George O'Brien
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Sometime in the next couple of weeks McDyess is expected to return to the lineup. Since up to now he has done very little, most of us have all but written him off. However, there is at least a chance, no matter how small, that he might actually be able to play to play.
At one time Dice was an oustanding player. During a three year period in Denver his record was:
98-99 21.2 ppg 47.1% 10.1 rpg
99-00 19.1 ppg 50.7% 8.5 rpg
00-01 20.8 ppg 49.5% 12.1 rpg
Then he became injured. He came back briefly prior to the trade and played in 18 games. He was not really recovered, but in NY he still scored 8.4 ppg on 45.8% and grabbed 6.6 rpg.
What if Dice actually is mostly healthy? Even if he was only 80% of the guy he once was, he could be better than many of the big men we have been discussing.
A month ago it was argued that if he played well, he would leave the Suns because they could not afford to re-sign him. With only 30 or so game left, he may be inclined to sign for the veteran minimum. Considering the nature of his injuries, he may not want to have to play 30+ minutes to justify a big contract.
I was thinking about Dice when reviewing the record of Camby. Camby has never played in more than 63 games in a season in his entire career and only played in 29 in each of the last two years. Yet this year he is apparently healthy and productive. When he was healthy, McDyess was a lot better than Camby. Even this year, Camby is only averaging 8 ppg.
If Camby can make a comeback, is it so outrageous to wonder if Dice might?
At one time Dice was an oustanding player. During a three year period in Denver his record was:
98-99 21.2 ppg 47.1% 10.1 rpg
99-00 19.1 ppg 50.7% 8.5 rpg
00-01 20.8 ppg 49.5% 12.1 rpg
Then he became injured. He came back briefly prior to the trade and played in 18 games. He was not really recovered, but in NY he still scored 8.4 ppg on 45.8% and grabbed 6.6 rpg.
What if Dice actually is mostly healthy? Even if he was only 80% of the guy he once was, he could be better than many of the big men we have been discussing.
A month ago it was argued that if he played well, he would leave the Suns because they could not afford to re-sign him. With only 30 or so game left, he may be inclined to sign for the veteran minimum. Considering the nature of his injuries, he may not want to have to play 30+ minutes to justify a big contract.
I was thinking about Dice when reviewing the record of Camby. Camby has never played in more than 63 games in a season in his entire career and only played in 29 in each of the last two years. Yet this year he is apparently healthy and productive. When he was healthy, McDyess was a lot better than Camby. Even this year, Camby is only averaging 8 ppg.
If Camby can make a comeback, is it so outrageous to wonder if Dice might?