Wanted: a big man with touch
McCaskill, 29, has those attributes, but Pacers, other NBA teams prefer youth.

 
By Sekou Smith
sekou.smith@indystar.com
July 5, 2003

Amal McCaskill would have loved to spend the Fourth of July eating good food and relaxing with loved ones. His love for the game of basketball doesn't allow it.

Instead of sweating over a smoky grill, McCaskill spent Friday sweating through morning and afternoon workouts for the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse.

McCaskill, 29, is still chasing an elusive dream that involves not only playing in the NBA, but doing it for a while. And if that means holidays and other things have to share time with minicamps and free-agent tryouts, so be it.

"As long as I have the fire inside me, that drive, I'm going to be out here," said McCaskill, a 6-11, 235-pound post player who finished last season in Spain. "I've stayed in the league a couple of times, but I still want to play in this league. I mean, really play in this league."

An NBA roster spot might or might not be in McCaskill's immediate future. While there seems to always be a lack of quality big men to go around, the recent trend in the league has been teams taking more chances on teenage 7-footers, both American born and beyond. There hasn't been a huge run on guys who are approaching their 30th birthday.

"I don't really understand it. I think it has to do with a lot of things," McCaskill said. "As for the foreign players, the game has really grown over there (in Europe). And there are some really good players over there. I just think people are more fascinated with the idea of having an international flavor.

"If they have a chance to get somebody with potential who's an international player, there's that opportunity to tap into a potentially huge market overseas."

McCaskill, a Chicago native and admitted late bloomer who attended the same high school as Pacers coach Isiah Thomas, has found a way to survive in spite of the NBA's current climate.

He played at Marquette and was selected in the second round, 49th overall, by Orlando in the 1996 NBA draft. He played one season with the Magic, then began his fantastic voyage around the globe. He played in Greece and Venezuela, had four stints in Spain and played in the CBA before finding his way back to the NBA two years ago.

He signed a two-year contract with San Antonio. He played in 27 games during his first season with the Spurs but was traded last summer, along with Antonio Daniels, to Portland. After refusing to go on the injured list after training camp in October, McCaskill was cut by the Trail Blazers.

"Portland had a bunch of big men and they wanted to put me on injured reserve, but I had a guarantee and I wanted to go somewhere I could play," McCaskill said. "I'm 29. I'm not getting any younger. I've got to play."

McCaskill played 11 games with Atlanta as a replacement for Nazr Mohammed, who was injured at the time. When Mohammed regained his form six weeks later, McCaskill headed back to Spain after being cut again.

Now he's back for more and just as eager as he was when he began his journey seven years ago.

"One thing about these guys that keep playing every summer like this is that NBA teams have long memories," said Pacers assistant coach Dan Burke, one of the men directing the action at the fieldhouse during this minicamp. "They'll remember guys like (McCaskill), and you never know, when a spot opens up somewhere, they might say, 'Let's have this guy on our team.' "

The chances of that happening rise when the player has McCaskill's makeup. Known as a good citizen, McCaskill is a hair under 7 feet and has a feathery touch for a man his size. He's also athletic enough and rugged enough to bang inside.

His perseverance, though, is what might ultimately earn him a spot on some team's roster.

"A lot of it is fit," Burke said. "Say for a guy like McCaskill, he's a big body and a good character guy. He's got some skills and can help you get better in practice. He could help a guy like Jermaine (O'Neal) get better in practice, and that's a bona-fide role. That's a very valuable role to play for a team, especially one that plans on contending for a championship.

"What's amazing, though, is that there are so many places a guy can play. And these guys (in camp) love the game. There are guys in this (NBA) league that are stars, and I'm not sure they like, let alone love, the game. That's what tears your heart out about a guy like McCaskill, because you know he loves it."