Blazers are learning a painful Tiago Splitter lesson they can no longer ignore

We really wanted the Tiago Splitter experiment to work out in Portland. But each heartbreaking loss due to poor late-game execution is making that case harder.

The most recent example was the Trail Blazers' late-game collapse in a two-point loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Portland was up by 14 after the first quarter, but this lead never felt safe because, as Blazers fans, we've unfortunately seen this story before. Shots stop falling, rotations get questionable, and turnover problems give the opposing team too many chances to get back into a game that should've been considered out of reach.

Late-game execution continues to cost Blazers

The most frustrating part is Portland's horrible inbound passes. We've seen this countless times this season: Portland forces the ball to a player trapped on the sidelines or in the corner, only for it to go out of bounds and result in yet another turnover.

This time, it was Toumani Camara forcing the pass to Deni Avdija, squandering a chance for Portland to send the game into overtime down three with nine seconds left.

This has happened way too frequently throughout the season.

Blazers should move on from Tiago Splitter

Splitter was thrown into the fire, and has even been sercivable in his role as acting head coach. But now, Portland is attempting to overcome growing pains from both its coach and young roster. That's not an ideal combination, given their playoff aspirations and the thin margin for error in the competitive Western Conference.

Barring a drastic change or a surprising postseason appearance from this team, the Blazers need to strongly consider moving on from Splitter this offseason. They could benefit from bringing in someone like Michael Malone, Taylor Jenkins, or another veteran coaching option that becomes available after the season concludes.

The league is trending toward having these young, new head coaches. Jordan Ott is having surprising success in Phoenix, and Charles Lee's system is proving to be a perfect fit in Charlotte, for instance. But the same excitement and innovation don't apply to Splitter's situation in Portland.

The Blazers have a uniquely constructed roster built around their length and athleticism. They have all these extremes as a team with elite individual defenders and offensive rebounding to compensate for their flaws in shooting and playmaking. But Splitter isn't maximizing this roster's potential, with Portland ranking near the top of the league in three-point attempts despite that being a glaring weakness.

Combine the conflicting play style with frustrating late-game execution that tests even the most loyal Blazers fans, and it's apparent that Portland needs to move on from Splitter this offseason. This roster needs a new coach who can match their scheme and play to this team's strengths.