Spencer Hawes: This Year's Fantasy Sleeping Giant?

In case you missed it last night, Spencer Hawes saw extended playing time last night versus the Lakers—just his third game of over 40 minutes in only 31 games—and didn’t block a single shot the whole night.

But that’s ok.

What Hawes did accomplish was a stellar 12-for-20 shooting affair that garnered 30 points along with, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, a single steal and four three-pointers.

Sadly, the Lakers still won.

But for Hawes, each passing year has been better than the last, and this year is no different. If you compare his rookie ’07 season with the current one, Hawes has basically already matched or bettered his rookie campaign in 67 less minutes.

If you remember last year, Hawes was an ancillary player at best, for most of the season, with a good portion of his playing time coming in the final months—a time where we saw glimpses of what could be for the young player.

Last year, Hawes played 30 games in the 20-29 minute range, 27 games in the 30-39 range, and only 10 games in the 40+ minute range—five of those coming at the end of the season.

This year, Hawes has 15 games in the 20-29 range, 10 in the 30-39 range, and three in the 40+, a pace that could shatter his 2008 campaign.

Last night was also the first time Hawes had a game with 30 points.

The only problem digging into Hawes’ ability to spend more quality time on the court is the consistent play of Jason Thompson and Tyreke Evans, but the more Hawes continues to play well and hard, the more time we will see the giant 7’1” 245-pounder on the court.

Hawes is simply a guy that should be owned outright in any format considering the unlimited ceiling of his play, and the fact that the kid continues to excel and improve only means great things to come in Fantasy.

If there is a spot on your roster you would like to improve upon, seriously consider Hawes before you miss out on the next “peak” game, something that is sure to happen often this year for sure.