Do you want Amare to play this season???

[goldseraph]

At first, I wanted Amare back at any cost, this HAD to be the year to do this thing. Now, seeing how well we play without him has made me think we could contend for the WC without having to risk our franchise. I am worried that trying to jump into the intensity of playoff basketball is too dangerous, I have imagined how horrible it would be to see Amare suddenly fall to the ground, clutching a knee, a la Webber a few years ago. So I am casting my vote for sit him out all year, give him the summer and a training camp/preseason before he sets foot on a court.

 

[George O'Brien]

This kind of question forces us to answer based on insufficient information.

1. Is there are risk he will reinjure himself BECAUSE he comes back this season?

2. Will he be close enough to the old Amare as a player to be helpful?

Since 95% of the comments are based on opinions by people who have neither a medical degree nor first hand information on his development, we are simply making guesses about guesses.

 

[Louis]

Yes.

At first and up until January I was hoping that even if Amare could return that he should sit out the season just to be safe.

I was happy that the Suns were doing so well that Amare didn't have to rush back "to save" the season.

But now with the stars aligning for the Suns (that 2nd seed is the best seed to have) and the Suns playing so well and Diaw playing unbelievable I want Amare back.

The West has never been so wide open as it is right now. Spurs are ailing. Mavericks will be a challenge. Plus the Suns only would have to face one of them in the playoffs if all things went right.

At this point, this could be the Suns' best shot to win it all.

 

[tobiazz]

1) Just because his knee has healed enough to play, doesn't mean it's as strong as it would be by next camp and that could be dangerous.

2) He is bound to favor that knee, which increases the likelihood of other injuries.

3) I don't think he will be able to "take it easy" while he plays, especially in the playoffs.

4) We have him signed for a few years and we don't want another Penny contract on our hands

Unfortunately, it's the Suns' destiny to have a bunch of injuries. Last regular season was the fluke in their most recent 15 years. Manning, KJ, Ced, Barkley, JJ, Hotrod, Penny, McDyess, etc. So many of their players had chronic or poorly-timed injuries. Some guys like McDyess and Penny were already damaged goods, but you get the idea.

 

[HooverDam]

I'd be fine if Amare came back this year and we won it all and then he fell apart.

If I had some magic genie present me the choices of A. Amare coming back this year and the Suns winning it all, then afterwards he is never the same due to injuries or B. Amare rests the rest of the year and we let fate take its course in the future....I'd obviously chose A. Things are so up and down and can change so quick, Marion may blow something out, Nash is getting older, etc etc. You have to play to win, and to win now and not worry too much about tomorrow it seems to me.

 

[Errntknght]

I've been waiting since 1968 but if it was to mean that Amare would never be the same again, I'll wait and take what the fates decree over a title this year.

I'm not casting a vote though because I don't know enough to have an opinion. I'm just hoping that the Amare and the docs are keeping the long term risks to an absolute minimum.

 

[Gaddabout]

If it's just a matter of playing through pain and gaining confidence, I'd be elated if Amare could come off the bench for 10 minutes a game. If he shows he's got more in the tank, let him go for it.

From what I've seen and read, the knee's stability isn't the biggest concern. It's Amare's confidence in it. That's not going to be resolved by waiting.

 

[goldseraph]

This kind of question forces us to answer based on insufficient information.

Isn't that what message boards are about?

1. Is there are risk he will reinjure himself BECAUSE he comes back this season?

Of course there is, he had a serious surgery and it would be mathematically safer to give it 6-7 more months of therapy and recovery. Also there is the factor that he has been favoring the other knee, and it might be more injury prone right now due to that.

2. Will he be close enough to the old Amare as a player to be helpful?

Nobody knows, but from what I have heard they are not expecting him to be nearly as explosive or confident. He also will have some rust/conditioning issues. Also there is the factor of implementing him into a team of many new faces that has developed their own chemistry and is now very late in the season.

 

[Chaplin]

Isn't that what message boards are about?


