duncan228
10-27-2009, 02:15 PM
This is from a few days ago, I didn't see it posted. Apologies if I missed it.
Ring Would Be The Topper For McDyess (http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/The_Baseline/entry/view/39865/ring_would_be_the_topper_for_mcdyess)
By Sean Deveney
There are two stages of Antonio McDyess’ playing career. There was his time as a soaring, athletic All-Star forward, a guy who, in his prime, twice averaged better than 20 points and 10 rebounds in a season.
Then there’s the reinvented Antonio McDyess, the ace big man off the bench—in his 30s and not much of a dunker anymore, but as adept as ever at rebounding, playing defense and knocking down a midrange jumper when the defense loses track of him.
In between those two stages, though, was a different McDyess altogether, one hobbled by a knee injury that kept him out for all but 10 games of 2001-02, all of the following year and nearly half of the ’03-04 season. McDyess was 27 when he first suffered his knee injury. When he was finally healthy again, he was 30 and on the wrong side of his prime.
Still, McDyess is nothing but positive. “Those were hard years, I am not denying that,” McDyess said. “But there are people who were in much worse situations than I was. I had great medical care, I had a great job. I just had to get healthy. It was hard as a basketball player. But, overall, I am blessed. I am not bitter about anything.”
It’s that kind of perspective that makes it hard not to root for McDyess in his latest incarnation, which has seen him develop into one of the league’s most effective bench big men. Once healthy in 2004, McDyess joined the defending-champ Pistons, betting that Detroit could deliver the one thing he felt could make his grind through injury rehab worthwhile—a championship. A trip to the 2005 Finals and three trips to the conference finals got McDyess close. But no ring.
“It was frustrating, to be close and just to come up short,” McDyess said. “We always had very good teams in Detroit. But it just seemed like this thing would go wrong or that thing would go wrong and we were not quite able to get there.”
Now, McDyess is heading into his first season with the Spurs, a team that has won four titles in the last 11 seasons—including a defeat of McDyess’ Pistons in ’05. He readily admits that a chance for the championship was his chief draw to San Antonio, but is quick to say he understands that the Spurs aren’t exactly favorites.
“For me, I think we match up with anyone in the league,” McDyess said. “But if you look, you have the Lakers, they’re the champs. They’re going to be the favorites, most likely. Then you have Cleveland and Boston and Orlando in the East. I am not going into this thinking it is going to be an easy road.”
Still, McDyess thinks he could be in his best position yet to change his title-less status.
“When I first signed here, they made it clear,” he said. “They told me, ‘We are going to prepare to win a championship.’ So it’s all about the big picture here. I had some long years in the middle of my career, those injuries, where I was putting myself on that floor when I wasn’t ready. Everything I went through in my career, to know at the end of the day that I can walk away with a ring …”
Here, McDyess’ voice tails off. He pauses, and again, you’ve got to root for him a little. He finally says, “In that case, I’ve done everything.”
Ring Would Be The Topper For McDyess (http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/The_Baseline/entry/view/39865/ring_would_be_the_topper_for_mcdyess)
By Sean Deveney
There are two stages of Antonio McDyess’ playing career. There was his time as a soaring, athletic All-Star forward, a guy who, in his prime, twice averaged better than 20 points and 10 rebounds in a season.
Then there’s the reinvented Antonio McDyess, the ace big man off the bench—in his 30s and not much of a dunker anymore, but as adept as ever at rebounding, playing defense and knocking down a midrange jumper when the defense loses track of him.
In between those two stages, though, was a different McDyess altogether, one hobbled by a knee injury that kept him out for all but 10 games of 2001-02, all of the following year and nearly half of the ’03-04 season. McDyess was 27 when he first suffered his knee injury. When he was finally healthy again, he was 30 and on the wrong side of his prime.
Still, McDyess is nothing but positive. “Those were hard years, I am not denying that,” McDyess said. “But there are people who were in much worse situations than I was. I had great medical care, I had a great job. I just had to get healthy. It was hard as a basketball player. But, overall, I am blessed. I am not bitter about anything.”
It’s that kind of perspective that makes it hard not to root for McDyess in his latest incarnation, which has seen him develop into one of the league’s most effective bench big men. Once healthy in 2004, McDyess joined the defending-champ Pistons, betting that Detroit could deliver the one thing he felt could make his grind through injury rehab worthwhile—a championship. A trip to the 2005 Finals and three trips to the conference finals got McDyess close. But no ring.
“It was frustrating, to be close and just to come up short,” McDyess said. “We always had very good teams in Detroit. But it just seemed like this thing would go wrong or that thing would go wrong and we were not quite able to get there.”
Now, McDyess is heading into his first season with the Spurs, a team that has won four titles in the last 11 seasons—including a defeat of McDyess’ Pistons in ’05. He readily admits that a chance for the championship was his chief draw to San Antonio, but is quick to say he understands that the Spurs aren’t exactly favorites.
“For me, I think we match up with anyone in the league,” McDyess said. “But if you look, you have the Lakers, they’re the champs. They’re going to be the favorites, most likely. Then you have Cleveland and Boston and Orlando in the East. I am not going into this thinking it is going to be an easy road.”
Still, McDyess thinks he could be in his best position yet to change his title-less status.
“When I first signed here, they made it clear,” he said. “They told me, ‘We are going to prepare to win a championship.’ So it’s all about the big picture here. I had some long years in the middle of my career, those injuries, where I was putting myself on that floor when I wasn’t ready. Everything I went through in my career, to know at the end of the day that I can walk away with a ring …”
Here, McDyess’ voice tails off. He pauses, and again, you’ve got to root for him a little. He finally says, “In that case, I’ve done everything.”