I think there have been cases of toughening up, but the end result is more "tougher" than "tough". Thing is though that back in the old days guys arrived in the league at 22 after 4 years of school-- they were largely what they were. All the more reason why this is a critical time for Spencer as wuss -- he's still young. He may still be able to change. By the time you reach 25 you rarely do.
Some possible examples we are very familiar with -- Vlade himself. Don't remember what his game as like when he arrived, but he was very soft and Magic was on him about it. Obviously he never became remotely a tough guy, but he did become a player willing to play physically in the post. And CWebb (PF, not C), one of the reasons that Washington was willing to dump him was that he had become lazy and self indulgent in Washington and was wasting there time sitting outside as a 3pt chucker. He took 205 3ptrs the year ebfore we got him. Then he grew up and settled in for us. And while he never was the consistent post masher his detractors wanted him to be, he didn't shy from it when it was there and he only had one year when he took any significant number of threes.
Some possible examples we are very familiar with -- Vlade himself. Don't remember what his game as like when he arrived, but he was very soft and Magic was on him about it. Obviously he never became remotely a tough guy, but he did become a player willing to play physically in the post. And CWebb (PF, not C), one of the reasons that Washington was willing to dump him was that he had become lazy and self indulgent in Washington and was wasting there time sitting outside as a 3pt chucker. He took 205 3ptrs the year ebfore we got him. Then he grew up and settled in for us. And while he never was the consistent post masher his detractors wanted him to be, he didn't shy from it when it was there and he only had one year when he took any significant number of threes.