Stoudemire = Headcase

[hsandhu]

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=76840

I'm shocked nobody posted this article yet, it is on the front page of the tribune website.

This is the worst thing I've read, and basically puts into perspective the article where he said he thought about quitting. Seriously, after reading about how mentally messed up he is, and how Dr. Carter doesn't seem too confident about the future of either of his knees, for the first time I wouldn't have a problem if the suns seriously explored trade options.

 

[JS22]

I have a horrible feeling that this he going to turn into a cap problem for Phoenix in the near future.

Please prove me wrong, Amare.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I have a horrible feeling that this he going to turn into a cap problem for Phoenix in the near future.

Please prove me wrong, Amare.

No way. Amare might be turning into a head case of sorts, but he is a VERY TRADEABLE head case.

If we decided to trade him right now, we not only could move his contract, we could get a very nice package in return.

Not that we should even be thinking about this.

Amare is having to deal with the fact that he is not Superman. Up until last fall he really believed in his own invincibility. At some point, everyone has to face the fact that they are human.

 

[Ollie]

Although the left knee will eventually need more work because microfracture is a temporary fix, not a solution, Suns doctor Tom Carter thinks the right knee will be a greater immediate issue because Stoudemire has chronic arthritis in it.
“He’s going to have to cope with periodic flare-ups,” Carter said.

I was (cautiously) optimistic about his health condition til now but that definitively gives me the creeps... the whole amare-is-a-headcase problem is not really what we should care about, unfortunately.

 

[msdundee]

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=76840

I'm shocked nobody posted this article yet, it is on the front page of the tribune website.

This is the worst thing I've read, and basically puts into perspective the article where he said he thought about quitting. Seriously, after reading about how mentally messed up he is, and how Dr. Carter doesn't seem too confident about the future of either of his knees, for the first time I wouldn't have a problem if the suns seriously explored trade options.

I did see that article this morning but it doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know. I may be missing the point of this paragraph, if there is a point:

"Stoudemire’s biggest hurdle in his comeback attempt may have less to do with rust and more to do with the jersey number he is wearing this season — No. 1 — and all the attitude that it embodies. As a matter of coincidence, it is the same number microfracture poster child Penny Hardaway wore in Phoenix."

Maybe Morgan's into numerology or something. Nash wears #13 -- so what? At this point I seriously doubt Amare expects to jump back in as the #1 option nor do I even think he wants that. Like everyone else, he knows he isn't ready. Barring some kind of disaster he'll see more time on the court than Burke or Pike, but he's still a bench player for now. It would still surprise me if he'd reach starter status for at least another month or so.

D'Antoni's the one with the big problem to solve. Amare needs the playing time to get back to form, but how much switching back and forth between game plans can he do without disrupting the focus of the team? All he can do is play it by ear, see how it goes over the next several weeks, and then make a decision one way or the other. So far he's done a good job getting over the hurdles thrown at him. He'll figure it out and we'll just go from there. There are so many things that can change the whole course of the season. My biggest hope right now is that the rest of the bunch stays healthy.

 

[Amare32]

I fail to see the importance of this article, we already knew all this stuff.

It comes down to Amare contining to work hard to get back to where he needs to be which will take time. Mike has stated before Amare must work hard if he wants to play which from reports has been the case

odd article

 

[boisesuns]

I imagine it messed with him a lot, the prospect of maybe being done from something he was dominating and that gives him his fame. It's actually the Ego-fracture that seems to Be Amare's deal now.

 

[panfolk]

This pains me. Boris may not get his money because of cap issues involving Amare's max contract (and others). He is currently a problem that could take minutes away from Diaw and keep bench players like Marks rusty as well. His attitude swings from "Black Jesus" and the will to dominate to tender, speculative and tentative. This really is a pickle with huge dollar signs stamped on it.

 

[Cheesebeef]

that's the first time iv'e heard that the right knee is has an arthritic condition - oye.

SIGN BORIS DIAW FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

that's the first time iv'e heard that the right knee is has an arthritic condition - oye.

Yah no kidding. That little blurb should be the only eye popping piece of info.

Actually, it really surprises me that this was put out in such a nonchalant article (meaning it wasn't based around it). Also, why hasn't anyone else mentioned it before??

I wonder if that came from Carter himself (who would need Amare's approval to release the info), or from the same source he quotes above.

 

[panfolk]

The talk of the arthritis keeps me worried... he isn't the type to play through it. How long will it take to get into form if he skips every 5th game or so and when will D'A decide he's had enough. I think D'As dual role comes into play here. When does he stop thinking of Amare as an investment and when does he start thinking of him as expensive deadweight.

