duncan228
11-29-2009, 12:36 AM
McDyess' big game bodes well for Spurs (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/McDyess_big_game_bodes_well_for_Spurs.html)
Mike Monroe
After helping the Spurs slow down the Golden State Warriors just enough to get a victory at the AT&T Center on Wednesday night, Spurs center Antonio McDyess discovered he also had to slow down a bit as he motored east on Interstate 10 after the game.
Heading to Houston for Thanksgiving dinner with his family at his offseason home, McDyess thought he might be able to trim a little time on the late-night drive by pushing the 70-mph speed limit, just a bit. Instead, he found he had to pace himself.
“There were so many cop cars out, I wasn't even tempted,” he said. “Every few miles, you'd see those flashing lights, and somebody was pulled over.”
Safe and sound and ticket-free, McDyess finally got in a comfort zone on the court when the Spurs played the Rockets at the Toyota Center on Friday. Turning in his best game since signing a free-agent contract with the Spurs on July 10, the 6-foot-9 veteran of 13 NBA seasons produced his first double-double in silver and black.
McDyess' 15-point, 14-rebound breakout in 31 minutes and eight seconds of court time augmented Tim Duncan's 21-point, 12-rebound interior game.
Duncan, the Spurs' captain, was happy to see it.
“Great, great,” Duncan said. “That's the kind of play we need from him. Defensively, he was solid, got a couple of blocked shots in there and rebounded the ball really well and made some big plays for us down the stretch.”
It was the sort of game McDyess has been anticipating more than anyone. He admits to some trepidation through the first month of the season, wondering when his legs would feel like the coiled springs that once made him one of the league's most freakishly athletic big men.
“Old age, I guess,” said McDyess, who turned 35 in September.
As he warmed up for Friday's game, McDyess felt so young that he cut short his pregame routine.
“(Friday) was one of the first games I felt good, wind-wise, and my legs were under me,” he said. “Hopefully, it will continue the whole season.”
If it does, the Spurs will have their most physical low-post tandem since the 2003 retirement of David Robinson, whose induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will be celebrated after tonight's game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the AT&T Center.
McDyess may not be the 7-1 defensive menace that Robinson was, but his presence is tangible, and it makes Duncan more effective on the inside.
Gregg Popovich, long an admirer of McDyess' game, was thrilled to see him break out against the Rockets. The Spurs coach knew there would be a learning curve for each of his new players to get comfortable with new teammates and new ways of playing. McDyess, he said, has been an outstanding student.
“Antonio is a big-time pro who only cares about winning, and he's found, pretty quickly, where to be on the court in relation to players he hasn't been with before,” Popovich said. “He's been a real quick study finding his niche out there. It's a big plus for us.”
McDyess learned to be patient early through two injury-plagued seasons, 2001-02 and 2002-03. Then, he played only 52 games, total.
“There's so many new faces, it's going to take time before everybody clicks right away,” he said of the Spurs. “I know, just from being on this team, Pop is taking it kind of slow, letting us get in it.
“I know how this team operates, just from watching them all these years. They kind of start off slow. Then, at the end, you see they have one of the best records in the league. Pop doesn't try to win a championship in the first half of the season.”
Mike Monroe
After helping the Spurs slow down the Golden State Warriors just enough to get a victory at the AT&T Center on Wednesday night, Spurs center Antonio McDyess discovered he also had to slow down a bit as he motored east on Interstate 10 after the game.
Heading to Houston for Thanksgiving dinner with his family at his offseason home, McDyess thought he might be able to trim a little time on the late-night drive by pushing the 70-mph speed limit, just a bit. Instead, he found he had to pace himself.
“There were so many cop cars out, I wasn't even tempted,” he said. “Every few miles, you'd see those flashing lights, and somebody was pulled over.”
Safe and sound and ticket-free, McDyess finally got in a comfort zone on the court when the Spurs played the Rockets at the Toyota Center on Friday. Turning in his best game since signing a free-agent contract with the Spurs on July 10, the 6-foot-9 veteran of 13 NBA seasons produced his first double-double in silver and black.
McDyess' 15-point, 14-rebound breakout in 31 minutes and eight seconds of court time augmented Tim Duncan's 21-point, 12-rebound interior game.
Duncan, the Spurs' captain, was happy to see it.
“Great, great,” Duncan said. “That's the kind of play we need from him. Defensively, he was solid, got a couple of blocked shots in there and rebounded the ball really well and made some big plays for us down the stretch.”
It was the sort of game McDyess has been anticipating more than anyone. He admits to some trepidation through the first month of the season, wondering when his legs would feel like the coiled springs that once made him one of the league's most freakishly athletic big men.
“Old age, I guess,” said McDyess, who turned 35 in September.
As he warmed up for Friday's game, McDyess felt so young that he cut short his pregame routine.
“(Friday) was one of the first games I felt good, wind-wise, and my legs were under me,” he said. “Hopefully, it will continue the whole season.”
If it does, the Spurs will have their most physical low-post tandem since the 2003 retirement of David Robinson, whose induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will be celebrated after tonight's game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the AT&T Center.
McDyess may not be the 7-1 defensive menace that Robinson was, but his presence is tangible, and it makes Duncan more effective on the inside.
Gregg Popovich, long an admirer of McDyess' game, was thrilled to see him break out against the Rockets. The Spurs coach knew there would be a learning curve for each of his new players to get comfortable with new teammates and new ways of playing. McDyess, he said, has been an outstanding student.
“Antonio is a big-time pro who only cares about winning, and he's found, pretty quickly, where to be on the court in relation to players he hasn't been with before,” Popovich said. “He's been a real quick study finding his niche out there. It's a big plus for us.”
McDyess learned to be patient early through two injury-plagued seasons, 2001-02 and 2002-03. Then, he played only 52 games, total.
“There's so many new faces, it's going to take time before everybody clicks right away,” he said of the Spurs. “I know, just from being on this team, Pop is taking it kind of slow, letting us get in it.
“I know how this team operates, just from watching them all these years. They kind of start off slow. Then, at the end, you see they have one of the best records in the league. Pop doesn't try to win a championship in the first half of the season.”