In this series, we’ll examine each of the Sixers under contract for the 2013-14 season and one aspect of his game he could work on during the offseason.
On this Memorial Day weekend, who better to discuss than the Sixers’ own stars and stripes headband wearin’, mullet and handlebar mustache sportin’, hardcore Republican starting center, Spencer Hawes. Watching Hawes play can often be a frustrating experience, from when he doesn’t dunk a ball off a nice feed inside despite being 7’0″, to those occasions when someone half a foot shorter on the opposing team pushes him around down low to grab an offensive rebound. However, what keeps management coming back are those stretches of play when Hawes looks like one of the best centers in the league. In 17 March games last season, Hawes put up the following stat line (via Basketball Reference):
| Month | GS | FG | FGA | 3P | 3PA | FT | FTA | ORB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS | FG% | 3P% | FT% | MP | PTS | TRB | AST |
| March | 17 | 100 | 196 | 9 | 18 | 32 | 38 | 38 | 164 | 65 | 3 | 32 | 34 | 241 | 0.51 | 0.50 | 0.842 | 31.5 | 14.2 | 9.6 | 3.8 |
With averages of 14 points, nearly 10 rebounds and 4 assists, Hawes’ production over that stretch was only duplicated over the course of last season by three players: David Lee, Al Horford, and Greg Monroe. That is to say, Big Spencer was playing like two all-stars and one of the best young big men in the game. Plus, Hawes was hitting threes, shooting better from the foul line, and blocking shots better than those comparable players. Obviously this is an instance of small sample size, but those are the flashes of play that keep management coming back, especially given that seven footers with ball skills don’t grow on trees.
Besides miraculously adding half a foot to his vertical leap, what could Hawes work on to be a more productive player for the Sixers next season? I’ve given up on him adding a low post game as he seemingly doesn’t have the requisite lower body strength to establish the necessary post position. One area that could be enhanced, however, is his level of conditioning. Fans saw how during the 2011-12 season when Hawes battled back and achilles injuries, his play was severely limited when he was able to take the court as he was unable to work his way back into NBA shape. Hawes is at his best when he’s beating his man up and down the floor. Not only does it lead to easy buckets for him, but it’s especially crucial for him to gain post position on both ends first because of his inability to bully himself into the proper spots.
His stretch of great play last season came after the all-star break in mid-February, when he presumably was able to recharge his batteries in the midst of a grueling NBA season. Hawes needs to fully commit to a rigorous conditioning program, adding necessary flexibility training for proper injury prevention. Obviously, this is a baseline for any professional athlete, but Hawes’ game truly hinges about it. Hopefully, a healthy and productive offseason will have Sixers fans seeing Good Spencer more often than not next season.
Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone!
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