Link<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>PISTONS CORNER: McDyess ups production off the benchMarch 31, 2006Email this Print this BY CHRIS SILVAFREE PRESS SPORTS WRITERMcDyess has upped his game.Tonight: BucksMatchup: Pistons 57-14; Milwaukee 36-35.Tip-off: 8, Palace.TV/radio: Channel 20; WDFN-AM (1130), WLBY-AM (1290).Injuries: Detroit -- None. Milwaukee -- G T.J. Ford (quadriceps), questionable.Overview: The Pistons and Bucks have each won their past two games. The Pistons have won both meetings this season and haven't lost to Milwaukee at home since Jan. 11, 2003. The Pistons' magic number is three to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.Antonio McDyess still reiterates the point: He just needed more minutes to show his capabilities.That has become evident over the past five games, in which McDyess has continued to prove his value to the Pistons -- playing, as they say, like a sixth starter.McDyess was a force against Philadelphia, Dallas, New Jersey, Indiana and Miami, all likely playoff contenders. He has averaged 11.2 points and nine rebounds in about 23 minutes a game in the last five games, well above his season averages of 7.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 20.7 minutes.When coach Flip Saunders joined the team, he wanted to ease McDyess into the rotation. He knew of McDyess' past injuries, which include three knee surgeries before he arrived in Detroit last season. In this season's first month, McDyess' playing time fluctuated, once from 12 minutes to 20 to 15."Early on, there was a question about not playing him a lot," Saunders said."There's a reason we've made a conscious effort to not play him too many minutes because of the history of his injuries, and knowing that to try to get him fresh and get him more (minutes), that now he's playing at an unbelievable high level. He's got fresh legs, and so he's making every open jump shot and he's very active on the glass...we're really not having any letdown when we go to him for either 'Sheed or Ben."Extended minutes, McDyess said, has given him more confidence.But there's more to it than that. When asked about his recent contributions, more than once he's alluded to the upcoming playoffs. Last year was the first time in six seasons McDyess had been in the playoffs, including his first appearance in the NBA Finals."I think over the last couple of weeks, I've gotten a lot more confidence and knowing the time is real serious now, I don't want to fall short like we did last year in the playoffs," McDyess said. "I'm just trying to focus and get more focused until the playoffs get here."The postseason will be here in three weeks. Until then, McDyess will continue to polish his game. Teams have recently contested the 15-foot jump shots McDyess has made on a consistent basis, so in turn he has been going to the hoop more often. He admits he has felt more comfortable with his inside game over the past three games.His teammates have noticed."Man, 'Dyess is playing so well right now," point guard Chauncey Billups said. "We depend on him every night to play like a starter. He's doing that. He's rebounding, playing great defense, he's scoring great. He's a starter for us, really."</div>I love how Dyess hass elevated his game for the past three weeks or so. If he can keep up his production then the Pistons "weakness" the bench, will have a big weapon on it, which isn't good news for anyone we have to play during the playoffs.Good job Dyess :beerchug:
Yeah he has elevated his game the past few weeks. He has been Ben Wallace like grabbing rebounds. You can see he really wants to get homecourt and win a ring and I think he will be the one that needs to motivate the Pistons to play hard for the rest of the season and in the playoffs.
McDyess is playing his best ball of the season however i think the downfall of Tayshaun's production has hurt us a little.
wow....mcdyess is simply a beast, he wants this so bad right now...26 points and 14 rebounds with sheed out...thats amazingly good for the bench. 6th man of the year should be garnteed for him. wow.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ReppinTheD @ Apr 4 2006, 10:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>wow....mcdyess is simply a beast, he wants this so bad right now...26 points and 14 rebounds with sheed out...thats amazingly good for the bench. 6th man of the year should be garnteed for him. wow.</div>He has been having a good mid to end of the season but at the beggining of the year he was off his game. I do think he's one of the lead canidates for 6th man but you still have to add Mo Williams, Mike Miller and Jerry Stackhouse.
Dyess should def. be a candidate, but will not win it IMO. I thnk Mike Miller will win 6th man this year.But tonight... Wow. He proved that he can fill the role of either big man if they are suspended/injured. He showed that he can be the Dyess of old when need be.
Tonight the Pistons proved that they do have depth, and the claim that if one of our starters went down we would suck is now totally false.
True that my friend. Delk showed he can provide the offense needed from the bench along side Antonio, who for the last month has shown why he is a major candidate for 6th man of the Year. Lindsey can give us great defense and Dale Davis is a tough-minded guy who can gie us great scrap minutes. The Pistons have one of the most underrated benches in the league. The stats might not always be there, but the energy, hustle, and defense is always there and with that as well as the best starting five in basketball, the Pistons do have everything needed to go on a championship run this year.
Dyess could very well, be deserving of the 6th man award, but trust me, it will not happen. My guess for 6th man of the year will definitely go to mike miller. One would think, seeing Dyess was an all star at one point in his career he could at least get himself back to this level. Even knowing he has, the 6th man award will not go to him...i wish it would though, because he is leading a bench brigade that is slowly rounding into a an excellent 2nd rotation