Of course there is, he had a serious surgery and it would be mathematically safer to give it 6-7 more months of therapy and recovery. Also there is the factor that he has been favoring the other knee, and it might be more injury prone right now due to that.

Phew... thank God we have doctors AND mathematicians on this board!

 

[Treesquid PhD]

Phew... thank God we have doctors AND mathematicians on this board!

 

[boisesuns]

Phew... thank God we have doctors AND mathematicians on this board!

We've got experts in a lot of areas. It's actually quite Amazing

For example:

Yuma Can pick Suns Games like no one else

Elindholm can type in blue better than anyone else

George O'Brien is a well of random facts, and somehow fits them into all his posts

jilkabo is the king of "lol"

 

[jibikao]

I have to see how well Amare plays in the first game. No opinion yet. I guess the worst is they can put Amare back on injury list. "LOL"

 

[boisesuns]

I have to see how well Amare plays in the first game. No opinion yet. I guess the worst is they can put Amare back on injury list. "LOL"

 

[TucsonDevil]

Want him to play this season?

Nah, we don't need any big men on our roster that can rebound, p&r, hit midrange jumpers, block shots, demand 2-3 defenders... - just run and gun baby. Seriously, who would want a guy like that to play on their team - please, big, strong and dominant are overrated.

 

[jbeecham]

The West is wide open this year and we're in the perfect position to get to the WCF even without Amare, but I want him to come back if he feels like he can. Even if it's just 10-15 minutes a game off the bench and playing at 75-80% of the player he was last year. You don't get a lot of chances at an NBA title and you've got to go for them when you can. This team could win a title this year and next and then who knows whats going to happen with contracts for Diaw & Barbosa or injuries. Obviously I don't want Amare to hurt himself by trying to do too much too soon though.

 

[George O'Brien]

The odd part of this is that 75% of Amare would give the Suns some depth at a position that is likely to face real problems with getting into foul trouble. Opponents are going to keep driving the paint and the Suns simply cannot afford Diaw and Marion getting into foul trouble.

 

[frdbtr]

Do we want Amare back this year? Yes, we do. If you trust his doctors who will have the final say when he comes back then if he comes back this year there would have to be little danger that he could reinjure it. Amare and his doctors are not going to jeopardize his career by putting him back on the court too early with a high probablility of reinjuring his knee.

 

[reader]

I have some questions about Amare coming back as the Suns are readying for the playoffs.

1. Chemistry - Only 3 players on this team have played with Amare. Yes, Nash always seems to integrate, seemlessly, any player that is flung at him, this, however, is a player who dominates, not a role filler.

2. Ego - If Amare comes back with the number of games he has missed, will he be willing to subjugate his own playing for the good of the team? I always wonder what Amare is thinking as the Suns continue to win without him. Does he have doubts about himself, as it is now obvious that he alone was not the difference maker on this team last year? Will he be able to become a complementary player on this team, or will he be demanding the ball and a return to his place in the team hierarchy, immediately?

3. If he is not himself, will he become frustrated and will this set the team back a step or two?

4. How much time will the team have to incorporate Amare into the new system? This to me is an issue if Amare does not play until the end of March. The Suns have to continue to win games and to develop their playoff roster, any bad play could have a hang over effect. Would the Chris Webber like finger-pointing ensue? I would have felt better about Amare's return had it been early March. I also worry that his return date will be pushed out even further.

 

[Chaplin]

Nice post, reader, but it's quite an alarmist point of view. Everybody is acting like Amare has never played or even been around any of the guys on the team. He travels with them, he's now practicing with them, he had camp with them (where he actually played). Am I worried about chemistry and his integration into the team? Not at all. Everybody is anticipating it--it's not like it's going to surprise anyone.

 

[George O'Brien]

I have some questions about Amare coming back as the Suns are readying for the playoffs.

1. Chemistry - Only 3 players on this team have played with Amare. Yes, Nash always seems to integrate, seemlessly, any player that is flung at him, this, however, is a player who dominates, not a role filler.

If Amare is 90%, it won't matter. The one thing that may change was the tendency of Amare to get into a personal battle with someone like Yao. In the past he dominated because that was his job. His job will evolve in that he will be a big part of the offense if only by attracting so much attention.

