Bo Spencer Explodes For 43 Points in 87ers' Latest Win as Team Continues to Roll

Earlier this season, RidiculousUpside.com spoke with then-Canton Charge Bo Spencer. The Nebraska alum was making the transition into being more of a playmaking spark plug off the bench. Both facets of such a role were new territory for the young gun, as he had always started and was looked upon to be "the man" on offense while playing in both college and overseas.

The young gun has since joined the Delaware 87ers, similarly stepping up to serve as the team's sixth man. In ten games off the bench going into Saturday, Spencer has provided a steady double-digit scoring threat off the bench. As a result, he's given his new team a healthy boost. They had gone 5-5 in their last ten games (following a 5-21 record to start the year) going into Saturday against the BayHawks.

On Saturday, the skies opened up as Spencer's strong play had given way to his first start for Delaware. As fate would have it, he broke out for a massive performance. The guard not only led his team in three major categories (points, assists, and steals), but also more importantly, the win.

In the 87ers' 135-113 win over Erie, Spencer erupted for 43 points, dished out 11 assists, and grabbed 6 steals as well. Proving to be as efficient as they come, he ran the offense like a champ, while also connecting on an eye-popping ten field goals from downtown. Spencer was spectacular as he pieced together one of the better performances the NBA D-League has seen all season long.

A first round draft choice of the Charge last fall, there's plenty to be intrigued about when it comes to Spencer's upside. There's no doubt that if he were given the guidance (and frankly, the permission) to let loose and run with abandon, he could pour in the points with ease each and every night. In recent games, he's certainly proven to score the ball at an efficient rate. Such progress would suggest Spencer could evolve into quite the minor league star, if given the clearance to do so.

The road to becoming a D-League star is an interesting one. What exactly qualifies a youngster as a star? In the NBA, being able to put on a scoring clinic certainly gets an up and comer some consideration. If that's all there was to it in the D-League, Spencer would have no problem thrusting himself into the discussion for some of the league's better players.

Of course, that's often not all there is to it. Excelling in the minor league not only means stepping up as a leader for your current squad, but also proving able to do all the little things, as one likely would have to for any future team in The Association.

As evidenced by his recent progress, Spencer is arguably still beating that door down as he continues making such a transition. Perhaps Canton had the right idea to position him into such a role early on, so that he could better adapt to the type of role he'd play in the NBA. That could certainly go a long way towards making him more of an appealing player, sooner, rather than later.

Still, there's no denying that his recent offensive tear (he scored 27 and 23 points in two games before the Erie contest, respectively), has been impressive to watch.