PistonsPage: Isn't it time for McDyess to be benched?
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by Oneflydude
After losing to the sorry Chicago Bulls last night, I realized that I now despise Antonio McDyess...well only as a starter.
Detroit Pistons head coach, Flip Saunders made the call before the season began, to name McDyess as a starter after he signed a 2 year extension
over the offseason. Don't get me wrong, McDyess is a great player, but only when he comes off of the bench. Putting him into a starting role
with a lineup that is striving to make it back to the NBA Finals was
not the move to make. Last year, McDyess was arguably one of the best
reserves in the game. He even said that he was more comfortable coming off the bench. But coming off of the bench and starting are two
completely different things. When you're on the bench, you can watch
the flow of the game and you can come in, adjusted to what's going on.
That is what made McDyess so good coming off of the bench.
Not as a starter.
He doesn't have the same ability as other veterans to start a basketball game and stay with the flow throughout the rest of the game. After having surgery on his knee in the 2001-2002 season, he hasn't been the same player that he once was when he played for the Denver Nuggets.
It may have only been 4 games this season, but I've noticed that since
he's been with the Pistons, they haven't been to the Finals.
Don't think for a second, that I'm blaming him for Detroit not going to the Finals. The point that I'm trying to make here, is that if Detroit hasn't gone anywhere with him on the bench, what the hell makes Flip Saunders think they'll get somewhere with him starting?
When Chris Webber came last year, he took Nazr Mohammed's spot and he did the job that Nazr wasn't doing. That had McDyess backing up Rasheed Wallace, who was also seeing time playing center. The acquisition of Webber jump started the Pistons and he was a big part of the team. Most thought he wouldn't help because he was aging but he managed 11.2 points a game. In the offseason, Joe Dumars chose not to resign Webber so now, Webber is probably at home sitting on his ass.
One thing that pisses me off about Flip Saunders is that he has a habit of playing all of his oldheads, while his youth sit on the bench doing
nothing.
Jason Maxiell has already shown that he fit in the starters role.
Maxiell brings a lot of energy to the court and he could help everyone
else get fired up. The one thing that the Pistons lack is energy.
Another important thing that the Pistons lack is defense, which is a
component that Maxiell brings. Coming off the bench this season,
Maxiell gives you 7.8 ppg, 2.3 bpg and 4.0 rpg in just 4 games.
Definantly great numbers coming off of the bench. McDyess has only 1
block in four games and he averages 6.8 ppg.
Later down the line, I am pretty sure McDyess will either be back on the bench, or he'll be more productive. Unless he learns to adjust to the starting role, Saunders will realize that he can only play well off of the bench. The past couple of years, McDyess has made his name from being a great "6th man." These aren't the Denver Nugget days anymore.
I may be wrong and he may eventually develop into the player he once was. Like I said, it's only been 4 games since he's had the starting power forward position. He is only 33 years old so its not like he is too old to reform back into the way he was.
Pistons Beat #3
Nov.9.07
