Get Spencer the Ball in the POST!

[reid1boys]

I am tired of seeing Spencer bust his butt to get in position, he has his man pinned behind him on the low block only to have the wing look at him and then pass the ball somewhere else away from the hoop.

Get him the darn ball in the post, he is our only legit post up threat with his ability to do so much with both hands.

get him the ball down there!

 

[Bricklayer]

With the proviso that you may have to figure out a way to trick him into going down there against anybody intimidating. Maybe a carrot or some breadcrumbs.

 

[G_M]

With the proviso that you may have to figure out a way to trick him into going down there against anybody intimidating. Maybe a carrot or some breadcrumbs.

I think Reggie should tell hime that he can't attempt his 1st 3pt. shot until he has at least attempted 2 shots within 5ft of the rim. I'll leave the final ratio to the discretion of the staf....

 

[HighFlyingMonkey]

At some point, the coaching staff is going to have to force it down there.

 

[bajaden]

With the proviso that you may have to figure out a way to trick him into going down there against anybody intimidating. Maybe a carrot or some breadcrumbs.

Well, one things for sure. You won't score down there unless you try. Except for rare opposition, such as an Oden, Spencer is tricky enough to at the very least, get someone in foul trouble. In fairness to him, I have seen him posting up many times and not getting the ball.

At the moment the Kings have too many players that want to shoot from the outside, or dribble the ball until the cows come home, and then, either drive into a crowd, force a three, or simply turn the ball over. Spencer is an unselfish player, but too many times, his teammates aren't.

 

[Superman]

With the proviso that you may have to figure out a way to trick him into going down there against anybody intimidating. Maybe a carrot or some breadcrumbs.

See, this is what I enjoyed about Rasheed Wallace in his Portland days, and what I've seen the Pistons doing more of this season. 'Sheed used to go downcourt and post his man up over, and over, and over and over again, possession after possession, and his teammates would get the ball to him each time, and there's was no other power forward in the League who could stop him from scoring down there. He would kill the Lakers in the post.

For the past few years, he's become a three point specialist (channelling his inner Robert Horry), but he got down there several times on critical possessions last Friday against the Lakers.

Of course, Spencer Hawes isn't going to become a post-up monster the likes of 2001 'Sheed, and unfortunately, I don't think the staff has any interest in force feeding him down there anyways. Shame, too, because he has the touch to be effective down there, on both sides of the rim.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

I think Reggie should tell hime that he can't attempt his 1st 3pt. shot until he has at least attempted 2 shots within 5ft of the rim. I'll leave the final ratio to the discretion of the staf....

If I had my druthers, that ratio would be closer to 500:1

 

[Prince_XY]

I am tired of seeing Spencer bust his butt to get in position, he has his man pinned behind him on the low block only to have the wing look at him and then pass the ball somewhere else away from the hoop.

Get him the darn ball in the post, he is our only legit post up threat with his ability to do so much with both hands.

get him the ball down there!

I thought I'm the only one who keeps on noticing this.

Almost always, our guards especially Beno ( and a lot of times Salmons ) will just look at them as if to tell the BIGS they are not good enough to play the post. Then, the team ends up taking too many jump shots, or the drive to the hoop by Salmons that gets blocked.

It is just sickening!

Actually, this happened regularly not only to Hawes, but to all the bigs we have. I oftentimes wondered if posting up was just a regular part of a decoy play we had set with the sole purpose of confusing the opponents.

I think we don't really have a set play for our BIGS down the post. Or, Beno and Salmons just don't feel confident to give the ball to our bigs down low even when clearly the BIGS are in the best position to make their play.

Coach Theus, can you tell our ballhandlers to trust our bigs, or at least let the guards and our bigs practice this play ( over and over and over again every practice time ), so that the ballhandlers will feel confident to pass the ball to the bigs down the post?

 

[fnordius]

For the last few years, the only thing that could happen to the ball in the low post was that Kenny would blow a layup, or it would bounce off Mikki's stone hands. Keeping the ball away from the post is an old habit they'll have to overcome.

 

[BritishColumbia]

Obviously, guys like Hawes need a good PG to be more effective ... Spencer is a victim of our zero-PG roster.

 

[Bricklayer]

Obviously, guys like Hawes need a good PG to be more effective ... Spencer is a victim of our zero-PG roster.

