Amare Ought to be Embarassed

[Chaplin]

Take another look at the current salary structure http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/f7/amare-ought-to-be-embarassed-152649-18.html. Now please tell me which guys have MAX contracts.

Realisticly,the Suns could get outbid by a lot of teams. I am most concerned about the Heat because they could be a tough team to stop if they added Amare and he is from Florida.

But the way I read it is tha it is not the starting salary, but the length of the contract that will matter. There is a real risk that Amare will reiinjure his knee and concerns about his knee will keep the bidding down. But it won't give Sarver much breething room because having a guy that forces opponents to double team is a big plus.

I expect Amare will get a contract for upwards of 6 years and $90 million. Big, but far from the highest this summer.

Good God. 6 years??? Are you crazy? There is no way IN HELL we should sign him to 6 years. NO WAY.

 

[Errntknght]

I don't think Chap was advocating signing him, given that he strongly opposed it a few post back - probably in a different thread.

Anyway, from looking that list I'd say that among the top 10 the only two that aren't overpaid are Kobe and Dirk. You could argue about Duncan, I suppose, because he was worth it before even though he's fallen off now. I guess Pierce isn't too badly overpaid, though I don't see him as max player.

11-30 don't look quite so much like the list of contracts from Hell. About half of them don't make you happy they're not on your teams roster.

 

[cly2tw]

The saddest thing about Amare is that he might have developed into the player he thinks he is if he'd have had decent coaching early in his career. Starting under Frank Johnson, who knew zip about coaching, was bad enough but then he had D'Antoni who actively encouraged him to shun defense. On top of that no one ever encouraged him to pass the ball - or designed plays for him in which passing was a significant option. The were like fans, they just wanted to see those dazzling drives he was capable of. They didn't aid and abet the maturation process either, until this year - Gentry gets credit for that since it happened on his watch and I suspect he was the catalyst.

But he is what he is now, regardless of where the fault lies, and that is a player who wants to paid far more than he is worth. I only hope that Steve is right about him having an agreement to go someplace else - failing that he might well wind up striking a deal with Phoenix after testing the FA market and finding all the other GM's paid attention to his woeful performance on the big stage.

For all my limited math skill, it's about less than 8 months and with Amare fully getting his conditioning back for about the later 4-5 months. That's learning on the job towards contending for a NBA championship within a team concept, the highest achievement for any team. And people ask him to be a Dream-like passer and low-post scorer Dwight Howard could not become with full 6 years of total team devotion towards that! Where people see negative, I see positive from that mere fact what he learned within the last 4 months, which people never felt possible with him.

Sad, that some other team like Miami or Nets will reap the fruit Gentry sowed and groomed to 70% maturity.

 

[jibikao]

Top 30 NBA Salaries http://hoopshype.com/salaries.htm

So would someone please define which players have "max" contracts. considering this is before the bidding war this summer?

1. Tracy McGrady New York - $23,239,561

2. Kobe Bryant LA Lakers - $23,034,375

3. Jermaine O'Neal Miami - $22,995,000

4. Tim Duncan San Antonio - $22,183,218

5. Shaquille O'Neal Cleveland - $20,000,000

6. Dirk Nowitzki Dallas - $19,795,714

-. Paul Pierce Boston - $19,795,712

8. Ray Allen Boston - $19,766,860

9. Rashard Lewis Orlando - $18,876,000

10. Michael Redd Milwaukee - $17,040,000

11. Pau Gasol LA Lakers - $16,451,250

-. Andrei Kirilenko Utah - $16,451,250

13. Kevin Garnett Boston - $16,400,000

14. Yao Ming Houston - $16,378,325

-. Amare Stoudemire Phoenix - $16,378,325

16. Vince Carter Orlando - $16,300,000

17. Gilbert Arenas Washington - $16,192,080

18. Zach Randolph Memphis $16,000,000

19. Carmelo Anthony Denver - $15,779,912

-. LeBron James Cleveland - $15,779,912

-. Chris Bosh Toronto - $15,779,912

-. Dwyane Wade Miami - $15,779,912

23. Kenyon Martin Denver - $15,363,636

24. Dwight Howard Orlando - $15,133,800

25. Joe Johnson Atlanta _ $14,976,754

26. Elton Brand Philadelphia - $14,858,471

27. Predrag Stojakovic New Orleans - $14,202,000

28. Richard Jefferson San Antonio - $14,200,000

29. Larry Hughes Sacramento - $13,655,268

30. Chris Paul New Orleans - $13,655,268

Wow, some of the players have no business belonging in the Top 30 salaries. 3. Jermaine O'Neal Miami - $22,995,000? Are you KIDDING me? JO probably had one of the worst playoff performances I've seen from a starter.


