Yet he is still shooting 47.2% FG, 47.3% 3 and 80% on FT for the year.

He hasn't had a "demise" at all.

"Seems more like a hindrance than a help to the Hawks lately, when he is not shooting well along with his soft defence and non rebounding"

You could say that about heaps of NBA 'shooters' though couldn't you. Ray Allen, Steph Curry, Kyle Korver, Danny Green are all pretty redundant when they're not shooting well. Yet most/all teams would take them.

I'm more of a Golden Globe's man myself

Agree that Ellis has been playing really well. I have no doubt that Bevo will shuffle starters or adjust minutes when he thinks it makes sense.

#oscarsotan

Bevo's high scoring system is great and suits all of his outside shooters. The problem is, if the shots aren't dropping, you need players willing to crash the glass to offset the misses. That is probably where his value has been "lessened"

It is weird to see Oscar only shooting 38% on threes and sitting outside the league's top 10.

Oppo teams have gone at him hard defensively this year and that has dropped his minutes to 21 (down from high 20s, low 30s in recent years) which might make it harder to get a rhythm.

Ellis has been their number one PF this season, but Forman is still going to play an important part in this season. He'll have a hot game somewhere and he always spreads the floor no matter whether he's hot or not.

BTW I think Oscar's demise would make a really good novel title.

A sequel to In the Stillness of a Single Breath...

"Ellis has been their number one PF this season"

Admittedly I haven't seen Ellis play recently, but this doesn't make up for his string of horrible performances earlier in the season.

Defensively (including rebounds) Forman is a liability, but he's a game-changer offensively - particularly at his position. Regardless of whether he's hitting shots, no NBL coach would instruct his players to sag on Forman - quite the opposite.

Keep in mind: spacing is paramount to Illawarra's offense, they struggle to rebound as a team, and their bigs have been inconsistent all season.

Forman > Ellis

Wish he had stayed with the sixers as a one clubber.

What the Sixers have lacked in just about every season since Oscar's departure is exactly what Oscar gives you - high percentage spot up three point shooting.

Only former Sixer in the league over the past 10 years that I wish we had never let go.

he's really dragged the team down.... to finishing 3rd, possibly 2nd... what a liability......

Like someone else said, no coach would EVER say sag off Oscar Forman on the 3 point line. By respecting his shot, it opens up the lanes for Lisch Penney and Martin to drive and make things happen. Not the best defensive player, but his one weapon is the 3 and thats still a very valuable commodity in the NBL!

Forman started the season hot and has cooled considerably.
Ellis started the season TERRIBLY and has been really good of late.
Both will have important roles to play down the stretch of the season.

Every time I see him play, he gets 2 or 3 fouls in his first 5-10 mins on the court.

I have only watched Forman play Perth, and he gives us match-up problems every time. Pretty much forces Perth into a non-preferred rotation. Knight simply cannot defend him on the perimeter.

^ Perth beat Hawks all the time! They smash them inside and on the boards so I doubt Oscar causes them too many problems.
I wasn't hating on Oscar I like him but come playoffs the Hawks need stronger inside presence, Ogilvy cant beat front lines like Knight & Jawai by himself.

Yeah I've certainly noticed this and wondered when it would be a topic!

Would you ever use Oscar as a spark off the bench?

Oscar always seemed to me like an NBA 3 man think Detlef Schrempf or other gangly SFs. But in this league he gets outmuscled by the bigs and is too slow to guard the perimeter players.

Oscar basically is the reason I've suggested that If you have him then you also need a player like Greg Hire that's only interested in crashing the boards on both ends.

I love AJ Ogilvy but he isn't the solution to their rebounding word that I thought he'd be as they basically think he is their only rebounder or when Laz or Cody are on

Perth beat Hawks all the time! They smash them inside and on the boards so I doubt Oscar causes them too many problems.

Ogilvy cant beat front lines like Knight & Jawai by himself.

"Forman > Ellis"

If that were the case Rob Beveridge would play Forman the crunch minutes, but it's been Ellis most of the time.

Ellis has leapfrogged Forman since the start of the season, with Oscar shooting 29% from 3p over the last 16 games he just isn't offering much. Mo, you need to watch more Hawks games, they're entertaining!

Oscar basically is the reason I've suggested that If you have him then you also need a player like Greg Hire that's only interested in crashing the boards on both ends.

Lisch is their point guard until Weeks or Martin Coke on and he slots into the two.

White defends the opposition's most dangerous player which I think is fascinating as Losch will win defensive player of the year this year and Penney seems content to guard the other gust but with so many starting 3s in this league able to play the 2, Penney or Illawarra for that matter are hardly hampered by him defending a taller player

Lisch is their point guard until Weeks or Martin Coke on and he slots into the two.

White defends the opposition's most dangerous player which I think is fascinating as Losch will win defensive player of the year this year and Penney seems content to guard the other gust but with so many starting 3s in this league able to play the 2, Penney or Illawarra for that matter are hardly hampered by him defending a taller player