Amare - What is going on?

[Covert Rain]

Just heard Gambo and Ash. Gambo says he talked to several suns sources and said that the team was getting fustrated with Amare. Appears that much of the 2 to 3 month talk may have been to get under Amare's skin. According to Gambo, there is nothing to the 2 to 3 month talk.

Reports out of practice today were that Amare not only had his best day of practice today but they said Amare was DOMINATING in practice today.

Sounds like much of what has happened lately can be attributed to Amare's mental state versus physical. Something is going on here and is sounds like the Suns are NOT happy with Amare right now and they are trying to "PUSH" him along.

 

[Chaplin]

If it's true that all this is now mental issues for Amare, I like the idea that instead of coddling him, maybe if they try to put some pressure on him, it'll help.

 

[sly fly]

Tough love.

Could be a brilliant move by Mike D. and camp.

 

[Errntknght]

Offhand I'd say that Amare wouldn't need to be pushed but if it is just a mental thing now, that may be what is needed. My gut tells me it is a risk to ignore a players 'mental' state so I'll just hope like the devil they're taking the best course. Heck, its got to be obvious to all involved that Amare has most of the season to work his way back so there isn't any pressing reason to push him if it is not the best thing for him.

 

[pokerface]

Amare doesnt need to be pushed harder....Thats why he's in his current predicament. He didn't imagine his microfracture in his one knee or the prior swelling in the other. Obviously there have been issues....A year since microfracture isnt a tremendous amount of time....some of you think it is. If the Suns knew so much about Amares condition why the failed comeback the first time? They've misjudged this whole case from the get go. Virtually everything they've said and every prediction has not panned out. The Suns should be the last ones to tell Amare whats going on and that goes for the fans as well. They know NADDA about how Amare feels and what all the issues are.

 

[Mainstreet]

The wonders of reverse psychology.

Obviously I do not know the whole story with Amare, but if a player is not ready to play, extending a projected 2-3 month return date takes the pressure off the player from returning too soon. However, if the player is ready to play full bore (but the coaching staff is skeptical), it certainly can light a fire under the player to prove them wrong.

Actually, I see this strategy as a win-win situation for Amare. It gives him more time if he actually needs it, but it also gives him an incentive to get over any possible mental barrier. I think Amare has always thrived off adversity and people telling him he can't do it. This may be just what he needs.

Perhaps Amare will now show the fire that made Amare... Amare.

 

[Covert Rain]

Obviously the strategy is working because they said Amare came out motivated. The fact that he had his best practice to date to day and they used the word DOMINATED, says that the Suns might be right in this circumstance.

 

[pokerface]

Actually, I see this strategy as a win-win situation for Amare. It gives him more time if he actually needs it, but it also gives him an incentive to get over any possible mental barrier. I think Amare has always thrived off adversity and people telling him he can't do it. This may be just what he needs.

Maybe Jerry C needs to give Amare another talking to. It worked so well the first time...

 

[Mainstreet]

Maybe Jerry C needs to give Amare another talking to. It worked so well the first time...

This would be contradictory to what I just said.

 

[Covert Rain]

Let's see if this new motivated Amare lasts for more then a few practices. Mabye this was the turning point?

 

[pokerface]

This would be contradictory to what I just said.

I thought your "win-win" scenario was playing boths sides of the coin.

Actually I was more responding to others points....

 

[George O'Brien]

Unless there is information we don't know about, the issue is that Amare feels pain in his knee. The x-rays and MRI say it is all soft tissue. But you can understand why Amare takes pain in his knee seriously.

My guess is that it will take competition for him to stop thinking about his knees and starts thinking about winning.

 

[Chaplin]

Unless there is information we don't know about, the issue is that Amare feels pain in his knee. The x-rays and MRI say it is all soft tissue. But you can understand why Amare takes pain in his knee seriously.

My guess is that it will take competition for him to stop thinking about his knees and starts thinking about winning.

