I saw this article in the RSS feeds and I think many of you will enjoy it. Someone on another forum who saw the practice the other day also thought Amare looked more like pre-micro Amare.
Grant Hill spent three years playing alongside and observing Dwight Howard in Orlando, so he knows all about big, young, talented All-Stars in the post.
Read Jerry Brown's blog, Rim Shots
But when Amaré Stoudemire nearly stopped practice Wednesday with a vicious, one-handed windmill jam — taking off from just inside the free throw line and finishing so forcefully the basket support endured a stiff stress test — Hill was among those fully enjoying the show.
“And this is his second day back,” Hill said. “Even (Tuesday in his first scrimmage), Amaré had a couple of unbelievable dunks. The bounce, the spring, the power ... the only thing he’s missing now is the wind.”
But when it does, Hill says he’s glad he’s on Stoudemire’s side.
“We have a lot of weapons on this team, but we’re a different team when he’s not out there. We’re a better team when he is,” Hill said. “I enjoy thinking about what we’ll be like when we’re hitting on all cylinders.”
That will take at least another week, with Leandro Barbosa’s bruised ribs forcing him to the sidelines for the rest of the preseason. But Phoenix’s starting five will take its first test drive with Stoudemire moving back into the middle for tonight’s preseason dress rehearsal against the Denver Nuggets.
After giving his stars sparse minutes and testing out various combinations over the first six preseason games (4-2), coach Mike D’Antoni will treat this one more like the real deal — with the exception of Stoudemire, who will pop in and out for short stints to maximize his still-evolving stamina.
But already, the bite-sized bits of Stoudemire on display look more and more like the pre-microfracture Amaré who terrorized Tim Duncan and San Antonio in the 2005 playoffs and appeared on the cusp of blossoming into a 30-point-a-night tour de force.
One year removed from the career-threatening procedure, Stoudemire overcame a wobbly start to become an All-Star and the NBA’s first-team center in 2006-07. But two years later — the usual time it takes for the luckiest of microfracture graduates to regain their full abilities — even a quick scope surgery three weeks ago apparently hasn’t dented his march toward a full recovery.
“You forget how dominant he can be,” said D’Antoni, fighting a losing battle to keep the excitement of what he’s seeing under wraps. “He’s getting that quickness and that explosion back, things that maybe weren’t 100 percent there even last year.
“Everything is back in view again ... that’s why he’s even more impressive.”
Fortunately for the other Suns, that Stoudemire will demand more defensive attention, create more chaos and free up more open shooters for Steve Nash to find. And while the addition of Hill certainly solidifies the starting lineup (over James Jones or Boris Diaw) the return of Amaré, fully loaded, would represent the biggest upgrade.
If Stoudemire can stay on the court and out of foul trouble — something he attributes to the poor defensive positioning that has been his focal point over the summer — it would go a long way toward quelling Phoenix’s most oft-discussed weakness.
“It’s exciting to be back on the floor feeling this way again. It’s been two years, but it seems even longer,” Stoudemire said. “Last year, there were times I got in foul trouble because I tried to do too much — things I wasn’t capable of yet and it wasn’t smart.
“So the goal is to raise the bar, physically and mentally, and bring out all the capabilities.”
BONUS SHOTS: The Suns waived guard Richie Frahm after Wednesday’s practice. Frahm appeared in two preseason games, averaging six points and two assists in 10 minutes. As expected, the Suns will go with a 13-man roster for the season — all on guaranteed contracts.
Center Sean Marks missed practice, but had good reason. The New Zealander had to take his U.S. naturalization test.
“We were quizzing him on who the first president was and all that,” D’Antoni said. “He speaks English pretty well, so it should work out OK.”
With Barbosa already down, guard Marcus Banks sat out the last portion of the 90-minute practice with a sore left knee. Suns trainer Aaron Nelson said the knee was stable and had no swelling but Banks will be evaluated at today’s morning shootaround to determine his availability for tonight.
