ICMTM wrote:I'm comparing Jason's rookie year to his second season. I'm comparing Hawes from year two to three. I'm not comparing JT to Hawes.
I think Spencer for the most part has not improved drastically over his last season. As many times as you'll see him do something well he shows a glaring weakness. There have been spots where Spencer looked real well. Last night there were times where Spencer looked great moving the ball. Then he looked foolish on the other end. I'd like to see Spencer play better defense and play consistent offense. Last night 22 minutes and one rebound. If he gets boards he gets PT.
Jason Thompson has made a big jump from year 1 to 2. In fact he hasn't been in and out of the starting lineup. He was a starter all season until he left the team for family reasons. Now he's back in the lineup. JT had a decent game last night. Not great, but decent. He's been more consistent this season and his rebounding numbers are good. He plays ok on defense. He's not a liability by any means.
Now if I compare the two I don't think JT and Spencer are the same player. It's an apples and oranges comparison. I'll just say that what Spencer brings on the offensive end doesn't mesh with Tyreke (blame on Tyreke). He's a liability on defense and he doesn't rebound well. He doesn't fit well right now. JT does.
Hawes and Tyreke were actually getting some chemistry going, but Westphal yanks guys way too often for anyone to really get a feel. JT fits because JT is the kind of player that is going to fit with just about anyone. It's also the reason I think his ceiling is way lower than Hawes'. JT goes in, hustles, makes a few baskets off of some offensive boards, hangs at the top of the key and shoots once and awhile, and he does a good job of fitting in. He changes based on the game, he doesn't change the game. Those are also the reasons I think he should come off the bench. That and he lacks the technical aspects of both offense and defense.
Hawes may not produce big numbers all the time (like I've said before, he's the type that needs the ball or to be involved at least), but he sets solid screens, is rarely out of position on offense or defense, and he doesn't clog the middle for Tyreke. A lot of the time Tyrekes cut off by JT looking for the offensive board, trying to set up in the post, or because he's setting a crappy screen. I've seen enough of Brockman and Hawes to know that they know the game much better than JT and the difference between being 24 and f'ing up and 21 and f'ing up can be quite dramatic in the long run.
I'm not saying he won't improve, but there have been plenty of guys in the league over the years where the waiting for them to "get it" extended beyond their playing days. He can be a very valuable asset, just not the way he's being used. His strength is his activity and energy, use him for that. Now admitting that is like admitting he's not our answer at PF, sorry he's not, and the fact that this team went out and picked up an immediate replacement for his role in the offense speaks volumes. He was playing terrific off the bench the last couple of games, if it ain't broke don't fix it!
