spencer hawes – NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog

Spencer Hawes knee injury: MCL sprain

The Charlotte Hornets announced today that center Spencer Hawes underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which revealed a sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee. Hawes is listed as out for Game 6 tomorrow night in Charlotte and will be re-evaluated in a week. He suffered the injury during the Hornets win in Game 5 last night in Miami. Hawes has appeared in five playoff games for Charlotte with averages of 3.6 points (.462 FG%) and 3.2 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per game.

The Hornets currently lead the Heat 3-2 in their first round NBA playoff series.

76ers trade Spencer Hawes to Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired center Spencer Hawes from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for forward Earl Clark, center Henry Sims and two second round draft picks, Cavaliers Acting General Manager David Griffin announced tonight from Cleveland Clinic Courts.

“We felt adding a player of Spencer’s caliber and experience will complement our frontcourt rotation well and we are very excited to have him in Cleveland,” said Griffin. “Spencer is a very skilled big man, who was having a career year in Philadelphia this season. We look for his ability to both shoot from the perimeter and defend the basket to help us, and at 25 years of age his game is still growing on both ends of the floor. In acquiring Spencer, we had to move Earl and Henry and we thank them for their contributions to the Cavaliers.”

In exchange for Hawes, the Cavs send Clark, Sims, the Cavs 2014 second round pick and the Memphis Grizzlies 2014 second round pick acquired in July 25, 2012 trade with the Grizzlies to the 76ers.

This season, Hawes has appeared in 53 games (all starts) for Philadelphia, averaging career highs of 13.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists (most among all NBA centers) in 31.4 minutes per game. The 7-1, 245-pound center is also shooting .399 from the three-point line and .782 from the foul line, both career highs. Hawes ranks fifth among all NBA power forwards and centers in three-point shooting percentage this season (minimum 100 attempts). He also ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference in blocks per game at 1.3 and is tied for ninth in double-doubles with 19 on the season. Hawes is one of four players (Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol and Paul Millsap) in the NBA this season with averages of at least 13.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 block.

Hawes was originally drafted by Sacramento in the 2007 NBA Draft as the No. 10 overall selection. The six-year veteran owns career averages of 9.4 points on .465 shooting, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 blocks in 24.6 minutes over 473 games (321 starts). He has also played in 18 playoff games (17 starts) with averages of 8.2 points on .440 shooting and 5.8 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per game. He has the third-most career three-point field goals made (194) among any player listed 7-0 or taller in NBA history, trailing only Dirk Nowitzki (1,425) and Andrea Bargnani (609).

Spencer Hawes hot from beyond the arc

Usually the tall guys on a team aren’t as good as the short guys at hitting outside shots. That’s just how it is. But Philadelphia 76ers big guy Spencer Hawes is an exception. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Spencer Hawes is arguably the 76ers’ best three-point shooter. All 7-foot-1 inches of him.

The center was shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc heading into Monday’s game against the Golden State Warriors. Thaddeus Young, at 60 percent, was the only teammate with a higher percentage than the seven-year veteran.

But while Young has only attempted five three-pointers, Hawes has made 6 of 12, and was on pace to make 164 of 328 this season. That would shatter his career-best of 40 for 115 he had as a Sacramento King during the 2008-09 season.

Utilizing his perimeter skills is all by design.

Starting 76ers lineup appears set

There are only two definites about the 76ers’ roster.

The first thing is that Michael Carter-Williams, James Anderson, Evan Turner, Thad Young and Spencer Hawes are the clear starters. The second thing is that power forward/center Lavoy Allen is an experienced NBA talent that’s finding his way back into shape.

“And after that, who knows?” Sixers coach Brett Brown said before Monday’s 104-93 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Schottenstein Center.

“You have six NBA players and then you have a bunch of guys who are fighting for spots and want to be seen and need opportunity,” Brown added.

Reported by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer

Sixers face rough road ahead

Even if they don’t read the papers or worry about what is said in the electronic media, as forward-center Spencer Hawes advises, 76ers players and members of the organization won’t be able to escape the negative vibe following the team this season.

The team’s strategy is simple: clear as much cap space as possible and build with younger players on a road back to respectability.

It’s a route that often takes longer to travel than originally anticipated.

While that seems like a sound strategy, the reality is what the team faced last week, two blowout preseason losses in which the only things missing were the offense, defense, and any answers against two teams of differing skill levels.

Reported by Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer