Spare parts / A.K.A. Spare tire -- Bench

[Gray Mule]

Players, other than the starting five, make a difference.

We loose Neuble and along comes a spare part from the

NBDL and Hawks go right on working.

Jason gets hurt and another NBDL player steps in.

Theo gets in foul trouble and Nazr shows up with some

very strong play at center.

We need a defensive stop at game's end and there, off

the bench, is Ham, in his face and doing his thing.

In the BIG win recently, whose bench scored and whose

didn't? Hawks bench, that's who!

These guys aren't great players. If they were, they would

be starting and our first five would take their place on

the bench. They have a roll to fill and lately they have

been up to the task.

When the starters sit for a breather and the bench comes

on to the floor and brings the Hawks the lead or expands

on the lead that the starters have, then you know that

you have something special.

Maybe the days of the sleepwalk through a portion of each

game is finally over. I hope so. The Hawks seem to have

discovered how to avoid this fatal part of their game. It

hasn't been happening since the fourth quarter of the Bulls

game, and we can see the results. Keep it up!!

The next few games determine the outcome of the entire

season. Hawks are not dead yet. They may be on life

support, they are so far behind, but we ain't dead.

The play of our bench will, in a large part, have the final

say in whether we make it or not. They must carry a lot

of the load. When the starting five begin to falter, they

must take the floor and make things happen until the

starters can rest a while, wake up and resume the game.

Go Hawks! Make things happen! We have caught a glimpse

of what you can really do. Can you keep it up? You must

if we are to survive as a team.