Spencer is a victim of more than that. He's a victim of his own young, dumb head at this time. Since he is young, the young dumb head is not an unforseeable possibility, and there is a chance time will cure it. But he:

1) appears to have this idea he knows it all
2) appears convinced he is going to revolutionize the game and play it in a way nobody else ever has
3) views his post game not as a dominant defining weapon, but rather as a mere mismatch weapon to take advantage of an opposing weakness.

The first two are why the third still persists, but the end result remains that I ratehr suspect that Spencer would argue that he is just being smart when he runs away from strong post players and chucks up outside shots. He is tailoring his offense to attack the other guy's weakness he would tell you. Post up little guys, chuck threes vs. big guys, have analysts gushing over his versatility and asking for his autograph, and to complete his fantasy picture, make out with starry-eyed adoring dance team members during the timeouts.

But that's not what dominance is about. Dominance is not about taking what you are given, it is about taking what you want whether the other guy wants you to have it or not. Teams never have to adjust to Spencer, because he adjusts to them. And so Spencer as victim of some nasty group of nameless Kings players who won't pass to him in the post doesn't fly quite straight. There are issues there. But those nasty nameless players can't even trust Spencer to BE in the post in the first place. And the blame there lies squarely at Spencer's feet, or rather in Spencer's head. The day he quits screwing around, starts running to the post and demanding the ball, not when the other team allows him too, not when he feels like it, but every time down the floor, is the day when his lack of post opportunities will become the responsibility of his teammates. Right now one play he wants it in the post, the next he does not, then he's out at the three point line, now he thinks he's a PG...you never know. Those nasty nameless guys are probably thinking so this guy who has been farting around all over the floor suddenly gets a hankering to get the ball in the post, and its time to stop everything because we are so blessed?

Spencer needs to become a rock that his teammates can depend on and know where he is going to be, not a leaf fluttering about according to whichever way the wind is blowing. Then the consistent post feeds, and consistent post game, will come.

 

[BritishColumbia]

Spencer is a victim of more than that. He's a victim of his own young, dumb head at this time. Since he is young, the young dumb head is not an unforseeable possibility, and there is a chance time will cure it. But he:

1) appears to have this idea he knows it all
2) appears convinced he is going to revolutionize the game and play it in a way nobody else ever has
3) views his post game not as a dominant defining weapon, but rather as a mere mismatch weapon to take advantage of an opposing weakness.

The first two are why the third still persists, but the end result remains that I ratehr suspect that Spencer would argue that he is just being smart when he runs away from strong post players and chucks up outside shots. He is tailoring his offense to attack the other guy's weakness he would tell you. Post up little guys, chuck threes vs. big guys, have analysts gushing over his versatility and asking for his autograph, and to complete his fantasy picture, make out with starry-eyed adoring dance team members during the timeouts.

But that's not what dominance is about. Dominance is not about taking what you are given, it is about taking what you want whether the other guy wants you to have it or not. Teams never have to adjust to Spencer, because he adjusts to them. And so Spencer as victim of some nasty group of nameless Kings players who won't pass to him in the post doesn't fly quite straight. There are issues there. But those nasty nameless players can't even trust Spencer to BE in the post in the first place. And the blame there lies squarely at Spencer's feet, or rather in Spencer's head. The day he quits screwing around, starts running to the post and demanding the ball, not when the other team allows him too, not when he feels like it, but every time down the floor, is the day when his lack of post opportunities will become the responsibility of his teammates. Right now one play he wants it in the post, the next he does not, then he's out at the three point line, now he thinks he's a PG...you never know. Those nasty nameless guys are probably thinking so this guy who has been farting around all over the floor suddenly gets a hankering to get the ball in the post, and its time to stop everything because we are so blessed?

Spencer needs to become a rock that his teammates can depend on and know where he is going to be, not a leaf fluttering about according to whichever way the wind is blowing. Then the consistent post feeds, and consistent post game, will come.

Spens is not a post-monster and he is not strong yet to fight with very powerful Cs and PFs. We all know that. We also know about his flaws. He has to improve many things in his game in order to become a Top-5 or Top-10 center. He is only 20 y.o. and I mean it. He is only 20. Not Oden-LeBron-kinda-twenty.

However, having say that, Spencer could be much more effective with all his flaws if we had a smart PG or smart offense. And, therefore, he is a victim of our 0-PG roster. I am not saying that this is the only problem for Hawes. Sometimes, Spencer himself is a problem for Spencer.

 

[Superman]

But that's not what dominance is about. Dominance is not about taking what you are given, it is about taking what you want whether the other guy wants you to have it or not. Teams never have to adjust to Spencer, because he adjusts to them.

