Note: Over the next couple of weeks we will recap the Sixers season by evaluating each member of the roster.
Spencer Hawes
Position: Center
Status: Unrestricted free agent
Signature game of 2012
After three double-doubles and a near-miss of a triple-double in the first five games of the season, Hawes poured in 16 points with 14 rebounds in the home opener 96-73 victory against Detroit on Jan. 6. Better yet, Hawes scored 10 points during the third quarter which caused the fans at the Wells Fargo Center to chant, Spen-cer! Spencer!
Following a stretch in the period where he scored three straight baskets and grabbed six rebounds, Hawes found himself all alone for a three-pointer that would have forced the building to implode if he would have made it.
Hawes in 2011-12
The season was defined by an injured Achilles that forced Hawes to visit with specialists in Los Angeles while missing 29 games. When he returned to action it was as if Hawes had to reboot and start from scratch after an outstanding start to the season.
How good was Hawes during the first half? The Sixers were 12-2 with Hawes in the lineup with wins in 10 straight with the big man on the floor. Without Hawes during the first half the Sixers struggled to go 8-12. Though his stats werent exactly gaudy, (10.5 points and 8.3 rebounds) Hawes helped with the teams spacing which made the offense flow significantly better With Hawes in the first half, the Sixers averaged 101.7 points per game, but without him they stagnated, scoring just 84.9 per game.
It all had to do with his presence and mobility. Hawes is a big man with the ability to park himself on the low block, but he can also venture up to the high post and distribute the ball and even shoot a three-pointer or two. And because of his ability to pass the ball from the high post, the Sixers perimeter players were able to get clean looks from the outside. During the first half without Hawes, the Sixers did not have any guards shooting better than 40 percent from the perimeter. Without a big man in the lineup, opposing teams can packed it in the paint or forced them to shoot over a zone. Additionally, Lou Williams faced tougher defenses because without a presence in the middle, the opposition can switch and double up on the perimeter.
NBA
Hes our best passing big guy and we like to play out of the post, coach Doug Collins said.
Come playoff time, however, Hawes seemed to be putting it back together. Though he inexplicably found himself on the bench in Game 1 and was ineffective in Game 2 of the first-round matchup against the Bulls, Hawes made the most of the absence of big man Joakim Noah by scoring 21 points on 7-for-15 shooting in Game 3 and 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting in Game 4. In Games 5 and 6, he yanked down 10 and 14 rebounds.
Against Boston in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Hawes struggled on defense against Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass and, as a result, it limited his minutes and his offensive output. Hawes shot just 17 for 52 (32.7 percent) against the Celtics.
Glimpse into the future
Hawes took the Sixers qualifying offer last December with the intent on proving himself headed into a free-agent year. Clearly one of the most fit players in training camp, Hawes was ready to go when the season started and was having a fantastic season until the injuries came.
Now Hawes heads into the off-season facing a crossroads. Just 24 and a seven-footer, Hawes wont be out of work for long, but does Philadelphia remain in his future?
I would love to be back, Hawes said. These last two years have been great for me. Obviously the improvements this team has gone through have been a lot of fun to be a part of, but at the same time I dont know yet and I have to sit back and play it as it goes.
On Spencer Hawes ...
One of the things that blew me away the other night is how different of an offensive team we are without Spencer Hawes. With him on the floor, we average 102 a night. Without him, we average 90. If you look at our top three scorers, what theyre shooting with him on the floorAndre Iguodala, Lou Williams and Jrue Holidayand what theyre shooting with him not on the floor, I think theyre averaging 11 less points a game because of how ball friendly he is, and moving, and how he helps create shots.
-Doug Collins
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