Jason Maxiell: I can fill Antonio McDyess' shoes

TED KULFAN
The Detroit News

Auburn Hills -- Stability.

That's what Jason Maxiell is shooting for this season.

If any player typified the Pistons' roller-coaster ride last season, it was Maxiell -- in and out of the rotation, occupying different roles, from one game to the next.

So, entering his fifth season with the Pistons, Maxiell's ready for whatever is thrown his way.

"If it's more minutes, great," said Maxiell, who averaged 5.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 78 games (four starts) last season. "If it's less, I'll still be mentally prepared no matter what."

At 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds, Maxiell, 26, said he can fill the role Antonio McDyess played the past few seasons in Detroit -- a big forward capable of hitting a 15-foot jumper while being effective down low. McDyess signed with San Antonio as a free agent.

Maxiell worked extensively in the offseason on his overall offensive game, knowing a clean slate awaited him with John Kuester taking over.

And Kuester, for one, likes Maxiell's work effort.

"He's an energy player, and once he absorbs what you're trying to get accomplished, he can be a real effective player," Kuester said. "I'm real interested to see what's going to happen. The preseason will dictate a lot (of what Maxiell's role will be)."

Health

This is the year that Maxiell solidifies himself as one of the best undersized garbage man forwards (along with Bass and Milsap). Guys who rebound well, defend okay, and get some dunks off of offensive rebounds or guard penetration. I think he's the best big man on our team and should definitely have the chance to start.

quote:

tetris
Star
Posted October 03, 2009 10:24 AM Hide Post
This is the year that Maxiell solidifies himself as one of the best undersized garbage man forwards (along with Bass and Milsap). Guys who rebound well, defend okay, and get some dunks off of offensive rebounds or guard penetration. I think he's the best big man on our team and should definitely have the chance to start.

quote:

Star
Posted October 03, 2009 10:24 AM Hide Post
This is the year that Maxiell solidifies himself as one of the best undersized garbage man forwards (along with Bass and Milsap). Guys who rebound well, defend okay, and get some dunks off of offensive rebounds or guard penetration. I think he's the best big man on our team and should definitely have the chance to start.

Maxiell will never be a starter in Detroit or anywhere else in the NBA. Increasing his range will get him more minutes, but will also reduce his shooting percentage and offensive rebounding. I just hope he can extend his range all the way out to the free throw line.

Unless he suddenly develops an ability to put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket, he won't be that effective from outside. He isn't a Charles Barkley, and never will be. He is someone who provides energy off the bench, but has significant limitations.

I think it's to early to say any of that stuff so definitively.

Maxiell Career Numbers:

As a Starter: 9.7 PTS, 5.7 TRB, .578 FG%, 28.2 MP

As a Reserve: 5.6 PTS, 3.7 TRB, .528 FG%, 16.0 MP

So neither his FG% or rebounding decreased when he started. In fact his field goal percentage went through the roof. He's been more productive as a starter, of course he's only started a small handful games so I don't put to much stock into these numbers. But, right now I refuse to believe the claim that Max's productiveness declines the more minutes he plays.

I'm not saying it will decline with more minutes, I'm saying it will decline by attempting shots from farther out. Also, starters play against tougher competition.

Okay, my bad. I read your post wrong.

So why exactly would Maxiell start or even need to attempt shots farther away from the basket?

Posted: Oct. 3, 2009
Pistons' Jason Maxiell fights for a spot at PF
BY VINCE ELLIS
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Which player on the Pistons' training camp roster has the third-longest uninterrupted tenure with the team? But with all the off-season roster upheaval, Maxiell has become kind of the forgotten Piston.

The signings of Charlie Villanueva, Chris Wilcox and Ben Wallace could have pushed him down the depth chart. When you add draft picks Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko, who can all play power forward, you can see where new coach John Kuester will have a hard time finding minutes for the explosive plays the undersized power forward has provided the past four seasons.

It's a huge preseason for Maxiell as Kuester is eager to see how he adapts to the new system.

"I think the preseason will dictate a lot about what his plans are," Kuester said after Friday's morning practice. "He's an energy player, and once he absorbs what you are trying to get accomplished, he's a very effective basketball player."

Maxiell never has secured a solid spot in the rotation and the 6-foot-7, 250-pounder thought he deserved more consistent minutes last season.

Despite being only 27, Maxiell said he is trying to serve the elder statesman role vacated when former Piston Antonio McDyess signed with the Spurs in the off-season.