Grant Hill spent three years playing alongside and observing Dwight Howard in Orlando, so he knows all about big, young, talented All-Stars in the post.
Read Jerry Brown's blog, Rim Shots
But when Amaré Stoudemire nearly stopped practice Wednesday with a vicious, one-handed windmill jam — taking off from just inside the free throw line and finishing so forcefully the basket support endured a stiff stress test — Hill was among those fully enjoying the show.
“And this is his second day back,” Hill said. “Even (Tuesday in his first scrimmage), Amaré had a couple of unbelievable dunks. The bounce, the spring, the power ... the only thing he’s missing now is the wind.”
But when it does, Hill says he’s glad he’s on Stoudemire’s side.
“We have a lot of weapons on this team, but we’re a different team when he’s not out there. We’re a better team when he is,” Hill said. “I enjoy thinking about what we’ll be like when we’re hitting on all cylinders.”
That will take at least another week, with Leandro Barbosa’s bruised ribs forcing him to the sidelines for the rest of the preseason. But Phoenix’s starting five will take its first test drive with Stoudemire moving back into the middle for tonight’s preseason dress rehearsal against the Denver Nuggets.
After giving his stars sparse minutes and testing out various combinations over the first six preseason games (4-2), coach Mike D’Antoni will treat this one more like the real deal — with the exception of Stoudemire, who will pop in and out for short stints to maximize his still-evolving stamina.
But already, the bite-sized bits of Stoudemire on display look more and more like the pre-microfracture Amaré who terrorized Tim Duncan and San Antonio in the 2005 playoffs and appeared on the cusp of blossoming into a 30-point-a-night tour de force.
One year removed from the career-threatening procedure, Stoudemire overcame a wobbly start to become an All-Star and the NBA’s first-team center in 2006-07. But two years later — the usual time it takes for the luckiest of microfracture graduates to regain their full abilities — even a quick scope surgery three weeks ago apparently hasn’t dented his march toward a full recovery.
“You forget how dominant he can be,” said D’Antoni, fighting a losing battle to keep the excitement of what he’s seeing under wraps. “He’s getting that quickness and that explosion back, things that maybe weren’t 100 percent there even last year.
“Everything is back in view again ... that’s why he’s even more impressive.”
Fortunately for the other Suns, that Stoudemire will demand more defensive attention, create more chaos and free up more open shooters for Steve Nash to find. And while the addition of Hill certainly solidifies the starting lineup (over James Jones or Boris Diaw) the return of Amaré, fully loaded, would represent the biggest upgrade.
If Stoudemire can stay on the court and out of foul trouble — something he attributes to the poor defensive positioning that has been his focal point over the summer — it would go a long way toward quelling Phoenix’s most oft-discussed weakness.
“It’s exciting to be back on the floor feeling this way again. It’s been two years, but it seems even longer,” Stoudemire said. “Last year, there were times I got in foul trouble because I tried to do too much — things I wasn’t capable of yet and it wasn’t smart.
“So the goal is to raise the bar, physically and mentally, and bring out all the capabilities.”
BONUS SHOTS: The Suns waived guard Richie Frahm after Wednesday’s practice. Frahm appeared in two preseason games, averaging six points and two assists in 10 minutes. As expected, the Suns will go with a 13-man roster for the season — all on guaranteed contracts.
Center Sean Marks missed practice, but had good reason. The New Zealander had to take his U.S. naturalization test.
“We were quizzing him on who the first president was and all that,” D’Antoni said. “He speaks English pretty well, so it should work out OK.”
With Barbosa already down, guard Marcus Banks sat out the last portion of the 90-minute practice with a sore left knee. Suns trainer Aaron Nelson said the knee was stable and had no swelling but Banks will be evaluated at today’s morning shootaround to determine his availability for tonight.
Can't wait till tonight be cool to watch the suns on tv again finally
