Amare's role

[panfolk]

I think I might like new Amare moreif he can pass, shoot the J, selectively drive and whatnot. Needn't be sorrowful over the loss of his "athletic freak" status. As long as he isn't hobbled he can be a great player just not what old amare would've grown into necessarily.

 

[reader]

This could be construed as a stupid question, but here I go. How does Amare's game differ from Elton Brand's, an MVP candidate?

Looking at Brand's numbers from this year
25 ppg, 10 rb, 2.6 asst, 1 stl, 2 blks

Amare 2004/2005
26 ppg, 9rb, 1.6 asst, .86, 1.6 blks

Brand was very close to unstopable, he is shown as a forward, Amare will most likely be playing centre. Does anyone see the similarities in their games?

I did laugh during the playoffs when Sager did a halftime interview with Nash. Sager asks, "what about Brand"?, Nash started laughing and replied, "what about him? Shoot, we can't stop him, but as a team we will stop the Clippers".

Is that what they missed without Amare this past year, an unstoppable force?

 

[frdbtr]

Only Mainstreet among you realizes we may never see the old Amare again. The planning should be all about what to do with no Amare or, more likely, a gimpy one.

Or maybe Mainstreet is choosing to be an alarmist and the rest of us are being positive about Amare's status. I just remember before his other knee started hurting him (you know the one that hadn't had microfracture surgury on it), Amare put up 20 pts and 8 rebounds in 20 minutes in his first game back. Why wouldn't he be able to duplicate that as long as he is fully healthy. You guys just look at the fact that he wasn't able to come back this year and expect him to never be able to come back at all. Serious injuries take a long time to recover from, both physically and mentally. Amare is going to take a year for this but I expect him to come back and dominate again. If this was going to be a career ending surgury, then guys wouldn't do it, Amare is going to be back and just as good as ever next year and all you alarmists will be back on his bandwagon.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

Or maybe Mainstreet is choosing to be an alarmist and the rest of us are being positive about Amare's status. I just remember before his other knee started hurting him (you know the one that hadn't had microfracture surgury on it), Amare put up 20 pts and 8 rebounds in 20 minutes in his first game back. Why wouldn't he be able to duplicate that as long as he is fully healthy. You guys just look at the fact that he wasn't able to come back this year and expect him to never be able to come back at all. Serious injuries take a long time to recover from, both physically and mentally. Amare is going to take a year for this but I expect him to come back and dominate again. If this was going to be a career ending surgury, then guys wouldn't do it, Amare is going to be back and just as good as ever next year and all you alarmists will be back on his bandwagon.

bravo

 

[JWF]

This could be construed as a stupid question, but here I go. How does Amare's game differ from Elton Brand's, an MVP candidate?

Looking at Brand's numbers from this year
25 ppg, 10 rb, 2.6 asst, 1 stl, 2 blks

Amare 2004/2005
26 ppg, 9rb, 1.6 asst, .86, 1.6 blks

Brand was very close to unstopable, he is shown as a forward, Amare will most likely be playing centre. Does anyone see the similarities in their games?

I did laugh during the playoffs when Sager did a halftime interview with Nash. Sager asks, "what about Brand"?, Nash started laughing and replied, "what about him? Shoot, we can't stop him, but as a team we will stop the Clippers".

Is that what they missed without Amare this past year, an unstoppable force?

Well you are looking purely at stats....Amare is much more capable of dominating against other good centers/PFs. Brand, is VERY VERY good, but isnt the guy who drives to the rim and finishes strong, he is more like Dirk with his post up jumpers etc...

I think they are both about equal(if amare can play like he did last year) in terms of talent, But I would argue when a team is struggling outside, amare is a more reliable weapon in the paint, but not by a considerable amount at this point.

here is to Amare making a strong come back in 06-07.

 

[reader]

JWF, Thanks for the response. I just wondered why, with such similar stats, noone really was comparing the two.

What you said does make perfect sense to me, but then again, I posed the question to begin with, so any response would make sense to me.

I could be swayed by any argument.

 

[Mainstreet]

Or maybe Mainstreet is choosing to be an alarmist and the rest of us are being positive about Amare's status. I just remember before his other knee started hurting him (you know the one that hadn't had microfracture surgury on it), Amare put up 20 pts and 8 rebounds in 20 minutes in his first game back. Why wouldn't he be able to duplicate that as long as he is fully healthy. You guys just look at the fact that he wasn't able to come back this year and expect him to never be able to come back at all. Serious injuries take a long time to recover from, both physically and mentally. Amare is going to take a year for this but I expect him to come back and dominate again. If this was going to be a career ending surgury, then guys wouldn't do it, Amare is going to be back and just as good as ever next year and all you alarmists will be back on his bandwagon.

I really don't know what comments made you think I'm an alarmist. I'm a long time Suns fan and presently think Amare is the Suns primary threat to score consistently inside. So I want a healthy Amare back next season so the Suns have a good chance at winning a Championship.

However, not to consider that Amare may not be able to play at the same level before the injury would be blind faith. I know D'Antoni counted on Amare returning this season before the trading deadline so the Suns did not make any moves to counter his loss for the rest of the season and the Playoffs. D'Antoni's confidence in Amare returning this season cost the Suns. Certainly no player could have filled Amare's shoes but the Suns could have possibly acquired another player using the TE and a pick that might have helped.

I just want the Suns to take into consideration that Amare may not be 100% out of the gate next season or may have lost some mobility. My hope is that it is not so. If Amare has lost some of his athletic ability, I would be very happy if he patterned his skills after a player like Elton Brand. Elton's game relies more on his outside shooting and positioning for rebounds than did Amare before the injury. Needless to say, Elton Brand is an excellent player and a load to handle inside.

However, I would like for the Suns to acquire another playable 4/5 player just as insurance if nothing else just as I want the Suns to acquire another player that can play some PG if Barbosa should struggle there.

IMO, I find it reasonable that I had concerns regarding Amare's health this past season. Thus, I should not readily dismiss these concerns until I see that Amare is fully recovered and playing well back on the court.

I do not call this being an alarmist... just a realist. As you said yourself... "Serious injuries take a long time to recover from, both physically and mentally."

 

[JWF]

JWF, Thanks for the response. I just wondered why, with such similar stats, noone really was comparing the two.

What you said does make perfect sense to me, but then again, I posed the question to begin with, so any response would make sense to me.

I could be swayed by any argument.

No prob. Im just basing it off what ive seen of the 2 guys. Hate to repeat myself, but Brand just seems more of a KG and Dirk Nowitzki type PF....obviously not a bad thing at all.