You can forgive Tiago Splitter a ‘Why me’ moment.
The reserve center had battled all the way back from hip surgery that limited him to 36 games in his first season with the Hawks. He came to training camp ready to go.
Then Splitter felt a twinge in his right hamstring during a practice. He rested it for two days but the pain remained. Splitter was unable to play in the Hawks’ first three exhibition games. A MRI exam Monday revealed a Grade 2 hamstring strain – a slight tear to the muscle that reduces strength and flexibility.
Just like that Splitter is on the shelf again.
The Hawks said Splitter will miss a minimum of four weeks. The latest injury means he won’t be available until at least the second week of November and miss at least seven regular-season games.
“There is nobody more disappointed than me,” Splitter told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Wednesday. “I’m tough. I’m tough. Maybe the first day I was sad but the next day I’m already positive and thinking about positive progress each day. That is the mindset you have to have when you are injured.”
Splitter played in 52 games with the Spurs before he was traded to the Hawks in July 2015 after being limited by back and calf injuries. Splitter appeared in 81 games for the Spurs in the 2012-13 season but hasn’t appeared in more than 60 games in any other of his five NBA seasons.
Neither the Hawks nor Splitter expect a complete shutdown over the next four weeks. Splitter said he already is doing allowable exercises, walking and riding a stationary bicycle. Anything to get blood and oxygen to the injury.
“Obviously, we prefer that he was continuing,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “He is going to take time from the hip building everything back up and getting into sprint mode and banging and holding and grabbing. It’s part of his process of getting back to playing.
“What we do over the course of four weeks, we’ll adjust week to week. Some of it is to be determined but I’m hoping it’s not a complete shutdown for four weeks.”
The injury comes with the start of the regular season just two weeks away. The Hawks have a crowded roster with 20 players in camp, 16 with guaranteed or substantially guaranteed contracts. There are only 15 spots available.
Splitter, 31, is considered the primary backup to Dwight Howard at center. Kris Humphries and Mike Muscala can play both center and power forward and Edy Tavares is a true center.
Budenholzer said Wednesday that he did not expect the injury to Splitter to affect the decision on the final roster.
“We are going to continue to evaluate,” Budenholzer said. “It’s going to be hard to get to 15. I would lean more that it’s not going to affect (the final roster).”
Splitter is scheduled to make $8.5 million this season, the final year of his contract. He will become an unrestricted free agent following the season. He averaged 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 16.1 minutes last season before requiring surgery in February.
“We’ll see how long it will take,” Splitter said of the latest setback. “We are going to be extra cautious because coming from the hip and now the hamstring issue. We are going to be smart and get back on track again.”
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