my point being is that he just about had the same numbers, some were even better. Where as Nash declined a little because of it. He finds a way to score when he's never gotten the ball enough in his entire career.
Amare talking it up.
- Thread starter krazyasiankid
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my point being is that he just about had the same numbers, some were even better. Where as Nash declined a little because of it. He finds a way to score when he's never gotten the ball enough in his entire career.
BC867
Long time Phoenician!
These posts refer to Amare as a Power Forward. But he's been our biggest player on the floor most of the time. Our Center, by default.
It has caused him to be tentative on defense, not an overwhelming factor in rebounding and wind up in foul trouble and on the bench when he was most needed.
We'll never know how good and well rounded Amare might have been if he had a true Center playing alongside him.
It has affected just about every Power Forward we have had since our Center position was given to Alvan Adams at 212 lbs.
And, too often, our Small Forwards have had to play Power Forward, leaving Amare as our only big man on the court.
The only exception I can think of is when Rich Kelley played Center and Truck Robinson played Power Forward. But Truck Robinson was nowhere near the dominating PF that Amare could have been.
I can't blame Amare for any of this.
He never had a chance.
It has caused him to be tentative on defense, not an overwhelming factor in rebounding and wind up in foul trouble and on the bench when he was most needed.
We'll never know how good and well rounded Amare might have been if he had a true Center playing alongside him.
It has affected just about every Power Forward we have had since our Center position was given to Alvan Adams at 212 lbs.
And, too often, our Small Forwards have had to play Power Forward, leaving Amare as our only big man on the court.
The only exception I can think of is when Rich Kelley played Center and Truck Robinson played Power Forward. But Truck Robinson was nowhere near the dominating PF that Amare could have been.
I can't blame Amare for any of this.
He never had a chance.
msdundee
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Shaq wouldn't like that one! Amare's year and a half with the "truest" center in the league didn't seem to make much difference. I do think he tries, but despite his size and power, he just can't seem to work up much of a defensive mindset while he's so focused on offense.
First off, saying that Shaq would've had a problem with Amare dominating last season is wrong. It's not that Shaq isn't the same guy who was jealous of Penny Hardaway in Orlando and Kobe Bryant in LA. He's still the same self-involved, envious child that he was when he came into the league in 1992. It's just that when he went to Miami, he learned how to preemptively shelter his ego from being overshadowed by his teammates when he started the whole "I'm gonna make so-and-so the best player in the league" gambit. Remember, the first thing he said to the media when Shaq came to Phoenix was that it was going to be "the Amare Stoudemire Project." So, if Amare tore up the league last season, Shaq would've been able to tell everyone (including himself) that he was an integral player in Amare's rise to absolute dominance. Unfortunately, Steve Kerr put together the first team in Suns history that had pure players playing in their natural positions at each of the 5 spots (Nash, Richardson, Hill, Amare, Shaq) but then he hired an absolutely horrendous coach who did the one thing to the Suns offense that no opposing defense could've figured out how to do: made the Suns players feel uncomfortable playing the positions they were born to play. Diminished athleticism or not, I think Amare's first game free from Terry Porter, when he dominated the game for 40+ points and 10+ rebounds would have been a sign of things to come. But instead of tearing up the league, he tore up his retina. And the rest is history.
I also want to make something clear. When Amare was at the top of his game, I often criticized him for talking too much about himself for no other reason but sheer self-promotion. Especially because so much of his game at that point relied so heavily on Steve Nash creating opportunities for him in the first place. Still, even though Amare continues to talk to reporters (it's against league rules not to, after all) the focus of his promotion has not been purely on himself. Even when he talks about the success he's going to have this season, it's in the context of the Nash-and-Amare duo. Can you honestly blame the guy for being excited? He spent the better part of a month of the offseason lying face down for 22 hours a day to let his eye heal, with a real fear that he might be permanently blind in that eye, and now he's playing professional basketball in front of 20+ thousand fans - some of whom haven't given completely given up on him!
And for the record, Amare and Shaq could've made a fantastic tandem. Amare has always had the innate ability to move without the ball as well as any other big man in the league, and Shaq has always been a great passer when the double team comes and his teammates flash to the paint. Amare doesn't have the athleticism he once had, but give him a full head of steam cutting to the basket and a pass right on the mark and he can take a jump stop, explode off two feet and dunk over anybody in the game. It's just that Porter had Amare playing more of a small forward role where he never caught the ball closer than 18 feet from the basket. While Amare has developed his skills in facing the basket from this range, it's hardly his sweet spot. The guy is a finisher, not a playmaker. But Porter not only failed to figure this out, he seemingly went out of his way to put everyone (Shaq being the one exception) out of their respective comfort zones on offense.
cly2tw
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I don't remember Malone being a good defender until the last 5-7 years of his career. Malone wasn't as often injured and kept his rebounding number acceptible. That's all. So, there is hope that Amare discover what Malone did to do more defense after 30. 
msdundee
Registered
Not quoting the whole post since it would take up another whole page, but:
"First off, saying that Shaq would've had a problem with Amare dominating last season is wrong."
Obviously, I never said that. I just joked about the previous statement that Amare had never played with a "true center."
Nice detailed recap, but we're all well aware of what happened last year, and why it happened.
"First off, saying that Shaq would've had a problem with Amare dominating last season is wrong."
Obviously, I never said that. I just joked about the previous statement that Amare had never played with a "true center."
Nice detailed recap, but we're all well aware of what happened last year, and why it happened.
green machine
I rule at posting
I like how if Amare, a career 8.9 rebounds per game guy, could grab one more board a night he'd be considered a good rebounding PF.
The guy isn't Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett. Doesn't mean he's not good or valuable.
The guy isn't Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett. Doesn't mean he's not good or valuable.
I don't remember Malone being a good defender until the last 5-7 years of his career. Malone wasn't as often injured and kept his rebounding number acceptible. That's all. So, there is hope that Amare discover what Malone did to do more defense after 30.
Malone earned a reputation for being a physical defender and rebounder day 1. Ofcourse there were things he got better at as he went along but nobody called Malone a project in terms of those things.
That's a far cry from where Amare has ever been at in his career in regards to those things.
I understand what your saying but that is a tad misleading. What makes Amare a bad rebounder is that he goes and gets you 20 one night then gets 3. He gets you 15 then 4. Amare only keeps his average up because it's either feast or famine with him.
What makes Amare a poor rebounder is his inconsistency.
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green machine
I rule at posting
That much I'll give you and I understand. I wish I knew more about why some games he beasts and others he's just not there. I'm not sure if it's an effort thing (though that would be an easy thing to point to).