Yes, Nash isn't perfect and he is old but after looking at the Top 30 salaries, any criticism on Nash seems to disappear when Nash doesn't even belong to Top 30 salary. In fact, I say Suns got so much out of Nash's performance by paying so little.

I am not saying Nash deserves more $$$ but Performance and Contract should be somewhat parallel.

Amare is the most paid on Suns' roster and I can see why some of you demand more from him. Hell yeah! And he is aiming for like what? $20mils per year?? Hell no.


One thing that bothers me is how Amare can decide not to play well when there is trade rumor or when he is not getting paid at max. level. This kind of player scares me. He only wants to play hard when he feels like it. WTF?

And I bet that after Amare got his max. contract, we'll see "injuries".... .

 

[leclerc]

Amare needs to be drilled on defense 101 this summer.

Another thing is if Earl Clark had been further along maybe he could play D in stretches. He's as tall as Amare maybe not as strong but he's supposedly great on defense.

Next year if we keep it together we could *knock on wood* have a healthy Lopez (and Amare!) and a Lopez/Dragic edition of Earl Clark for the playoffs.

GO SUNS!

 

[jagu]

Amare needs to be drilled on defense 101 this summer.

GO SUNS!

I don't know if Amare will have time to learn that course. He's still in Boxing-Out 101 and we all know that class is a very hard one to pass.

 

[Chaplin]

I don't know if Amare will have time to learn that course. He's still in Boxing-Out 101 and we all know that class is a very hard one to pass.

I wish he'd get more rebounds, of course, but his boxing out is a major reason why Grant Hill and Jason Richardson led us in rebounds so many times this season. His goal should not be just boxing out, but boxing out and getting the rebound at the same time.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Wow, some of the players have no business belonging in the Top 30 salaries. 3. Jermaine O'Neal Miami - $22,995,000? Are you KIDDING me? JO probably had one of the worst playoff performances I've seen from a starter.

Yet when he signed such an extension, he was a 20/10 guy at a young age. He was worth it at the time but his knees got the best of him. Sounds somewhat familiar.

Yes, Nash isn't perfect and he is old but after looking at the Top 30 salaries, any criticism on Nash seems to disappear when Nash doesn't even belong to Top 30 salary. In fact, I say Suns got so much out of Nash's performance by paying so little.

Agreed, tremendous FA signing. Sarver's best move as Suns owner.

Amare is the most paid on Suns' roster and I can see why some of you demand more from him. Hell yeah! And he is aiming for like what? $20mils per year?? Hell no.

Yep, dude isn;t worth it. Might look nice for a few years but will kill us when Dragon and Rolo take the next step and we need a real superstar to help us get over the hump and have no flexibility. Thankfully Kerr and Griff realize this and only want him for 3-4 years.

One thing that bothers me is how Amare can decide not to play well when there is trade rumor or when he is not getting paid at max. level. This kind of player scares me. He only wants to play hard when he feels like it. WTF?

Why is this surprising? He hasn't lived up to his talent level since he entered the league. His game has always been and always will be accumulating statistics, not improving into a championship player. You are what you are at a certain point.

And I bet that after Amare got his max. contract, we'll see "injuries".... .

Of course. People seem to forget that he cost the organizations 30 games last year when he had did not want to wear the goggles the team doctors told him to. Or how he hsigned an extension just days before getting microfracture a few years ago. Guys built around money and ego don't win you championships.

 

[cly2tw]

Of course. People seem to forget that he cost the organizations 30 games last year when he had did not want to wear the goggles the team doctors told him to. Or how he hsigned an extension just days before getting microfracture a few years ago. Guys built around money and ego don't win you championships.

Actually, the opposite is true, guys without ego and hunger for money won't win you championships. Wait, is there anybody fitting your role model description in the entire NBA?