Is it "pain" or is it "stiffness"? There's a difference, and for all intents and purposes, it is stiffness that Amare has been feeling, not pain.

 

[pokerface]

Is it "pain" or is it "stiffness"? There's a difference, and for all intents and purposes, it is stiffness that Amare has been feeling, not pain.

Yeah but its stiffness that he went to get an MRI over so he's taking it seriously. Its not something he can live with apparently.

 

[Mainstreet]

I thought your "win-win" scenario was playing boths sides of the coin.

If you mean that the Suns have given Amare a 2-3 month cushion in his comeback, but that Amare may assert his dominance and want to play now... then yes. Either way, Amare determines his own fate. I think you can rest assured that D'Antoni will start one of the most dominant basketball players in the world if he is ready.

 

[George O'Brien]

Yeah but its stiffness that he went to get an MRI over so he's taking it seriously. Its not something he can live with apparently.

Actually, it sounds like it comes and goes. One day he says he'll be 100% by Oct 31 and the next day he misses practice.

 

[pokerface]

Actually, it sounds like it comes and goes. One day he says he'll be 100% by Oct 31 and the next day he misses practice.

Thats how its been seeming all along George. Up and down.


Best case scenario....The Suns can use Amare during the season here and there when they need him and he gets slowly more reliable by the time playoffs start. At least playoffs are a long time off and the playoffs themselves are long. We might not really need Amare until the second or third round.

 

[George O'Brien]

D'Antoni has effectively said the same thing. He said this team without Amare should win 55 to 60 games during the regular season.

It is during the playoffs Amare has to be ready. It is very very hard to win without a low post threat.

 

[Nash]

With the present lineup, the Suns can easily manage a 52+ win season. One example that keeps coming up in my mind is Shaq. He is out of shape pretty much for most of the first half of the season and saves himself for the playoffs.

The only difference is that the Suns depend far more on chemistry and teamwork than Shaq's teams in the past and will need to ease Amare into the lineup so he gets a feel for playing with the new guys, which is practically everyone other than Nash and Marion. Ideally I would like the Suns to play him a max of 20 mins on a reasonably regular basis till atleast the All Star break. Two advantages to this:
1. Amare will slowly regain confidence and be really hungry, come playoff time.
2. Marion can continue his 20/10 games, without being intimidated by Amare or feeling left out. Come playoff time, I guess he won't have the time to complain and will have his eyes on the grand prize like everyone else.

 

[Absolute Zero]

Posted by GoSuns on another forum today...

Great News!!!! October 3.

Hi guys. Some good news from Italy.

Sportitalia is the italian sports channel which will broadcast the game against rome in italy. They are doing a daily report of the suns training camp starting today until the game on friday. Here what they reported from todays afternoon practice.

- The Benetton seasonticket holders and the american military had free entry to the practice and had the opportunity to talk to the players and get some autographs.

- The Suns then had 3 games of 10 minutes each. They splitt up in two groups. In the first two games D'Antoni started Kurt Thomas with Diaw, Nash, Bell and Matrix as what would appear the starting 5 for friday will be. Amare took part in the games. Moved very well and had an amazing alley oop. Amare played so well that Mike started him in the third game along with the other starters in place of Kurt Thomas!!

- Also the reporter stated, that they used 10 second shot clocks in those games. When asked about it Mike commented, that last year the suns didn't run enough for his taste!!!

I will try to catch the report tomorrow too. But i can't promess, since i have to work until late. They have announced some interviews with the players. Also Bill Russel is at the camp.

 

[Gorilla]

http://www.azcentral.com/blogs/index.php?blog=193&blogtype=Sports

 

[Covert Rain]

I agree with some of you guys. I mean, having a stiff leg and it hurting are different. Having gone through some knee problems myself I can understand. When you have a stiff knee, you lack some confidence. However, eventually you get over it. Maybe the Suns were just trying to hurry that up by getting into Amare's head.