Amare to start against San Antonio

[HooverDam]

Damn I wish we still had him. I would give up KT, Diaw and Barbosa for him.

This post is not getting enough attention for its insanity.

I love the move of starting Amare! However, I do not like also starting LB. LB can be a mental midget at times, and I think the pressure of starting is too much for him. He makes a great spark off the bench. Especially against the Spurs, I'd rather go w/ the size of Diaw over LBs speed.

Hopefully Diaw, LB, Bell, Banks, et all can get it going.

EDIT: At some point this season ,I hope to see the starting 5 be Amare, KT, Marion, Bell, Nash. It gives us versatility (Diaw) and speed (LB) of the bench. Though the bench would be lacking size. And the starting 5 may be lacking too much shooting for D'Antoni's taste.

 

[Cheesebeef]

i'm not going to be surprised at all if Jalen Rose ends up starting once he gets healthy and in shape. DA's offense runs at it's PEAK when there are FOUR 3 point shooters and a low post threat. I think that's why he's starting Leo right now. However, I think size is going to be a MAJOR issue for that lineup. We could get away with it when TT was playing the role of the 4th three point shooter because he was 6'10 and we could better get away with it when JJ was still on the team, at 6'8, but that lineup is just too small.

You throw a starting lineup of Nash, Bell, Rose, Marion and Amare out there and you have two players that can create for others, Amar eon the block and four three point shooters, plus it's a bigger team than the shrimpo team with Leo in there.

I also think Leo's better as a sparkplug off the bench along with Boris. Damn, I REALLY thought Boris would have worked on his shot this offseason and dveloped a 3 so he could have played the role of 4th BIG who can spread the floor. Instead, he just became a tremendous fat-ass! BOO!

 

[JPlay]

This post is not getting enough attention for its insanity.

I love the move of starting Amare! However, I do not like also starting LB. LB can be a mental midget at times, and I think the pressure of starting is too much for him. He makes a great spark off the bench. Especially against the Spurs, I'd rather go w/ the size of Diaw over LBs speed.

Hopefully Diaw, LB, Bell, Banks, et all can get it going.

Look how good JJ is playing w/out Nash. Imagine how much better he would be with him. I have a feeling that he would have been one of the best players in the game alongside Nash. Diaw and LB really benefit from the system. They would fail on another team. Like I said when we brought KT here, he's overrated and only had one really good rebounding year when the Knicks were awful.

 

[Ballamania]

i think some people are forgetting that the BIGGEST PROBLEM is the interior defense and rebounding. LB and amare starting against duncan and elson

. that is not going to be good and we will all be frustated and screaming " get a damn rebound!" and " they are getting too many f*#*in' layups!" i say bench LB and start Boris. they will still have problems but its better than the alternative.

 

[elindholm]

Antoni's logic is flawed. He's saying that Stoudemire might as well start since he'll be starting "eventually," but by that argument, why is Bell starting at SF? Surely Diaw will also be in the starting lineup "eventually" -- at least, at $9 million per year, we'd better hope so -- so is Antoni trying to get his Lineup of the Future developed, or not?

 

[pokerface]

I got mixed feelings about this.

On the one hand this may indeed get Amare going especially with Nash feeding him the ball. Plus since we are losing you can't really argue with changing things up.

On the other hand Amare has been looking lousy and lost out there and yet he's now getting a "promotion" by getting to start. Meanwhile Kurt Thomas appeared to be one of the few players to take the offseason seriously by starting the season looking to be in great shape physically....now he gets demoted to bench player.

Not ready to classify this as a great move....its just a move.

 

[HooverDam]

Look how good JJ is playing w/out Nash. Imagine how much better he would be with him. I have a feeling that he would have been one of the best players in the game alongside Nash. Diaw and LB really benefit from the system. They would fail on another team. Like I said when we brought KT here, he's overrated and only had one really good rebounding year when the Knicks were awful.

JJ is the one who is over rated. So what if LB and Diaw would fail on another team, they aren't on another team, they are here! Lets take a look at the numbers:

Lets use last years numbers, since we haven't played enough games this year to mean anything:

KT: 8.6ppg, 7.8rpg, 1.1 apg (plus he was injured a big part of the season, and not in "suns shape" to start the year) Diaw: 13.3ppg, 6.2apg, 6.9rpg (additionally he was unknown quantity early in the year and wasn't utilized as much). LB: 13.1ppg, 2.8apg, 2.6rpg.

or

Joe Johnson: 20.2ppg, 6.5apg, 4.1rpg.

And JJs scoring is inflated because the Hawks don't have anyone else to give the ball too.

So thats a total of Suns: 35ppg, 9.9apg, 17.3rpg,. vs Hawks: 20.2 apg, 6.5 apg, 4.1 rpg.

For those keeping score thats a difference of 15 points, 3.4 assists per game and 13.2 rebounds per game!

Not to mention if your fantasy trade went through, the Suns would lose depth, and have to fill more rosters spots w/ Pat Burke type players. Furthermore, JJ has a crappy attitude. Diaw, LB and KT give the Suns a lot of different looks and options, JJ would only give them one.

 

[pokerface]

Antoni's logic is flawed. He's saying that Stoudemire might as well start since he'll be starting "eventually," but by that argument, why is Bell starting at SF? Surely Diaw will also be in the starting lineup "eventually" -- at least, at $9 million per year, we'd better hope so -- so is Antoni trying to get his Lineup of the Future developed, or not?

