09-13-2007, 07:21 PM
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 | Contributor | | Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Kiev -> Farmington Hills -> Santa Clara, CA
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| Re: The 5th starter...who should it be?
Quote: Nothing is etched in stone, of course. But, after talking to Flip Saunders, the plan going into training camp is to have Antonio McDyess playing power forward alongside Rasheed Wallace on the first unit. McDyess, who turned 33 last Friday, has already been told to prepare for that possibility. He has come back to Detroit a month early to get a head start on his conditioning, something he hasn't done since his knee surgeries.
The move makes sense on several levels. Wallace needs a high-energy player alongside of him, particularly early in games. We saw that last year, as the team consistently sputtered out of the gate with Nazr Mohammed and Chris Webber. McDyess isn't Ben Wallace, but his motor runs a lot hotter than Mohammed's and Webber's. Plus, McDyess can score on the block (his turnaround jumper remains a consistent weapon), which defenses have to honor. His presence will allow Wallace more freedom at the offensive end.
The move should help McDyess relax. The last two years, the Pistons have asked McDyess to come off the bench and not only provide energy, but to be one of the main scoring options. By starting, he can ease himself into the flow of the game more and play off the rest of the starters. Plus, at age 33, it will be much easier for him to warm up before the game and play 12 to 15 minutes a half, as opposed to warming up, sitting for six to eight minutes, then come into the game cold.
The problem will come when the Pistons face the few over-sized centers left in the league, like Shaq and Yao. Mohammed, it would appear, would be tapped for extra duty against those types of players (taking over the Dale Davis, Elden Campbell role of past teams). Like I said in a previous blog, re-signing Webber is still an outside possibility. But only if the Pistons find a way to move Mohammed. Teams have known Mohammed was available since last January and nobody has come calling, so the odds of the Pistons moving him and opening up a space for Webber are slim right now.
Also by starting McDyess, it allows Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson, the young guys, to provide the energy off the bench -- which makes sense. To accomodate Johnson's talents, the Pistons might have to turn that second unit loose. Because Johnson struggles in structured sets, Saunders may have to let loose the reins and allow Johnson, Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey and Jarvis Hayes to run and gun a bit. That will be fun to watch.
Another thing: Have you seen Sheed lately? Maybe you've seen him around town or at a Shock game. He has lost 25 pounds since the end of the season. He has been around the facility all summer and began working out in earnest two weeks ago. He is so skinny, Joe Dumars has taken to calling him Slim Jim. Actually, he looks thinner than he did before the 2005-2006 season, the year he was an All-Star and propelled the Pistons to 64 wins. It's a good sign. Wallace hurt his ankle late in the 2006 playoffs and couldn't work out at all before last season. As a result, he fought to get into shape and stay healthy all season. So, to see him lean and mean in September is a great, great sign.
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Re: The 5th starter...who should it be? 
