That was Spencer Hawes on the court Tuesday at the PCOM Center, playing a little post-practice two-on-two, moving without a limp, making some shots, defending against Nikola Vucevic.
That was also Spencer Hawes later, insisting that he does not know yet when he will be able to return to game action due to a lingering left Achilles’ strain.
“I’ll know when I can play when I can really run,” he said. “If we could play in the half-court, I could probably be OK and kind of cover it up. But when I have to get up and get up on my toes and change directions, that’s the thing I still have to continue to work on.”
Hawes has missed the last eight games with the injury, nine overall this season including time off with a sore back.
Vucevic has missed the last five games with quad and knee issues but is ready to return.
“I think Spencer will return when he is ready,” Doug Collins said. “I just said to him, ‘Obviously we miss you and we need you.’ But it has to be when he is comfortable and he is ready to go. I’m not sure he is there.
“I know Nik is ready. He could have played last night. He’s ready. But with the way Lavoy Allen is playing —- and Tony Battie was great last night —- I just couldn’t find a spot for him. But Nik is ready to play.”
As for Hawes, he is getting close.
“Today was the best it’s felt,” he said. “And getting out and being able to play two-on-two helped because a lot of it is getting back mentally to where you are comfortable and you don’t have to think about the movements. When you are doing drills, it kind of gets the juices going and lets you get past that block and test it out.
“It is still not 100 percent, but it’s the best that it’s felt.” Continued...
A day after expressing disappointment in the way his team closed out a 74-69 victory over the Orlando Magic, Collins orchestrated a relatively brief but necessary 35-minute practice Tuesday.
“We didn’t do a good job finishing that game last night,” he said. “Not rebounding. Not making free throws. Not paying attention to the little things we do. We just don’t want it to be a
carryover.”
Overall, Collins has been satisfied with the Sixers’ defense. But those are the Bulls coming to the Wells Fargo Center Wednesday, along with the reigning NBA MVP.
“Our defense has been very good, and it is going to be very tested against the Bulls,” Collins said. “Derrick Rose is incredible. That guy is an amazing player. He is so good at breaking your defenses down and creating opportunities in the pick-and-roll game. So we are going to have to play really good.”
Like Rose, Evan Turner is from Chicago. The second-year Sixer remembers playing against Rose in high school and AAU settings.
And? Continued...
“I mean, I did my thing,” Turner said, smiling.