Sacramento Bee: Kings impressed by Amare

[George O'Brien]

Sacramento Bee

Sacramento also had to deal with a young, quick Suns team that doesn't really know what it's doing but tries hard on each play.

No one exemplifies that more than 6-foot-10 second-year power forward Amare Stoudemire, who had 33 points and 17 rebounds. He was the reason the Kings never totally broke free of the Suns, who were within seven points in the fourth quarter.

Stoudemire's play Sunday impressed Vlade Divac, who was reminded of a former NBA great.

"Michael Jordan," Divac said. "I've never seen a big guy who is so quick."

Christie said Stoudemire reminded him of a young Moses Malone.

"He's powerful, explosive, can jump, he's strong," Christie said. "He's all those things. When he starts squaring up and hitting jumpers, we're all in trouble."

Stoudemire's talent and the Suns' youth made for a tough game. By the middle of the third quarter, Christie had a cut bandaged over his right eye. Miller was bleeding from the nose and mouth, and all three blood-rearing incidents were non-fouls.

Stoudemire was as dominant an inside force seen around these parts since a young Akeem (as he was known then) Olajuwon was roaming the courts in his early days with the Houston Rockets.

Whether rising to the top of the square on the backboard to rebound a missed three-pointer by Anthony Peeler or showing a 6-footer's quickness around the basket to squeeze between two defenders, Stoudemire, 21, is a star in the making.

And that's while he's still learning the fundamentals (he had six turnovers). At his size, he might be the league's quickest jumper.

Meanwhile, Adelman watched his defense surrender a whopping 60 points in the paint.

Afterward he said, "I'll take the win."

 

[Chaz]

WOW.

Jordan, Malone, and Olajuwon. Not bad company to be included with.


I think Eddie Johnson said the other night he had only seen one other big man that moved as gracefully as Amare and that was Olajuwon.

 

[Joe Mama]

It would be one thing if only the media was keeping these complements upon Amare Stoudemire. For opposing players to do it so regularly is unheard-of as far as I can remember.

Joe Mama

 

[Yuma]

Amare kinda reminds me of a young Lebron James!!!

 

[Djaughe]

Originally posted by Yuma
Amare kinda reminds me of a young Lebron James!!!

I hope that swishing sound isn't amare's head getting inflated....

 

[Dr. Dumas]

That dunk in the Sac game that he did when he split two defenders and jammed it down on Vlade was on of the quickest, nastiest dunks I've ever seem. It was so fast that until I saw the replay, I didn't even know that he had dunked it.

Here's hoping that Vlade was soo impressed that he will want to sign for the veterans minimum to play with the Suns next season.

 

[JS22]

Anyone have the video of that dunk? I missed the game and sportscenter.

me = mad!

 

[F-Dog]

Originally posted by Dr. Dumas
Here's hoping that Vlade was soo impressed that he will want to sign for the veterans minimum to play with the Suns next season.

Heck, if the Suns can't get their first two choices (Kobe or Mehmet Okur), I wouldn't mind if Vlade for $8m was choice #3.

I mean, if you want to teach the Suns' youngsters how to play, who's better to have around than Vlade? Especially considering that the Suns have Zarko, Lampe and now Milos Vujanic...

 

[Dr. Dumas]

Watching the Sac game the other night, I was still pretty impressed by the play of Vlade. He plays the high post very well. He is still a very crafty player who always draws contact, puts up the little hook shot or finds a cutter every time.

 

[CardsFan88]

"Meanwhile, Adelman watched his defense surrender a whopping 60 points in the paint."


Is it me or are we so inconsistent with the points in the paint

Sometimes we'll go out there and get 40-60 points in the paint, and sometimes we'll have 5 at halftime.

I guess it's youth and matchups, but I've just noticed over the past few weeks how LARGE the swing is on this statistic from game to game