HT: 6-10 | WT: 225 | AGE: 33 | YR:11
PTS: 18.4 | REB: 4.5 | AST: 2.8
By Dr. Jack Ramsay
Special to ESPN.com
In terms of an All-Star selection, one factor that could favor Clifford Robinson over Antonio McDyess is the performance of his team. Although the Phoenix Suns are fifth in their division, they have enjoyed more success than Denver. Nobody pays attention to players who play well for bad teams, unless the player has astronomical numbers. Jason Kidd will make the All-Star team from Phoenix, but two could be selected -- and the second player would be Robinson.
As a player, I like Robinson. He leads the Suns in scoring at more than 18 points per game and is a good defender. In the Suns' defensive scheme, which involves a lot of trapping, Robinson plays an integral part. Last year he was even being backed as a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. Robinson can defend small and big forwards and sometimes even centers.
Robinson, a small forward in a big body who can run, has a stronger perimeter game than McDyess because he can shoot from distance. What I like is his versatility. He can post up and run the floor, and teams have to guard him outside. He should rebound more than he does. He is also shooting a career-high 78 percent from the free-throw line.
Robinson has always been kind of an off-the-wall guy with his headbands. He has settled into being a pretty solid citizen and a good team player, more so than he was in Portland. There was always some controversy in Portland; whether he was the ringleader, I'm not sure, because Isaiah Rider and Rod Strickland were on the Blazers, too. But he seems to have mellowed and is playing well.
I don't know if Robinson will make the All-Star team, but he is a worthy candidate and the coaches appreciate what he does.
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HT: 6-9 | WT: 240 | AGE: 25 | YR: 5
PTS: 18.2 | REB: 8.5 | BLK: 2.0
By Kevin Loughery
Special to ESPN.com
Among Western Conference forwards, I would choose Antonio McDyess over Clifford Robinson for All-Star consideration because McDyess is more well-rounded as a player, even though Robinson is having a good year since being moved into the Suns' lineup. The difference is that McDyess shows more of a defensive presence.
What I like about the Nuggets' forward is that he plays hard every night. However, he hasn't improved as much as I thought he would at this stage of his career. He gets in a lot of foul trouble because he is an aggressive player and hasn't come up with a pet move that could give him a basket when he needs one. A lot of his fouls look like they come from inexperience, even though he has played five years in the league.
Still, McDyess is a very good basketball player because he plays hard, rebounds the ball and can block shots. I don't believe he has developed his basketball skills to his fullest yet. Sometimes, a player's athleticism will override his basketball abilities. He is a tremendous athlete, and people are trying to compare him to Kevin Garnett. But Garnett has a much better feel for the game than McDyess. He is still a very good player because he has size and athleticism.
McDyess has a major upside; When a player has athleticism and a strong work ethic like McDyess does, he will get better. He goes after shots defensively and creates a force in the middle for Denver. The U.S. Olympic Committee has high regard for McDyess because they placed him on the Olympic team, so he has a chance to be an All-Star and should deserve tremendous consideration.
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