My article on Ben Hansbrough’s lack of playing time yesterday received quite a lot of attention, so I decided to follow up on it
with the inaugural edition of our brand-new Hansbrough Watch!
From now on, the Hansbrough Watch will keep you up-to-date on Ben’s playing time – or lack thereof – after each FC Bayern game.
Before I tell you how much burn Ben got in Bayern’s Eurocup loss to Cedevita Zagreb, however, I’d like to add a few things to yesterday’s article.
As you may remember, the official reason for Ben’s non-existent minutes is that he still needs to adjust to the European game. The flaw in this reasoning is so glaring that I didn’t mention it yesterday, but after today’s game (can you guess yet how many minutes Ben got?), I thought it was time to drop the … nonsense … and expose that explanation for what it is: A load of … nonsense.
If Ben needs to adjust to the European game, there is only one place where he can do so – on the court. Since he’s never actually ON the court, how is he supposed to adjust to the European game?
[Channeling my inner Allen Iverson] “In practice? In practice?” Yes, Inner Allen, good point. He can certainly learn to adjust in practice, to some degree (not that practice can ever replace an actual game for learning purposes).
But Ben has been with the team for more than three months. If he really hasn’t managed to adjust enough to be given at least a few minutes in every game, then something is very, very wrong: Either Ben is a joke of a basketball player, which I refuse to believe, based on the available body of evidence from his college days; or Coach Bauermann is a joke of a basketball coach for not being able to help Ben adjust – which I also refuse to believe.
So, the “adjustment” excuse is just that – an excuse. Smoke and mirrors. There has to be a non-basketball related reason for Ben riding the pine. My bet is that there is an interpersonal conflict between Hansbrough and Coach Bauermann. Perhaps because Ben came to Munich expecting to be “the man”, perhaps for some other reason. We can only hope that these two alpha dogs will find a way to settle their issues and make Ben a productive member of Bayern’s team. The fans are itching to see him play, preferably this season and in Bayern’s uniform. I will keep my fingers crossed … but won’t keep my hopes up too high. As I’ve mentioned before, rumor has it that it is harder to get out of Coach Bauermann’s doghouse than it is to get off the Lost island. And Ben won’t have six seasons to pull it off.
Oh, I almost forgot: Hansbrough Watch. Ben secured another DNP-CD for his growing collection today (as if you hadn’t guessed), bringing his total playing time to 78 minutes in 11 games – 9 BBL, 2 Eurocup. He is now averaging 7 MPG.
German Hoops 
Wont Ben be on the block soon??? How much longer will he still stay???
Let’s say I wouldn’t be surprised if he celebrates Christmas somewhere else.
For all I know, he might already be on the trading block. Bayern might already be shopping him behind the scene. I just don’t know. All I know is that his current situation isn’t making any sense.
As a Bayern fan, I can only *hope* that he and the club are committed to still getting it to work somehow. But I’m not counting on it anymore.
Great postings. I agree with your explanation why Hans is sitting so much. But I would put more blame on Bauermann. He wanted him as PG which obviously wouldn’t work. Now he isn’t able to make it work in other ways. Of course Hans’ attitude might be a problem too (the picture you linked to in your first post is very telling).
All in all it is a very messy situation and everybody is getting damaged by it.
IMHO, the blame lies with both Coach Bauermann / Marko Pesic (Bayern’s athletic director) and Hansbrough’s agent.
Bauermann/Pesic should have known that Hansbrough is really a SG. And if they had scouted him properly, they should have known that he needs time to adjust and/or that he’s not a good fit for Bauermann’s system and/or that he’s not a good character fit.
If Hansbrough’s agent had scouted Bauermann/FC Bayern properly, he should have known that he is not a good fit for Bauermann’s system and would have a hard time cracking the “old-boy network” rotation.
None of that is really that unusual or condemnable. Shit happens, especially when a player comes to Europe for the first time.
What I can’t understand is how the club is dealing with the problem. Either let Hansbrough play or – if it’s obvious that he has no future with Bayern – let him go. But don’t pretend for weeks and months that it’s just a matter of adjusting and that his time will come.
i know ben and his brother personally. ben and ty are not at all arrogant persons. very down to earth actually. ben just tends to be insecure and shy. i’m afraid some ppl don’t get that right. doesn’t help in a new environment, a new country, a new team. but given the chance I’m sure he could help any team in so many ways.
Thanks for your input, Hunter. That’s what we here in Munich don’t get. There is no doubt he could help the team. Which is why we’re looking for explanations. The “aloofness” theory was just one possible explanation.
It’s entirely possible that any interpersonal conflict between Coach Bauermann and Ben (if, in fact, there is such a conflict) is more due to Coach Bauermann’s sensibilities than any arrogance on Ben’s part. We can only speculate.
I don’t know Ben personally and I don’t know Coach Bauermann personally. But from Coach Bauermann’s public image and the things you hear about him, it’s probably not that hard to get on his bad side.