Great point.

The 2007 Patriots, the only team I've ever hated as much as the 2002 Lakers (has anyone else noticed that I spend a lot of time talking about football), did not care who they were playing, what personnel packages were on the field, what look the defense gave, nothing. Pdx will speak to this. They came out and, if they averaged 70 plays a game, they threw 45-50 times. All season long. Whether they were ahead or not, by 14 points or by 40 points. Because you couldn't stop it. And none of this play-action like my Colts; they would go empty backfield with Tom Brady in the shotgun and fling the ball all over the field, short, medium, long. And they would throw on 3rd and short, conventional wisdom be damned. Because they were quite possibly the most dominant offensive unit of all time in the NFL.

The Colts, on the other hand, while they've been an electric and consistently productive offense for years now, are more willing to morph into whatever works for the moment. They'll run if you stay back (see: Super Bowl 41), they'll throw if you blitz, and they'll play the matchups all over the field.

So if Spencer (or anyone else, for that matter) wants to be considered a dominant player, he has to stop taking what he's given, what comes easy, and get down there and impose his will on the other team. Forget about the matchups and do what you want to do, time and again. But I think that he's more like the Colts' offense than the Patriots'. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I doubt very much that decides to forgo the very fun and exhilarating thrill of being able to score from all over the floor in favor of banging with the big boys three or four nights a week. Seems he'd rather be Dirk Nowitzki than the aforementioned Rasheed Wallace (circa 2001).

 

[NME]

Of course, Spencer Hawes isn't going to become a post-up monster the likes of 2001 'Sheed,

I assume you mean 2000-2001 when 'Sheed took only two 3's per game, and not 2001-2002 when he took four 3's per game (one quarter of all his shot attempts).

 

[reid1boys]

Spencer posts up lots...... they just dont get him the ball. Tonight I am going to try and track how many times I see it... Ill probably forget. But it isnt his fault when he posts his man and they look right at him and then pass of to another wing.

 

[Superman]

I assume you mean 2000-2001 when 'Sheed took only two 3's per game, and not 2001-2002 when he took four 3's per game (one quarter of all his shot attempts).

Yup, that's the one (actually, more like circa 2001, to be honest). Of course, those two 3's per game back then, with him as the #1 for Portland, were probably out of 17 or 18 attempts per. I don't know what happened to Portland in '02, but they fell off pretty quickly after getting swept in '01 by the Lakers (had a rough second half of the season), then barely made the playoffs in '02 to get swept by the Lakers again.

Anyways, Rasheed Wallace from 2000-2001 was a post machine. After that, it's a different story.

 

[JerN820]

LOL I am yelling the guys to get Spence the ball every play. He's he a ridiculously high percentage shot.

 

[Bricklayer]

lol I Am Yelling The Guys To Get Spence The Ball Every Play. He's He A Ridiculously High Percentage Shot.

.444

 

[JerN820]

.444

Yeah, but he's a center and look at where the majority of his shots are coming from. That's as good as a lot of guards in the league. Isnt he shooting between 50-55% on the season too?

 

[Jespher]

The entry passes from the guards are pretty crappy too. They need to use the bounce pass into the post to prevent so many of those unforced turnovers. This would give Spencer 4-6 more post up attempts per game right there. Also, they are allowed to post, kick out when a double team comes, and then repost right? I rarely see the Kings do this...

 

[captain bill]

.444

one game. he is shooting 54% on the season. i agree with the sentiment of the original poster, that hawes should be more involved in the offense, but think this is a careful waht you wish for situation where we might see diminishing returns the more touches he gets, especially this early in his career. but really i expect him to be getting the second most shots on the team after k-mart towards the end of the season. those two will make a killer inside-outside game for years.

 

[captain bill]

Dominance is not about taking what you are given, it is about taking what you want whether the other guy wants you to have it or not. Teams never have to adjust to Spencer, because he adjusts to them. And so Spencer as victim of some nasty group of nameless Kings players who won't pass to him in the post doesn't fly quite straight. There are issues there. But those nasty nameless players can't even trust Spencer to BE in the post in the first place. And the blame there lies squarely at Spencer's feet, or rather in Spencer's head. The day he quits screwing around, starts running to the post and demanding the ball, not when the other team allows him too, not when he feels like it, but every time down the floor, is the day when his lack of post opportunities will become the responsibility of his teammates. Right now one play he wants it in the post, the next he does not, then he's out at the three point line, now he thinks he's a PG...you never know. Those nasty nameless guys are probably thinking so this guy who has been farting around all over the floor suddenly gets a hankering to get the ball in the post, and its time to stop everything because we are so blessed?

