Summer Reading: Steven Hunter

Summer Reading is a series on what each Philadelphia Seventy-Sixer needs to do this off season in order to bring the Sixers back to the playoffs in ‘07–08. Each member of the Sixers will get a reading list, we’ll start with Bobby Jones, and end with Andre Iguodala (Least minutes per game to most).

Vital stats: 22.9 minutes per game, .58% from the floor, 0% from three, 49% from the line, 4.8 reb/game, 0.4 asst/game, 1.09 block/game, 0.19 steals/game, 6.4 ppg.
Suggested reading: When You Lose Your Job, by Cliff Hakim, Super Sub, by Lorilynn, The Hidden Contributors, by Aaron E. Klein.
Extra credit: Keep Your Chin Up! by Zdenek F. Bednar.
Suggested viewing: The Substitute

The Rub: If all goes according to plan in the June 28^th NBA draft, Stephen Hunter will lose his job as the starting power forward for the Sixers. It’s ironic that upgrading Hunter is the top off-season priority for the Sixers, considering that his insertion into the starting lineup coincided with the Sixers turning around their season last year, but it’s a fact. Hunter is not a starter in this league.

That being said, Hunter can be a contributor. He can come in off the bench, spell Dalembert, block some shots, and lurk around the basket for easy dunks. Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala are both excellent at finding Hunter lurking on the baseline for easy finishes. 22.9 minutes/game is way too much, but at 10–15 minutes, Hunter can be a nice piece of the puzzle.

Hunter needs to work on his rebounding, and will have to be able to swallow his ego. His effectiveness coming off the bench was bad, to be kind. He’s going to need to adjust to limited minutes, and make his pressence felt whenever he’s on the floor.

Up next: Willie Green

Archives

• Rodney Carney
• Kevin Ollie
• Shavlik Randolph
• Louis Williams
• Alan Henderson
• Louis Amundson
• Bobby Jones