Matt Barnes: Spencer Hawes gives team another hard-nosed player

Spencer Hawes

Spencer Hawes/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers

 

Matt Barnes is a hard-nosed player. Dirty, perhaps, at times. Apparently, that’s one of the things he likes about his new teammate – 7-foot post Spencer Hawes.

Hawes had 12 technical fouls, two flagrants and one ejection last season with Philadelphia and Cleveland.

“I think the biggest (addition) is going to be Spencer,” Barnes said. “Someone 7-foot who can shoot the ball, pass the ball, playmaker,  a dirty guy, a tough guy, probably one of the biggest free-agent pickups of the summer that people really aren’t talking about as much as they should.”

Barnes was speaking at Clippers Media Day on Monday. When it was time for Hawes to take the dais, he was told of Barnes’ comments about his style of play and agreed they were on the money.

“I think so,” Hawes said. “I think as I’ve gotten a little older I’ve been able to contain a little more. But I think that’s just kind of my personality and I think with a guy like Matt, there are some similarities there. And I think that’s what kind of makes me good and sometimes what draws me back, so there’s a fine line there.”

Hawes has career scoring and rebounding averages of 9.7 and 6.4, respectively. He has seven seasons under his belt even though he is just 26 because he was in the league at age 19.