2. Ego - If Amare comes back with the number of games he has missed, will he be willing to subjugate his own playing for the good of the team? I always wonder what Amare is thinking as the Suns continue to win without him. Does he have doubts about himself, as it is now obvious that he alone was not the difference maker on this team last year? Will he be able to become a complementary player on this team, or will he be demanding the ball and a return to his place in the team hierarchy, immediately?

I'm more concerned that his teammates will defer to him rather than continue to play their game. In any case, this was a team that was designed to compliment Amare and runs plays that he runs better than anyone. This is not a wholesale style change like when Webber returned.

3. If he is not himself, will he become frustrated and will this set the team back a step or two?

Two years ago Amare rushed his return and had a relapse. A lot of fans beat him up for wanting to wait until he was completely ready. Once he came back, he was very effective. The guy who had problems was JJ, but this is a very different kind of team.

4. How much time will the team have to incorporate Amare into the new system? This to me is an issue if Amare does not play until the end of March. The Suns have to continue to win games and to develop their playoff roster, any bad play could have a hang over effect. Would the Chris Webber like finger-pointing ensue? I would have felt better about Amare's return had it been early March. I also worry that his return date will be pushed out even further.

As I said, this is not a new system. There are some changes from last year, but the "system" is the same thing he was involved with last year. The only exception is that his teammates are more inclined to pass him the ball than JJ and Q would.

This whole debate revolves around whether Amare is physically ready. If he isn't, he shouldn't play. If he is, then it will be like adding a turbo charger to an already super fast sport car.

 

[reader]

I was not really trying to be an alarmist. I was, however, voicing my negative concerns. The obvious plus's to Amare's return have been written about. I guess I am still in the, I don't know stage.

When he does actually return, I can see all that he will bring to the team, from F/T shooting to another big body and finisher in the middle.

Until he does return I am a bit nervous.

 

[elindholm]

I was not really trying to be an alarmist. I was, however, voicing my negative concerns.

There's a difference?

 

[playstation]

amare starts 5on5 today, which basically means full practices.

today is march 8th. if we go by following the playoff schedule from last year (minus the one day change since this season ends apr 19th, not apr 20th), we see that the WCF will start May 21st. as far as i'm concerned, anything before then is a warm-up to get ready for the showdown.

this is over 10 weeks that the team will be playing with amare. playing in practice, while not the same as in a game, does get them familiar with his game. 10 weeks is quite a while if you think about it. if this were the beginning of training camp, 10 weeks would take you into mid-December, and usually a team has gelled pretty well by then.

if he's practicing with the team every day from here on out, i don't see the problem in bringing him back when he feels ready.

i think the other point of view needs to be examined as well. at this point, if we don't bring him back, that would be a pretty big psychological blow. d'antoni has been pimping 'the cavalry' for a while now, and to actually be playing with amare in practice every day and not have him join you in a game may actually throw you off a little if you think about it. of course, this all assumes that he has no health issues.

 

[reader]

I think there is a difference. Alarming, Amare will hate not being the real point-center that Diaw is playing so well and receiving so many accolades for. Negative concerns, can Amare fit in with all the new team-mates. I see that as a difference, but that is my interpretation. You know, I could be wrong.

 

[George O'Brien]

I think there is a difference. Alarming, Amare will hate not being the real point-center that Diaw is playing so well and receiving so many accolades for. Negative concerns, can Amare fit in with all the new team-mates. I see that as a difference, but that is my interpretation. You know, I could be wrong.

If Amare wants to play point center, he will play point center. With this team, I expect him to get between 4 to 5 assists per game. Once he starts focusing on passing out of the double teams, he will make it much harder for teams to defense him. There was a lot of talk in the off season that he was really going to focus on his ball handling and passing out of double teams and I believe him.

Beyond anything else, I believe in Amare's desire to win. Make no mistake about this, Amare's goal is to go down as in history as one of the great ones. Statistics are nice, but the great ones are always measured by the success of their teams.