Twelve games into the young season we've seen Doug Collins use four different starting lineups. We've seen wild variations in the minutes of Marreese Speights, Thad Young, Darius Songaila and Tony Battie. But through it all, one thing has remained consistent. Spencer Hawes has started every game at center. It's only logical to wonder why, at this point.
Let's be clear about something before we even start down this road. Both through statistical measurements and pure observation, Spencer Hawes has been the worst Sixer in the regular rotation. According to 82games.com, he's been
the worst Sixer on the roster. He's killed the team on both ends of the floor. From non-existent defense, to terrible soft shots around the rim, to flat-footed long jumpers, to turnovers, to fouls, to getting beat down the floor by the slowest of the slow, he's been an absolute killer.
Still, every game he's trotted out there, like a lamb to the slaughter. While other players on the roster lose time based on their performance, Hawes continues to play. Why? Here are some possible reasons, though I think they sound more like excuses:
- They need his size in the starting lineup - False, there is no benefit to having useless height on the floor rather than slightly more useful play from a shorter player. Hawes has provided basically zero of the production you typically get from size.
- There's no one else to start - False, pretty much every other big man on the team has played at a higher level than Hawes, any of them would be a better option. Speights or Battie at the five makes the team better. Brand at the five and either Thad or Nocioni at the four makes the team better. You name the combination and it's an improvement over Hawes at the five.
- His passing helps the flow of the offense - False. Hawes has 9 assists and 13 turnovers. Sam Dalembert has 9 assists and 11 turnovers.
- His outside shooting opens up the floor - False. Hawes is shooting 22% on shots from 16-23 feet.
- Tony Battie can't handle the minutes as a starter - Probably true, but that doesn't explain why any of the other options isn't used.
If someone tries to sell you any of those reasons to explain Hawes' relative free pass from Collins, don't buy it. The answer has to be something else. I do have a theory, though. Collins sees Hawes as a completely lost cause. He's nothing more than an expiring contract to the franchise at this point, so there's nothing to be gained from a motivational standpoint. The jury is still out on both Speights and Thad, so Collins is using minutes to reward/punish them for doing (or not doing) the things he thinks they need to do to become useful members of this team for the long term.
The problem here is, even if that is Collins' logic, the subtlety of the situation is something that's completely beyond a guy like Speights' comprehension. All he sees is that he makes a mistake or two and he's in the doghouse, while Hawes goes out there and makes the same mistakes, usually even more of those mistakes, yet he never has to pay a price. It's selective enforcement in Speights' eyes, because it really is selective enforcement.
That's my theory, anyway. At least we haven't been hearing how ball friendly Hawes is from the team or their mouthpieces in a while. It's almost like he's the 500-pound gorilla in the room that no one wants to talk about. What do you guys think? Why is Hawes still in the starting lineup? How long will he remain there?
My theory is that they feel they 'have' to start him because they traded their starting center to get Hawes and spent all summer raving about him and in their addled minds (they're all pretty old over there) they think that no one will notice what a terrible mistake they've made as long as they keep trotting him out there to start.
They've made a (huge) tiny mistake and they're just to proud (or stupid) to admit it.
If Collins wants to win, he benches Hawes
Mostly agree here. Also, it's possible that Stefanski, Collins, or even Thorn are holding out hope that Hawes will improve. Also maybe they want to see him on the floor just long enough to be sure that they should have absolutely no interest in re-signing him. The notion of the Sixers offering him a contract in the offseason is of course laughable to us, but then again, the Sixers have close to zero useful bigs on the roster, so maybe the brass is clinging to some delusion that Hawes will turn it around.
Zumoff was coyly suggesting last night that Speights didn’t play against Cleveland because of disciplinary reasons. At least that’s how I interpreted it. I can’t think of a single reason Hawes is starting though.
Hawes pump faked and drove to the bucket last night, got bailed out on a foul.
You could see most of the bench laughing, Aaron McKie was covering his face but clearly couldn't help but laugh.
His minutes are limited. That is something right?
I don't see why Speights isn't seeing 20 minutes a night at this point, though.
