Antonio McDyess

Despite missing 20 games, McDyess had a strong 2008-09 campaign. as he averaged 9.8 rebounds while barely playing 30 minutes per game. In fact, after getting moved into the starting lineup in mid-February, he averaged 12.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks on 51.4 percent shooting over the season’s final 30 games. McDyess will be 35 years old entering the 2009-10 campaign and is clearly on the downside of his career. But last year’s strong finish shows he’s still got plenty left in the tank, and he continues to be relentless on the boards. The explosion is long gone thanks to his knee troubles, but the veteran knows where to be on the court, and his only glaring weakness is at the free-throw line. McDyess and the Spurs agreed to a three-year deal during the offseason. The plan is for McDyess to start at power forward, with Tim Duncan sliding over to center. McDyess obviously won’t be asked to score much on a loaded Spurs team that should get a healthy Manu Ginobili back and also added Richard Jefferson, but he’ll get plenty of minutes on a winning team and offer nice contributions on the glass.

McDyess is the basketball equivalent of the fireballing pitcher who extends his career by learning to work the corners and throw junk. He’s not the jump-out-of-the-gym athlete he was before knee problems, but he’s become a very effective role player, rebounder and inside scorer for a team that truly prizes players that fit the system. McDyess moved into the starting lineup last season, which boosted his numbers nicely – his 8.5 rebounds per game were his best total in five years. It remains to be seen if he’ll hang on to that spot this season, or be supplanted by the rapidly improving Jason Maxiell.

McDyess has been ultra-consistent since joining the Pistons in 2004, averaging 8–10 points, 5–6 boards, and better than 50 percent shooting from the field throughout that period. This year there’s an opening for him to do more. Chris Webber is gone, and McDyess could potentially step into the production gap. More likely, McDyess will stay in his comfortable role off the bench and continue to provide this type of production. He’s worth a late-round flyer, just in case he is pressed into starter’s duty, but it’s a long shot that he’ll log consistent enough minutes to make an impact for you.

No one will ever confuse the current McDyess with the McDyess of 1998-2001, but he has quietly become one of the best reserve big men in the league. Playing behind the Rasheed and Ben Wallace the last two seasons, McDyess has averaged 8.7 ppg and 5.8 rpg in 22.2 mpg. The Pistons plan on resting Rasheed a little more this year, and there’s no way Nazr Mohammed will play as many minutes as Ben did. In other words, McDyess could be pushing 30 mpg for the first time since the old Dice was an All-Star.

It’s hard to believe that as recently as 2001, Dice was considered one of the top power forwards in the league. Three teams and three injury-plagued seasons later, McDyess is ready to contribute to Detroit’s title defense. If he’s healthy this year, McDyess could have a shot at Sixth Man of the Year. If the last few years are any indication (he’s missed nearly 200 games in that span), don’t get your hopes up. Until he proves that he belongs, McDyess should be avoided except in the very deepest of fantasy leagues.