Spencer needs to become a rock that his teammates can depend on and know where he is going to be, not a leaf fluttering about according to whichever way the wind is blowing. Then the consistent post feeds, and consistent post game, will come.

You have got to be joking. The only truly dominant post player like that in recent memory was dynasty era Shaq. Hawes is 20 years old and is a finesse player. Camping in the post is not going to turn him into Shaq. Maybe moving around the floor and taking good quality high percentage shots when he has the chance is a good thing. Standing in the post thinking that he is dominant will (a) clog the lane with whatever defender he has on him making it that much harder for perimeter players to get penetration and (b) will make his game absurdly predictable and easy to defend.

You are also assuming that Hawes is ignoring plays and coaches and just standing wherever he wants and completely ruining the offense, something that I think has little basis in reality. Do you think Tony Parker and Greg Popovich get infuriated every time Tim Duncan steps out of the post and knocks down an open shot? No, they recognize his versatility and work to better integrate it into the offense. No amount of hyperbole is going to convince me that Hawes is some rogue player out to prove his GOAT status at the expense of the team.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

You have got to be joking. The only truly dominant post player like that in recent memory was dynasty era Shaq...

Duncan? Howard? Yao?

 

[captain bill]

Great point.

The 2007 Patriots, the only team I've ever hated as much as the 2002 Lakers (has anyone else noticed that I spend a lot of time talking about football), did not care who they were playing, what personnel packages were on the field, what look the defense gave, nothing. Pdx will speak to this. They came out and, if they averaged 70 plays a game, they threw 45-50 times. All season long. Whether they were ahead or not, by 14 points or by 40 points. Because you couldn't stop it. And none of this play-action like my Colts; they would go empty backfield with Tom Brady in the shotgun and fling the ball all over the field, short, medium, long. And they would throw on 3rd and short, conventional wisdom be damned. Because they were quite possibly the most dominant offensive unit of all time in the NFL.

The Colts, on the other hand, while they've been an electric and consistently productive offense for years now, are more willing to morph into whatever works for the moment. They'll run if you stay back (see: Super Bowl 41), they'll throw if you blitz, and they'll play the matchups all over the field.

So if Spencer (or anyone else, for that matter) wants to be considered a dominant player, he has to stop taking what he's given, what comes easy, and get down there and impose his will on the other team. Forget about the matchups and do what you want to do, time and again. But I think that he's more like the Colts' offense than the Patriots'. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I doubt very much that decides to forgo the very fun and exhilarating thrill of being able to score from all over the floor in favor of banging with the big boys three or four nights a week. Seems he'd rather be Dirk Nowitzki than the aforementioned Rasheed Wallace (circa 2001).

Problem 1: You are comparing a second year 20 year old player to the greatest offense in the history of football, a complete statistical anomaly by any standards.

Problem 2: It could be argued that the Colts offense has been just as good as the Pats all these years. If you'll remember, Brady broke Payton's record from a few years before, from a season in which Payton was shut down early, versus a Pats season where the scores were run up unnecessarily, on a team that ultimately lost the Super Bowl. Furthermore, the Pats always had D's that were lightyears ahead of the Colts (SB #1 is far more a credit to the Pat's D than Brady's O, game-winning drive notwithstanding) yet the Colts still managed to get a ring. If you are complaining that Hawes too much resembles one of the best offenses ever, a championship winning one, and would prefer that he morphs into a total jerk of a player that infuriates every single opponent (clearly not good for your health), well, you are living on a different planet than me.

Problem 3: Really should be #1, but I felt like ranting about football: this is apples and oranges. And pomegranites. And bananas. Hawes is neither a football team, Dirk Nowitzki, nor Rasheed Wallace. This goes back to Brick's point: he said it sarcastically but I'll say it for real: Spencer Hawes is going to play the game in a way that nobody else ever has. Because he is Spencer Hawes and not anybody else. I see a little of a lot of players in him, and he looks to be a very good player in time. But assuming that at this stage he should be an all time great when in reality he is still adjusting to the NBA game is absurd.

 

[captain bill]

Duncan? Howard? Yao?

