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February 20, 2014Cavs and Clippers talking Zeller-Bullock swap
February 20, 2014
The Cleveland Cavaliers said they were going to be buyers at the trade deadline, and if something doesn’t go down before Thursday afternoon, it won’t be for lack of trying. The latest, from ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, has David Griffin and Company acquiring Philadelphia 76ers center Spencer Hawes in exchange for forward Earl Clark, center Henry Sims and two second-round draft selections. Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowki was first to report the deal.
Philadelphia has traded Spencer Hawes to Cleveland, league source tells Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 20, 2014
Hawes represents a bit of an upgrade over Tyler Zeller, who has started in place of the mysteriously injured Anderson Varejao, but has been extremely suspect as of late, hitting just 1-of-6 shots for two points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 29 minutes on Tuesday in a loss to Cleveland. (He has scored in the double digits just three times through February, averaging as many points per game as Anthony Bennett.) As bad as he has been on offense, his defense has also been called in to question with Grantland’s Zach Lowe calling it a “masterpiece in not giving a f—.”1
The former tenth-overall selection will likely immediately step into the Cavaliers’ starting lineup and should provide a scoring punch in the post. What this means for Varejao, who continues to nurse soreness in his back, remains to be seen. Zeller, as it should be mentioned, has produced well in the Big Brazilian’s absence, averaging 17.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks over his last two games.
Hawes is due roughly $3 million over the rest of this season. He’s averaging 13.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks on the season and is an unrestricted free agent this summer. He also hates Barack Obama.
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(AP Photo/Michael Perez)
- Pictured above. [↩]
50 Comments
I am generally elated about this. A solid big and for cheap?! Yes please!!!
Even though Zeller has looked really solid in his increased minutes, with Andy out, Hawes is a pretty big upgrade to Sims.
All those underpants, errrr, second round picks are becoming useful.
All those underpants, errrr, second round picks are becoming useful.
I’ll put this down in the win column for David Griffin. Hawes may not have been playing great of late but who could really blame him being on the 76ers. That being said he has a nice all around offensive game plus is a legitimate big man. Unlike Earl Clark. The fact that it only cost the Cavaliers a couple second round draft picks is nice as well. I like seeing second round picks used instead of being obtained.
Agreed. I like the way Zeller has been playing much more aggressive and even with the addition of Hawes he should still receive playing time. Well at least I hope so anyways after all we are talking about Mike Brown. It looks like Earl Clark has found his way to the bench finally and deservedly so for the way he had been playing.
a legit 7fter with range out to 3pt land? he’s not a great player, but he’s a very good backup C in the NBA. I’ll take it.
so, Jordan Hill or Spencer Hawes? well, Hawes has better height, but Hill is a grittier player. Considering we can use the 3pt shooting though, probably better that we got Hawes (I hate myself a little for saying that though, love Hill).
Assets!!!!
Hawes represents a bit of an upgrade over Tyler Zeller
Whoa there. Let’s backup dem horses. I’m not so sure about this one. I actually have them rated fairly evenly. Both are legit 7fters who can run. Tyler is actually the stronger guy in the post (yaay lifting weights) but Spencer has range to 3pt land.
Spencer’s defense this year has been just absolutely horrible though. Opposing centers have an allstar level PER against him. And, his WS/48 (0.08) is well behind Tylers (.12). Spencer has played better defense in the past though, so let’s hope that the crazy run-first, run-only play of the 76ers was a big contributor there for him.
He’s having his best year shooting the 3, but I’d still rather have Hill. At least Hill has played some solid defense at various points of his career. If I’m reading the tea leaves right, this tells me that Andy Varejao is more injured than we thought and won’t be back any time soon.
The way Zeller has played lately, I would leave him in the starting lineup and have Hawes coming off the bench.
agreed on Andy. Spencer has played some decent defense in his career too. Certainly not at Jordan’s levels. But, Spencer has always been able to space the floor (this is the first year they are letting him focus on being a 3pt guy though).
I don’t know though. I worried alot about Hill’s back issues despite being okay with them lately, they tend to recur especially for an undersized player that plays his style of toughness.
Hopefully it works (I do like Hill better but maybe for us this is better?).
Good point, I didn’t realize that Hill had chronic back issues. I’m willing to give David Griffin and Mike Brown the benefit of the doubt for now… I just can’t seem to get very excited about Spencer Hawes. I’m not sure he’s an upgrade over Zeller. Yes, he’s an upgrade over Sims for sure, and I like that he’ll be taking those minutes, but he’s also going to take minutes from Zeller.