"In practice I try to let them know this isn't college anymore," Maxiell said. "You got to work and talk on the court defensively."

There is one thing that should help Maxiell under Kuester, who plans to run more for easy points, and running the floor is one of Maxiell's strong points.

But Maxiell isn't worried about playing time.
"If it's more minutes, that'll be great. If it's less, it's still expected of myself to be mentally prepared," he said.

NOTEBOOK: Villanueva missed Thursday's evening session and Friday's morning practice with a slight hamstring injury and there's a chance he won't play in the first exhibition game Monday against the Miami Heat. He suffered the injury, which isn't believed to be serious, during drills this week.

quote:

tetris
Star
Posted October 03, 2009 12:06 PM Hide Post
Okay, my bad. I read your post wrong.

So why exactly would Maxiell start or even need to attempt shots farther away from the basket?

During the off season, Maxiell has been working on his range. Improved range (over 12-15 ft) will allow him to play along side Brown, Wallace or Wilcox. Coach Kuester wants to use a "stretch" PF. This opens the paint for others to score inside. None of the centers stretch the floor, so the PF has to do it. If Maxiell wants to replace McDyess on the court, he must add to his range (and be able to make free throws). Taking more shots from further out will reduce his shooting percentage, and reduce his opportunities for offensive rebounds.

You may get more pts from farther away, but you'll lose rebounds. I'm okay with that, it should open up the post for Brown and rebounds for Ben and Wilcox as well.

If Wilcox can learn to block and maintain possession like Ben does, and Brown and Max could learn that too by the way, it could lead to about 2-3 more positive possessions per game!

I'd like to know if Ben has or intends to work at all with CV on building any defensive game at all?

Would have loved to still have Sheed to show him inside spacing, footwork and blocking out. I think their games are more similar than anyone else, but Sheed's the real bad guy now! So I hope Ben can teach him some things. As for Max, he just needs some range and about 20 more %pts on his FT%!

I think Ben Wallace could become a solid NBA assistant coach. Not a Head Coach, but definitely a solid NBA assistant coach, this could be the year where that clicks with him. You watch teh games and see if he's pointing and trying to verbally illustrate spacing and positioning to the younger guys especially, but CV, Brown, Max and Wilcox. Even the new SFs too!

If by fill the role, he means leave completely empty, then I agree. He will fill the shoes of Dice.

I can't wait to see what Maxy can do this season. I can't really judge him off of last season since everything was haywire. He was getting called a poor man's Barkley a few years ago; now he is just viewed as garbage. I think he will recapture some of the potential he had when Flip was the coach. Or at least I am hoping!

i def want to see some monster max throw downs he comp embressed kg last year

I'm glad to hear Max say that. I've always hoped they'd use Max as more of a big SF then a small PF. It will be interesting to see how the front court rotation works out. Tay, and CV are obviously going to get a lot of playing time. And then you have Max, Kwame, Wilcox, Wallace who I would think would all be in the mix for significant PT. And then you have the rookies who have impressed and a desire to develop our youth and get younger as a team.

The back court is pretty much set. Stuck, Rip, and Gordon are all going to play 30+ minutes with Bynum picking up the scraps of playing time unless their is an injury and Washington will be lucky to be on the active roster.

Those are some big shoe to fill. I hope he does it but he needs to improve more than just shooting to help out this team.

All he has to do is put his feet in Dice's shoes to fill them, but contrary to what all of those commercials will have you believe, the shoe does not make the player. I like Max. He should have every opportunity with our bigs being the way they are.

quote:

Maxiell Career Numbers:

As a Starter: 9.7 PTS, 5.7 TRB, .578 FG%, 28.2 MP

As a Reserve: 5.6 PTS, 3.7 TRB, .528 FG%, 16.0 MP

Instead of total rebounds, look at Defensive rebounds. Dyess actually got defensive rebounds consistently. Maxy Pad needs to do a lot of things far better to even come close to filling Dyess's shoes. Glad he wants to try, but not expecting him to rebound or shoot like Dyess.

I don't think it matters what kind of rebounds Max gets as long as he gets them. Offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, seriously, what is the difference? Grabbing an offensive rebound gives you the exact same end result as grabbing a defensive rebound. Either way you're just securing another possession for your team.

J-Max is underrated.

All I wanna know is where is Kirsten19 to dump on j-max's thread

Max will never replace what McDyess did... but if he could do 3/4ths of what McDyess did he'd be a solid bench player.