago Splitter was the Atlanta Hawks' big addition last offseason when they traded a second round pick to the San Antonio Spurs for him. The Hawks lost DeMarre Carroll in free agency, and they hoped the addition of Splitter along with a year of growth from Kent Bazemore would help fill the hole he left. Splitter, though, has not been as impactful as they hoped, and the Hawks are not the same team they were a year ago. Now Splitter is considering having surgery on his hip that could end his season, according to Kevin Arnovitz and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
Splitter has been dealing with the hip injury all season, and it has been extremely limiting. Splitter likely wouldn't have been a starter anyway with Paul Millsap and Al Horford on the team, but he was expected to play big minutes coming into the year. Instead Splitter has appeared in just 36 of the Hawks 55 games and is averaging 16.1 minutes per game.
The 31-year-old center has missed the Hawks' last six games due to the injury, and the plan is have him rest through the All-Star break. If Splitter doesn't see progress he will likely opt for the surgery, but it is being reported that his absence could be lengthy either way. Splitter has sought multiple opinions on the hip, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and is coming up with a plan that makes the most sense for him long-term.
The former Spur is only averaging 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in his 16-plus minutes a game, but he is a crucial member of this Hawks team. The Hawks struggle to rebound the ball and don't have much depth in the frontcourt, two areas where Splitter would be a huge help.
The trade deadline is coming up, and the Hawks have been one of the more prominent teams mentioned in rumors. Reports suggest that Splitter's hip injury will have a lot of say on how aggressive the Hawks are over the next week. If Splitter decides surgery is the best option, the Hawks may decide to trade Al Horford, Kyle Korver or Jeff Teague. But if the prognosis is more positive than that, the Hawks will likely decide to keep the band together and try for a deep run in the playoffs again.
