The San Antonio Spurs swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round but it wasn't without its cost. In Game 3 of the series, Tiago Splitter injured his left ankle late in the game and is out indefinitely.
Splitter was having a great series versus the Lakers' Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol defensively. He was playing tough in the paint, pushing Howard and Gasol out of their comfort spot while averaging 5 points, 2.3 assists, and 4 rebounds in 23 minutes per game.
Now that the Spurs will be off the court for about one week as they wait for their opponent in round two, Splitter can use the time to recover and it already seems he is on the fast-track to recovery. He recently took to Twitter to give fans an update on his injury and it is good news Spurs fans.
Having a healthy Splitter will be key in the second round and beyond. Whether it be the Warriors or Nuggets, both teams will have size for the Spurs to contend with. From Kenneth Faried, JaVale McGee to Andrew Bogut, San Antonio will need Splitter back for help in the paint for Tim Duncan.
Also, with Splitter on the court, it will relieve Duncan from defensive and offensive pressure. In addition, give TD some much needed in-game rest for those tough games.