Spurs' low-key tactics land McDyess
Mike Monroe
The Spurs didn't charter a jet to Houston to visit Antonio McDyess with an entourage of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, head coach Gregg Popovich and majority owner Peter Holt.
That was Boston's approach last week, pulling out all the stops to recruit Detroit Pistons free agent power forward Rasheed Wallace. The Celtics sent their owner, head coach and Big Three scoring stars to Wallace's home in suburban Detroit.
The Spurs got the Pistons big man they needed with a solid offer, a low-key approach and a couple of text messages from Duncan.
McDyess made things official Friday, signing a contract that makes the 6-foot-9, 245-pound power forward arguably the team's most significant outside free-agent signee of the Duncan era.
NBA executives familiar with the negotiations say the deal is for three years, starting at the full midlevel exception to the NBA's salary cap rules, $5.845 million. The third year is partially guaranteed, making the guaranteed money roughly $15 million.
Spurs general manager R.C. Buford called the newest Spur “a great acquisition” whose skills mesh perfectly with the Spurs' approach.
“I think he's an incredibly bright and savvy player,” Buford said. “To go through the wars he's gone through and be as effective as he's been, and incredibly disciplined and highly effective on defense, you can't do that without having great concentration and focus. But he's also got great team defensive awareness.
“He should be a welcome addition to a team that emphasizes defense like we do.”
It appears that McDyess' best fit will be in the Spurs' starting lineup, alongside fellow big man Duncan. Both players are combination big men, capable of switching between the power forward and center spots. McDyess started 30 games at center for the Pistons last season, and in those 30 games averaged 12.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.17 blocks in 34.9 minutes per game.
In 32 games off the bench — his season was interrupted when he had to sit out for 30 days after a trade to Denver and subsequent release by the Nuggets — his averages were 7.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 0.47 block in 25.6 minutes.
McDyess will be 35 by the time the Spurs open training camp, but he remains one of the NBA's most productive post players. The second pick in the 1995 draft, he entered the league as a super-athletic big man who played almost entirely above the rim.
Knee injuries plagued him for three seasons, from 2001-2004, when he played only 52 games. He emerged after two knee surgeries as a slightly less explosive but much more savvy post man.
The Spurs believe he has plenty of game left.
“All we can do is evaluate how he plays right now,” Buford said. “In watching him last season, he was very effective and very efficient and very impactful on the game. I would think, physiologically, each individual deals with age and longevity differently.”
The Spurs had tried to attain McDyess when the Nuggets released him after the blockbuster trade that sent him to Denver, part of the deal that swapped Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson.
Buford was pleased on Friday to finally, officially, get his man, and without a special trip to Houston.
“A person of Antonio's character and abilities will always be coveted in the NBA,” he said. “We've long recognized what a great acquisition Antonio would be for the Spurs, and we're really excited for the opportunity to come to fruition.”
