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Darren Wolfson: Another player of interest to the Wolves, per multiple league contacts: Bulls guard Josh Giddey. Just not sure how you pry him out of Chicago, and I like his fit with new coach Tiago Splitter. #WolvesBack #Twolves
Without the roster filled out, it’s unclear how Graham’s and Splitter’s shared vision will play out on the court. Among the few noteworthy assets he inherited, Splitter believes in Matas Buzelis. Not seemingly one to guarantee anything, Splitter still detailed prioritizing the 2024 first-rounder. “I’ve been studying him more and more, getting to know him,” Splitter said. “We’re gonna work every day to get him to be the best player he can be. I think nobody knows yet what is his ceiling. “He’s a guy that learns fast. That’s what people have said to me. He’s going to continue to get better physically, he’s going to continue to shoot better, he’s going to read better, become a better defender. We see him as a very complete player (on) both ends.”
Tiago Splitter has been watching the Bulls from afar. Not just Wednesday morning before his introductory news conference at the Advocate Center, not just earlier this season when he was a thousand miles away trying to right the ship in Portland, and not just years ago when he was a championship player in San Antonio. “I’m actually a Bulls fan myself,” Splitter admitted. “Growing up in Brazil, I watched many games late at night, hidden from my parents at 1 am, watching MJ [Michael -Jordan] games and rooting for the Bulls. So super excited to be here.”
Cam Smith: As the 25th head coach in Chicago Bulls history, what do you think that you can bring to this story franchise that can make this group, this organization a consistent winner? Tiago Splitter: Well, I think it's all small steps, right? You got to now we got to finish our staff. We’re going to have the draft coming up, a free agency coming up. Once we have the group of guys that we want, we're going to start the plans and day by day, small steps, we're going to get better. It's not smart by me saying we're going to win this, we're going to do that, we're going to shoot 50 percent from the three-point line. No, that's not it. It's step by step, smart in every step, doing everything with excellence, high standards, and create this culture that is needed.
KC Johnson: One of the ways you created buy-in in Portland with a video that's made its way to Chicago is the box, where the defensive player of the game after a win would write his name and drop it into a box. It was an idea you came up with. You said thinking outside the box. Some teams have the belt or the chain but yours was a different wrinkle. Will we have something similar this season in Chicago? And what did that experience mean to you and the Portland team last season? Tiago Splitter: Yeah, I mean, one of our best defenders there was Toumani Camara, right? And never whenever he got like a big stop, he would do the box sign and basically saying, I put that offensive player in the box. And I want to create something different than the belt or the chain and why not, you're going to put their whole squad in the box and whoever is the best defender. something of course to create a bond and the guys had fun with. Still, I don't have a great idea for the Bulls. I have time. But we'll figure out something, but the most important thing you know like I said is the bond.
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K.C. Johnson: Tiago Splitter: "It's a great moment for me, my family. . . . I'm honored to be coach of the Bulls. I think we have a great future in front of us." Said he felt connection and similar vision with Bryson Graham on initial meeting.
Joel Lorenzi: Noting his Paris circumstances and last year’s Portland team, I asked Tiago Splitter how he wants to play w his own NBA team. He said that in both those stops, a lot of his style was based on the personnel he inherited. “You’ve gotta adapt your system to the players you have. You have to explore what they do best.”
Joel Lorenzi: Tiago Splitter on Matas Buzelis: "Nobody knows yet what his ceiling is. He’s gonna slowly show what kind of player he’s gonna be. … He’s gonna shoot better. He’s gonna read better. He’s gonna be a better defender.”
Bulls on CHSN: "You have to make them believe. You have to know how to teach. You have to know how to lead...show them the vision, show them the path." Tiago Splitter on the details of coaching beyond the X's and O's
Joel Lorenzi: Tiago Splitter on why things didn't work out in Portland: "I want to leave that behind."
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Bulls on CHSN: "He handled that adversity, he led during that adversity and he did it with class." Bryson Graham on the confidence he has in Tiago Splitter after he led the Blazers to the playoffs as interim head coach this past season
K.C. Johnson: Bryson Graham on Tiago Splitter: "He's smart. He's curious as a coach in a game that is always changing. He wants to get better. He has the right level of competitiveness. He's a good communicator and connector."
K.C. Johnson: Bryson Graham opens Tiago Splitter press conference by offering condolences to family of Stacey King: "We're here for you. You're part of the Bulls family forever."
Dwight James: Sources tell me that Tiago Splitter's contract with Chicago is for three years, with a fourth year on a team option. It is believed to be at the league average, salary-wise. The average salary for NBA head coaches at this time is just under $7 million per year.