Yao and Howard, no. Duncan is certainly dominant, but so much of his game is outside the post and that is part of what makes him great. He certainly does not fit the description of a player who just runs to the post and demands the ball and then bullies his way to the basket, whatever is in his way. He is much more cerebral and plays within the offense. Shaq, on the other hand, was the offense: if he got the ball anywhere near the basket it was a sure-fire two points. That's all I mean- that you have to play a player to his strengths and not expect him to simply impose his will on players. Which is ironic, because that is simultaneously what Hawes is being accused of doing and accosted for not doing enough.

 

[Bricklayer]

Yao and Howard, no. Duncan is certainly dominant, but so much of his game is outside the post and that is part of what makes him great. He certainly does not fit the description of a player who just runs to the post and demands the ball and then bullies his way to the basket, whatever is in his way. He is much more cerebral and plays within the offense. Shaq, on the other hand, was the offense: if he got the ball anywhere near the basket it was a sure-fire two points. That's all I mean- that you have to play a player to his strengths and not expect him to simply impose his will on players. Which is ironic, because that is simultaneously what Hawes is being accused of doing and accosted for not doing enough.

Trying to make Duncan into something other than a post player for the sake of argument is not sound. You chase Tim Duncan out of the post one way: with doubles. Actually you don't even chase him out of the psot that way. Then he just beats you by moving the ball. Which is the real value of a post player. Spencer's post game is of little value to anyone other than Spencer. He creates no spacing, beats no opponent worth beating with it, gets nobody of note in foul trouble, causes no real problems for oppposing teams with it, because he lacks conviction in there. He actually plays like a softie who lacks guts in there and is afraid of contact, but given his overall demeanor I think conviction is the actual problem not softness.

As a further aside, NOBODY said anything about bullying his way to the basket. Spencer couldn't bullya 90lb weakling, although that's roughly the only person he'll test. Some of the best players of all time have done it on pure skill -- McHale and Hakeem come to mind. But EVERY great post player has conviction in there and makes the defense respond to the threat he poses. That is the whole key to the dominance that dominant post players have had throughout history. They break a defense, not by their own scoring, but by making the defense respond to their threat and lose containment on their teammates. It does not require bullying, but the guts to hang in there and fight, yes.

Oh, and BTW, one thing that these discussions reveal is that people have no idea what a great post player looks like, little idea of what makes a great player period, and here is the eye opener, have a much lesser opinion of Spencer Hawes' talent in there than I do. I find it ironic that people will whine about me being tough on Spencer when I am the only one giving him any real credit. Spencer can be a GREAT post player. But he never will be if he is allowed to squander it. And whatever else he may end up being instead, it will be less valuable to his team than being a great post player would be.

 

[RalphySampson]

Trying to make Duncan into something other than a post player for the sake of argument is not sound. You chase Tim DFuncan out of the post one way: with doubles. Acxtually you don't even chase him out of the psot that way. Then he just beats you by moving the ball. Whihc is the rreal value of a post player. Spencer's psot game is of little value to anyone other than Spencer. He creates no spacing, beats no opponent worht beating with it, causes no real problems for opppoising teams wit it, because he lacks conviction in there. He actually plays like a softie who lacks guts in there and is afraid of contact, but given his overall demeanor I think conviction is the problem.

As a further aside, NOBODY said anything about bullying his way to the basket. Some of the best players of all time have done it on pure skill -- McHale and Hakeem come to mind. But EVERY great post player has conviction in there and makes the defense respond to the threat he poses. That is the whole key to the dominance that dominant post players have had throughout history. They break a defense, not by their own scoring, but by mkaing the defense respond to their threat and lose containment on their teammates. Not bullying, but the guts to hang in there and fight, yes.

Oh, and BTW, one thing that these discussions reveal is that people have no idea what a great post player looks like, little idea of what makes a great player period, and here is the eye opener, have a much lesser opinion of Spencer Hawes' talent in there than I do. I find it ironic that people will whine about me being tough on Spencer when I am the only one giving him any real credit.

Couldn't agree more; well said.

 

[Superman]

Problem 1: You are comparing a second year 20 year old player to the greatest offense in the history of football, a complete statistical anomaly by any standards.

No I'm not.

Problem 2: It could be argued that the Colts offense has been just as good as the Pats all these years. If you'll remember, Brady broke Payton's record from a few years before, from a season in which Payton was shut down early, versus a Pats season where the scores were run up unnecessarily, on a team that ultimately lost the Super Bowl. Furthermore, the Pats always had D's that were lightyears ahead of the Colts (SB #1 is far more a credit to the Pat's D than Brady's O, game-winning drive notwithstanding) yet the Colts still managed to get a ring. If you are complaining that Hawes too much resembles one of the best offenses ever, a championship winning one, and would prefer that he morphs into a total jerk of a player that infuriates every single opponent (clearly not good for your health), well, you are living on a different planet than me.