Hawes’ defense is deplorable, as I mentioned, but there is no way that I’ll agree to them being even offensively. As I tweeted, this also isn’t as much about Hawes vs Zeller as it is Zeller being a substantial upgrade over Sims.
definitely agree that the upgrade from Sims to Hawes/Zeller (whichever way we want to look at it) is huge. good for Henry that he had a nice little game last night to take to the end of the bench.
I think the real value here is that when Dion is cranky or pouty in practice, Hawes will be there for him to dunk on and remember happier times.
First impressions:
– When last seen on the floor Andy was grimacing a whole lot and really looked in pain, even after the buzzer. So I don’t think they’re about to deal him.
– Rumors of trading Zeller now … why? If he came out of college playing like last night he’d have been a top 10 pick.
– Does Hawes actually like basketball, or is he one of those (coughryanhollinscough) 7 footers who can’t resist the money? I ask because the last thing this team needs is another dog, at any position.
– If they plan to keep Hawes rather than deal him again later today, this looks like Gilbert doubling down on Mike Brown. You can’t “Chud” hthe coach by giving him the league’s worst post defender and then can him after 1 year because he hasn’t taught the team defense. Right?
A perfect confidence builder for Bennett.
Hah. “Spencer Hawes – The Human D-League”!
No thanks on another ex-Laker first Bynum then Clark. Hill is just scrappy he doesn’t have any real offensive kind of game and the Cavaliers already have him in Tristan Thompson. Hawes is a much better fit if for no other reason then he can play the center position legitimately.
Hawes can play sure offense more then defense but the way you make it sound you’d think this guy was a complete stiff. I disagree.
Hawes can play sure offense more then defense but the way you make it sound you’d think this guy was a complete stiff. I disagree.
Sims can keep Gee and Clark company now. I missed my man Karasev being sent down to the D-League but I liked what the kid did while he was in Canton. Perhaps he’ll return now that they added Hawes.
Sims can keep Gee and Clark company now. I missed my man Karasev being sent down to the D-League but I liked what the kid did while he was in Canton. Perhaps he’ll return now that they added Hawes.
Not sure how Hawes plays the center position “legitimately”. He’s a shooter on offense who isn’t very good in the paint, and defensively he’s erratic. He’s had some decent defensive years in the past, but this year he’s been awful defensively and we can only hope it’s because he’s been playing for the Sixers.
A little side-by-side comparison from their play this year:
Hawes:
eFG = .520
TS = .546
TRB% = 14.3
STL% = 0.9
BLK% = 3.2
TOV% = 15.9
ORtg = 104
DRtg = 107
WS/48 = .080
Zeller
eFG = .540
TS = .589
TRB% = 15.3
STL% = 0.9
BLK% = 3.2
TOV% = 16.5
ORtg = 112
DRtg = 106
WS/48 = .120
Zeller has been the better player this year. I wish he could start over Hawes, but that doesn’t seem very likely. Instead the Cavs are supposedly shopping Zeller? WTF.
Oh how I love stats especially snap shot stats taken for one specific time frame. More important to me are the words “this year.” I won’t even go that far I’ll say “for right now, in the present” because Zeller has been playing really well the last couple of weeks and Hawes has not. Hence the statistics. Even then they are pretty close overall. Regardless as I posted earlier I would tend to think they’d want to keep both but we’ll see what happens.
Oh how I love stats especially snap shot stats taken for one specific time frame. More important to me are the words “this year.” I won’t even go that far I’ll say “for right now, in the present” because Zeller has been playing really well the last couple of weeks and Hawes has not. Hence the statistics. Even then they are pretty close overall. Regardless as I posted earlier I would tend to think they’d want to keep both but we’ll see what happens.
I blurted HAH when I read this comment. Well played, sir.
Assets????
Yes, yes, you dislike stats, we get it.
Here’s the non-stat version. Zeller is just a more active player… he moves better and it’s only his second year in the league, which matters. His body still has transformation to go through that only NBA training staffs can provide. Hawes has been in the league for 7 years. His body is at its apex.
Zeller/Bennett
Hawes/Tristan
Keep those combos together and see how they develop. I agree with you that Tyler has been the better player, is younger, and in the NBA alot less time, so he also seems to have the higher ceiling at this point. Not sure why we would trade him (unless someone is willing to overpay).
Stats can be a dangerous thing in the hands of the wrong people. They should be used moderately and responsibly.
