SEATTLE – At times, Antonio McDyess’ Monday debut seemed as awkward as a bad blind date. McDyess, meet your Knick teammates.
McDyess, who was to play his second game as a Knick last night in Seattle, must overcome his rust, but his mates also must make the adjustment to having a potential stud on the court.
It all looked out of sync in Monday’s overtime loss to the Pistons. When McDyess didn’t want the ball on the low post, they force-fed him. When McDyess got out on a break and appeared in the clear, point guard Charlie Ward was oblivious.
“We have to get a lot more familiar,” McDyess said following yesterday morning’s shoot-around, as the Knicks prepared to face the Sonics last night.
“I’m the type of guy who likes to get up the court real quick and get easy buckets. We have to get the connection, start being on the same page. That will come.”
Coach Don Chaney would love to see the club look for McDyess more in transition. That’s Chaney’s basic offensive philosophy – run the floor and get easy baskets.
That part of McDyess’ game should come quicker than his low-post offense, in which his timing was way off as his shot went astray in Monday’s ill-fated debut (2 points, 0 for 5 shooting).
“They could’ve thrown the ball to him several times,” Chaney said, referring to transition. “He was ahead of the group. It’s something we’re not used to seeing a lot, a big guy running like that. He’ll get six points a game by beating the other guy down the court. You’ve got to know who you’re playing with.”
Instead, McDyess was getting feeds in the post and he didn’t even want them.
“When they were passing me the ball, I really didn’t want to shoot,” McDyess said. “I didn’t want to force anything. I got caught up with fans screaming when I caught the ball.”
Now 2,200 air miles from the Garden, McDyess says he can relax and didn’t expect butterflies before last night’s game that kicked off a five-game West Coast trip.
“Getting that first one under my belt, now it’s over with, I could focus on playing basketball,” McDyess said. “I’m not saying the rustiness won’t be there but it will be better.”
Knick GM Scott Layden was hardly concerned over McDyess’ uneven debut, his first regular-season outing 21 months.
“It’s going to take time for him to work into the system,” Layden said. “It does take time, similar to what we’re seeing with Dikembe [Mutombo’s] play. He’s having more success now. In time that will be Antonio as well.”
Allan Houston said McDyess can breathe a “sigh of relief” that the debut is over.
“It’s only going to get better,” Houston said. “I don’t think we force-fed him. We were anxious to get him the ball. He’s so anxious he’ll find the ball. It may look like it because he’s so active and energetic. He’s a great post presence. You’ve got to give him the ball. You can’t have a McDyess out there and not have him involved.”
