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Pablo Prigioni, Tiago Splitter join Nets staff

By Net Income

Hello, South America.

The Nets announced Tuesday that they have added two of South America’s most accomplished players to their staff. Argentina’s Pablo Prigioni has been hired as an assistant coach on Kenny Atkinson’s staff, while Brazil’s Tiago Splitter will join the club as a scout, with “added duties related to player on-court development.”

No word if the two will be additions to the staff or will replace those who were on the staff last season.

Brian Lewis was first to report the addition of Prigioni, an Argentine playmaker who became somewhat of a New York darling during a brief stint with the Knicks.

As we noted Monday, the Nets were close-mouthed last week when asked (by Lewis) if Prigioni was headed to Brooklyn.

Prigioni spent time at both Barclays Center and HSS Training Center in February. As NetsDaily reported at the time...

Pablo Prigioni, who developed a solid reputation first as a player and locker room presence in Argentina and Spain then the NBA, has been seen hanging out at HSS Training Center and at Nets games in the last week.

Our own Bryan Fonseca saw Prigioni at the Brooklyn practice facility as well and Anthony Puccio noticed him at both the Pelicans game Saturday and the Clippers game Monday. The Nets aren’t trying to hide him.

Prigioni played for the Knicks from 2012-15, winning plaudits for his on-ball defense and playmaking in particular. He also played for the Rockets and Clippers, in the Spanish League and Argentina’s national team, where he won the bronze medal in Beijing in 2008.

The 40-year-old had his coaching debut last season when he signed a two-year deal with Baskonia to become their new head coach. However, he stepped down on October 26, after an 0–3 start in the EuroLeague and a 2–3 start in the Spanish League.

Splitter, a near seven-footer, and Sean Marks were part of the Spurs organization earlier this decade, Splitter as a player and Marks as an assistant coach and assistant GM. Both were part of the Spurs 2014 championship squad. Splitter and Prigioni were also teammates for six seasons in Spain.

A seven-year NBA veteran, Splitter joined the Spurs in 2010 after being drafted by the team in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft. Splitter played five seasons in San Antonio, before completing the final two seasons of his career in Atlanta, where he worked with Kenny Atkinson, and Philadelphia. Splitter embarked on his 11-year international career in 1999 and played mostly in Spain for Baskonia.

“It’s a great satisfaction to be a part of the Brooklyn Nets. It’s a new stage, a new challenge, after so much time on the court at the highest level,“ Splitter said in an interview with Estadao, a Brazilian newspaper. ”Of course it will also be a learning period, I will adapt with a new situation. But I am very happy, motivated and willing to start my work.”

He said while he may work with Nets big men on occasion, his main role will be as a scout.

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