Great points. To be fair, I'm sure Spencer Hawes has got some other hidden talents -- maybe he has a knack for plumbing, or a green thumb. But playing basketball clearly isn't something he's very good at, and I can't imagine why he's starting in the NBA, even for a team as bad as us. And the Speights issue is important. There must be more behind the scenes, but for his minutes to be this scarce, and not to have even gotten on the floor in the Cavs game, it doesn't add up.
Bob Cooney has a recent article related to this this question: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20101118_Sixers_coach_Collins__focusing_on_center_position.html
Basically, Battie gets stiff after his first appearance and Speights needs some kind of a carrot to motivate better habits. Hawes is in the category of 'what's left'.
So Hawes doesn't need any motivation? ergo, his play has been acceptable?
Maybe Collins just thinks Speights could play better with motivation and Hawes is playing close to his talent level? Maybe Speights is obviously goofing off and Collins thinks starting him sends a bad message while Hawes is better at faking the appearance of working?
I thought Doug COllins was brought here to win games...even half assed, Speight is better than Hawes
So Hawes doesn't need any motivation? ergo, his play has been acceptable?
Hawes is supposedly playing for a contract, you'd think he'd have motivation to get better as well.
Seriously, if Hawes out plays Speights in practice (or in games) fine, but we all know it's highly unlikely.
This is another example of collins talking 'big' in the offseason and then not sticking by his guns - not playing defense supposedly gets your benched - but not if you're lou williams...
He said all off season that this wasn't a quick fix situation. This roster is a mess, they're going to lose regardless of his tinkering.
No doubt, I had no illusions about this team making the playoffs, I figured they'd be lucky to match last years win total with the new center nonsense.
Point is, honestly, that Hawes is terrible, there's no justifiable reason for him playing more minutes than Speights, even if it's motivational, Speights I'm sure out plays Hawes in practice. A drunk monkey would out play hawes in practice cause hawes sucks
Well John it's possible that Speights sucks even more.
It's at least amusing that in the Sixers' two wins, Hawes managed to be -5 in a 26-point win vs. the Pacers and -13 in a 10-point win vs. the Knicks. His "On Court" number of -20 points per 100 possessions is just astounding ...
according to 82games.com Kapono is better than Brand, so I wouldn't be quick to use that site as proof of anything.
the only reason I can think of to start Hawes is to keep Speights hungry. I think the front office and coaching staff is now resigned to the fact that Hawes sucks and will be gone by the summer. However, Speights could still turn out to be a pretty good basketball player if he puts it together. So if I'm Doug Collins I prioritize that. This season IS about development after all. It's hard to justify Hawes starting when we're not seeing better results from Speights right now, but I think that may be just around the corner.
Why again djd we trade Dalembert?!?
Because Hawes is ball-friendly, and he's going to make the offense so much better.
I think I'm going to watch a lot of UNC and Baylor games this year. I've decided that I think management feels like taking a stab at the OKC model, hoping to add Barnes/Jones to the Holiday and Turner nucleus. Then look to trade Iggy for front court help.
That's really the only way I can rationalize how awful it was to gut their interior like they did. A dramatic step backwards to make them markedly better in the future...
You're giving Stefanski too much credit.
So Jrue is -65 in a 163 minutes with Spencer hawes on the court. Without Hawes on the court he's a total of +70 257 minutes :|. Is my math wrong? if not then jesus.
With this season being about development, maybe Collins cares about effort and work habits. If Speights has disciplinary problems and is not taking practice seriously, then I'm fine with playing the much less talented Hawes instead of him.
Also, for all of you that do no like the Dalembert trade, could you please explain to me what exactly are the downsides of it. I know that we could have won 10 (15? 20?) more games this season, but that does not seem to me like a big enough reason to hate the trade. What else am I missing?
I think both Speights and Hawes needs to go. Speights had enough time in this league to see what he is which is a gunner that doesn't defend and is lazy with a bad work ethic. Hawes is just a bad player period. Get rid of both of them!
Speights is in his 3rd year under a rookie deal and it would be foolish to just 'dump' him because he still might get it and has one more year of cheap labor. Don't give him an extension but getting rid of him before his rookie contract is up just to get rid of him makes no sense