If you'll read what I said,

But I think that he's more like the Colts' offense than the Patriots'. And that's not necessarily a bad thing...

you'll see that that's not what my point was. I never suggested that he morph into anything, much less a selfish jerk.

By the way, in case you missed it, I'm a Colts fan, who has been saying about the Colts/Patriots what you've just said for five or six years now.

Problem 3: Really should be #1, but I felt like ranting about football: this is apples and oranges. And pomegranites. And bananas. Hawes is neither a football team, Dirk Nowitzki, nor Rasheed Wallace. This goes back to Brick's point: he said it sarcastically but I'll say it for real: Spencer Hawes is going to play the game in a way that nobody else ever has. Because he is Spencer Hawes and not anybody else. I see a little of a lot of players in him, and he looks to be a very good player in time. But assuming that at this stage he should be an all time great when in reality he is still adjusting to the NBA game is absurd.

It's apparent to me that you missed the point. So, for your benefit, here's the point:

Spencer Hawes is not going to be a dominant post player. He's going to take what the defense gives him, rather than disregard the opposition and try to force it down low.

And that's where the analogy of the comparison between the Colts and the Patriots comes from. The Colts will run when you show two deep safeties, and they'll pass when you stack the line. They'll go three wide to get you in nickel, and then they'll audible to "Orange 12" and run it up the gut. They'll catch you sneaking up to stop "Orange 12" and go play-action over the top. The 2007 Patriots, however, didn't care what look you showed, they were throwing the ball, and didn't try to hide it. The Colts are analogous (or similar) to a player who tailors his game to the opposition; the Patriots to a player who doesn't care who you are and is going to do what he does without regard for the look the defense is showing.

The Colts are Dirk Nowitzki. The 2007 Patriots were Rasheed Wallace (circa 2001-2001). And Spencer is much more Dirk than Rasheed.

 

[Spike]

Ok, then who is the Detroit Red Wings? Sometimes analogies for the sake of analogies don't really work... Maybe Marmaduke is the next duke of earl.

I don't get to see what everyone else sees on a nightly basis, but if soft play (around the rim) was his MO in Washington, it may take some work to break him of that habit. Who on the staff is capable of such a mold? Is our offense geared to encourage post play by our centers?

 

[Kingster]

Great point.

The 2007 Patriots, the only team I've ever hated as much as the 2002 Lakers (has anyone else noticed that I spend a lot of time talking about football), did not care who they were playing, what personnel packages were on the field, what look the defense gave, nothing. Pdx will speak to this. They came out and, if they averaged 70 plays a game, they threw 45-50 times. All season long. Whether they were ahead or not, by 14 points or by 40 points. Because you couldn't stop it. And none of this play-action like my Colts; they would go empty backfield with Tom Brady in the shotgun and fling the ball all over the field, short, medium, long. And they would throw on 3rd and short, conventional wisdom be damned. Because they were quite possibly the most dominant offensive unit of all time in the NFL.

The Colts, on the other hand, while they've been an electric and consistently productive offense for years now, are more willing to morph into whatever works for the moment. They'll run if you stay back (see: Super Bowl 41), they'll throw if you blitz, and they'll play the matchups all over the field.

So if Spencer (or anyone else, for that matter) wants to be considered a dominant player, he has to stop taking what he's given, what comes easy, and get down there and impose his will on the other team. Forget about the matchups and do what you want to do, time and again. But I think that he's more like the Colts' offense than the Patriots'. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, but I doubt very much that decides to forgo the very fun and exhilarating thrill of being able to score from all over the floor in favor of banging with the big boys three or four nights a week. Seems he'd rather be Dirk Nowitzki than the aforementioned Rasheed Wallace (circa 2001).

Sure, so all Spence has to do is post Shaq and Oden down low over and over again - to no avail - and he will really dominate...Right. This is reminescent of the "three clouds of dust" philosophy in football, or the trench warfare of WWI (that worked out real well). Personally, I'd rather attack the weaknesses of an opponent, rather than their strengths, more like the guerilla warfare Sun Tsu. I agree with the point guard comment. When we finally get one worth a darn, Spencer and all the big guys will prosper.