Yeah I have to agree with that. Thats stupid D'Antoni logic trying to rationalize his move.

 

[mribnik]

I like this move as long as he sticks with it. We really need some consistency. The talent is there throughout the lineup but we need to put consistent lineups on the floor so the players can gel.

 

[pokerface]

I like this move as long as he sticks with it. We really need some consistency. The talent is there throughout the lineup but we need to put consistent lineups on the floor so the players can gel.

Its easy to say he should stick with it but if losses mount up should much of anything be stuck with?

 

[msdundee]

Translation - "Why not, nothing else has seemed to work", says Coach D'Antoni. "Besides, Boris is generally late coming out of the locker room after eating his pre-game meal of 6 maple bars, 3 fudge brownies, 4 cheese danishes, and a quart of chocolate milk."

Funny! but I don't understand the big obsession with Diaw's HUGE weight gain. They reported he came into camp 4 pounds heavier than last season. When you're 6'8" four pounds is nothing. He's out of condition, and that's even more upsetting.

 

[pokerface]

Funny! but I don't understand the big obsession with Diaw's HUGE weight gain. They reported he came into camp 4 pounds heavier than last season. When you're 6'8" four pounds is nothing. He's out of condition, and that's even more upsetting.

The worse Diaw plays the fatter he looks.

 

[mribnik]

Its easy to say he should stick with it but if losses mount up should much of anything be stuck with?

You have a point, but we weren't winning without that lineup so I think consistency is the best thing we can have right now.

 

[mribnik]

Funny! but I don't understand the big obsession with Diaw's HUGE weight gain. They reported he came into camp 4 pounds heavier than last season. When you're 6'8" four pounds is nothing. He's out of condition, and that's even more upsetting.

I read somewhere that Diaw lost 6 pounds last week.

 

[TucsonDevil]

Funny! but I don't understand the big obsession with Diaw's HUGE weight gain. They reported he came into camp 4 pounds heavier than last season. When you're 6'8" four pounds is nothing. He's out of condition, and that's even more upsetting.

No way it was only 4 lbs. His butt looks huge, and his is much slower with his feet. Granted, I'm not saying he is Charles Barkley in the TNT booth - I am using a little creative license with my observation...

 

[TucsonDevil]

I read somewhere that Diaw lost 6 pounds last week.

... must be that he is skipping the midnight "4 bagels with cream cheese" snack. Glad to see it.

 

[SactownSunsFan]

I read somewhere that Diaw lost 6 pounds last week.

Really? I heard 6 pounds were lost when Diaw got a hankering for dog meat.

 

[nowagimp]

Antoni's logic is flawed. He's saying that Stoudemire might as well start since he'll be starting "eventually," but by that argument, why is Bell starting at SF? Surely Diaw will also be in the starting lineup "eventually" -- at least, at $9 million per year, we'd better hope so -- so is Antoni trying to get his Lineup of the Future developed, or not?

I think that maybe D'Antoni cant always say why he does things. What if he were to say that the suns needed an inside presence to start games or if he was to say that the guards other than Nash arent getting amare the ball? In both cases he insults several players, which is much more stupid that the statement he made about amare being a starter eventually. These guys all have egos and their relation ship with their coach shouldn't be tested or strained with every roster move so fans can know why.

 

[sly fly]

Ha ha! check this out:
"Haywood responded by slamming Thomas to the ground and tearing out two of his dreadlocks"

My god, that's two pretty big boys going at it.

 

[az1965]

I don't like Barbosa to be starting. This lineup is too small for Spurs. I would like to see

Marion
Boris / Thomas
Amare
Bell
Nash

 

[Mainstreet]

I don't like Barbosa to be starting. This lineup is too small for Spurs. I would like to see

Marion
Boris / Thomas
Amare
Bell
Nash

Obviously I missed reading something. I like your starting lineup. Did D'Antoni actually say Bell would be starting at SF?

 

[Mainstreet]

Also I'd like to say, I expect Jalen Rose to see considerable action against San Antonio... practice or no practice, especially if the Suns start slow.

 

[Errntknght]

I can't say I understand this move. Diaw has pretty much earned a spot on the bench for the time being so replacing him with Amare makes sense. As I said before, I think its D'Antoni's job do what he can to get Amare into the flow of the game and this is may be the best way to do it. I'd be okay with Amare replacing KT, on the theory that eventually he and Diaw be our starting bigs anyway.

But Amare and Leandro for KT and Diaw... that's goofy. Its not like the two of them have done particularly well together in the past so I sure don't see any synergistic effect operating. Nor did Leandro respond all that well in his last start. On top of that it pushes Bell and Shawn up a notch, where they aren't quite as effective and increases the defensive load on Amare. Sheesh, its like D'Antoni has this subconscious urge to punish Amare. I've said since the end of training camp there is something weird going on here and I don't see any reason to change my mind with this move.

 

[dbUNIT16]

We are not paying Diaw to come off the bench. He should be starting with Amare. Barbosa needs to come off the bench, we can't start so small. Kurt and Amare would be fine starting too.

 

[Chaz]

I thought LB was solid in his start. Did you watch that game?
22 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl.

He showed some quickness and energy on defense and offense. He was 11-12 from the line. Granted he missed the layup that would have tied the game and shot poorly from 3 (along with the rest of the team) but I thought he gave them a lot of energy to start the game.