As far as our discussion goes I’m of a similar mind in keeping Zeller even with the presence of Hawes. As for body transformations The Rock does not look at these players bodies he’s to busy looking in the mirror to notice!
Schmidtt-Boyer is saying that Sims will be replacing Hawes in Philly. He is going with the 2nd round picks there.
At least he’ll get to play.
the thought going into the season was their increased pace would help his defense since he is a bit light in the pants. but, the result has been he is out of position and absolutely terrible.
definitely a switch in philosophy coming to the Cavs, hopefully it helps him.
Ah yes I read that the Cavaliers would need to add some $$$ to go with those picks. Oh Henry poor guy. I guess that means Gee and Clark near the end of the pine although Miles looks to have tweaked his lower leg so perhaps my man Gee will reacquaint himself with an NBA floor once again soon.
no, Clark is part of the trade as well. looks like Scott already had Henry listed above too, I just missed it on first read.
Sims, Clark, 2x2nd rounders for Hawes.
no, Clark is part of the trade as well. looks like Scott already had Henry listed above too, I just missed it on first read.
Sims, Clark, 2x2nd rounders for Hawes.
A half season of Hawes is not what I’m thinking when I use the term “useful”, but to each his own.
The inclusion of Calrk makes sense I didn’t think Sims was being paid that well. What a disappointment Clark was maybe he’ll figure it out better in Philly now. To bad Thaddeus Young couldn’t have been had.
Pretty solid acquisition by Griffin. Get a pretty decent big man for next to nothing. Those 2nd rounders weren’t going to ever bring anything of value. And Hawes, at 26, is playing the best season of his career while playing the most minutes of his career. A good low cost move that helps the team push for the playoffs this year, add a little scoring/outside shooting, and he could always be signed & traded (you’d probably get some second round picks right back) or resigned (they have an inside track) next season.
Plus it just reinforces to the existing young core that the front office has confidence in them going forward. Here’s hoping for some more moves today! Go Cavs!
My goodness, this team keeps getting bigger.
I completely agree. Zeller has played himself into a better player at this moment in time. Hawes has more talent and ability, but I don’t get the sense he really likes playing basketball that much. I have literally never once seen Hawes play hard. He’s one of my absolute least favorite players in the NBA. And I now I have to root for him.
exactly what I wrote here this morning: does he even like playing? The percentage of American 7 footers who have played in the NBA is pretty astonishing. No way they all like the game. Maybe he just wanted to be an archeologist or something.
Precisely. Some people do what they do because they love to do it and they work really hard at it. Others do it because they were just born with a natural talent that allows them to make money at it.
There’s an enormous difference between the two. I hope the trade lights a fire under Hawes and he comes in and plays hard and help get the Cavs into the playoffs. But this is his 7th year in the league. I need to see some proof before I’m going to expect it from him.
one of my fav coach quotes, from Chuck Noll, regarding roster selection: “I won’t give a player a reason to want to play football.”
If Hawes isn’t exactly passionate I wouldn’t blame him – he didn’t choose to win the genetic lottery but maybe with all that talent and an uncle who played in the league it’s just hard to step off the track they load you onto by your mid-teens. As much as Zeller was pushed around last year at least he looked like he likes the court – and I can see him banging around with his brothers under the driveway hoop.
Yeah I think we’re going to need to hope that he just enjoys playing pick-n-roll and pick-n-pop with Irving enough to give effort on both ends of the floor. In the end, I’m thinking he may add more on offense, take away more on defense, and the Cavs are really the same team as they were before… but it all depends on how fired up that remote chance at a playoff spot can get him.
I don’t want to get caught up in comparing the two. Since Zeller is staying, I think what’s important to understand is that Hawes is better than Clark/Sims. I think we can all agree on that.
At some point you have to use those 2nd rounders. Cavs already have a very young team and adding more 2nd rounders to the 15-man is not prudent. 2nd rounders (especially early ones) have value but only if you can play them or have minutes to develop them. The Cavs still have many picks in the upcoming years.
Also, this speaks more about Andy’s health and pattern of health, than Zeller IMO.
Actually Earl Clark might have found himself to be a starter again… for Tankladelphia.
Just read this quote from Coach brown (him talking to Hawes) on the PD website. Is anyone else embarrassed by this?
“Our offense is not complex at all. I was talking to him on the phone and he said, ‘Yeah, we just played you guys so I got a good feel for what you do.’ I said, ‘Yeah, you probably do. What you went over in your scouting report is all we do.”’