 

[Toro]

The doctor who did his microfracture surgery is trying to become the Dr. Andrews of knees.

Stat's rehab was a joke. They didn't get him into game shape. They wanted to send our press releases saying how good things were going. Again, a doctor trying to make a name for himself.

 

[msdundee]

Yah no kidding. That little blurb should be the only eye popping piece of info.

Actually, it really surprises me that this was put out in such a nonchalant article (meaning it wasn't based around it). Also, why hasn't anyone else mentioned it before??

I wonder if that came from Carter himself (who would need Amare's approval to release the info), or from the same source he quotes above.

They've mentioned it before. This is from Coro's article on October 6th:

"There still is no swelling or sharp pain in the knees, team physician Thomas Carter said. That is what would concern Carter more. He will put Stoudemire back on anti-inflammatory medication and have him wear a sleeve to stabilize the right kneecap.
Carter said there was "no appreciable change" in how the right knee looked on an MRI exam two weeks ago and how it looked in May, a month after Carter operated to remove a cyst and debris from it.
"The right knee that we've been concerned about, because of the wear and tear under his kneecap, doesn't have any swelling, which is the guideline we've used," said Carter, NOTING THAT STOUDEMIRE IS FEEELING ARTHRITIS IN THE RIGHT KNEE."

It's pretty common among athletes including runners, etc. They put it in the category of traumatic arthritis -- resulting from unusual wear and tear on the joint. It's a good guess he has a lot of company in the NBA.

 

[Chaplin]

I heard somewhere that there was an arthritic issue in that right knee. But doesn't Shawn have arthritic knees as well?

 

[The Commish]

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!


Seriously though I am somewhat worried, but I'm not going to buy into this rollercoaster ride until I see what he is like half way through the season.

Naturally there is always the problem of a player becoming lazy when he gets that contract. That's why I kind of wish contracts weren't guarenteed in baseball and basketball.

 

[msdundee]

Nah, the sky isn't falling -- but it is getting a little cloudy.

 

[dbUNIT16]

This article seems out of date and really doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know. I think the author's opinion got in the way of the facts of the article.

Come on, I mean, it's only been a year, and he didn't just have one surgery, he had two! So what if Amare has a bad game or practive every few games. So what if he has to sit out once every 3 practives. He is making progress PERIOD. Remember when he had to sit every other practice out. Yes, he obvoiusly was a bit sore tuesday, but that's after not taking a break for 3-4 days from games and practice. Nobody can argue with how great he looked sunday in LV. With a day of rest I'm sure he'd be back to that form and only improve.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I heard somewhere that there was an arthritic issue in that right knee. But doesn't Shawn have arthritic knees as well?

don't know if I've ever heard that - can anyone confirm or deny this?

 

[SunsTzu]

that's the first time iv'e heard that the right knee is has an arthritic condition - oye.

SIGN BORIS DIAW FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

I believe the surgery he had on his right knee was to remove a Baker's syst which is commonly associated with arthiritis.

 

[George O'Brien]

I went through hip surgery a few years ago and the pain was very hard to deal with. It effects your mood a lot. I'm not surprised that Amare's mood goes up and down with how he feels physically. However, I have confidence in Amare's will power to get through the rough patches.

 

[Gaddabout]

That wasn't an article, it was a column.

Amare's mental state is not surprising. Just ask Sacramento fans how weird it was to watch Webber go from bragadocious to milquetoast in about four hours of surgery. This is typical of the surgery. It's like getting a different body overnight.

Arthritic knees are common. Most big men develop them in the NBA before they turn 30. It's like giants and their oversized hearts ... big bodies aren't actually built for constant motion and constant physical stress. They're built for one-and-done big jobs.

 

[SO91]

That wasn't an article, it was a column.

Exactly...just an opinion piece filled with a few unamed sources.

 

[mribnik]

Amare had a tough childhood, then came into the NBA directly from high school, and after only a few years, completely destroyed Tim Duncan, one of the best defenders in the NBA, at the tune of 37ppg in the WCF.

Then, he had to undergo a surgery that has essentially ended the careers of several athletes, and the ups and downs of the recovery process got him doubting himself a little. That's understandable, anybody would go through that. He's not a headcase.

What's important is that he's out on the court and playing, and playing relatively well.

 

[NativeSun]

I know somebody's already thought about this, so spill the beans. What would be the most advantageous trade for the Suns if they decided it was in the team's best interest to trade Amare?

 

[Joe Mama]

All of these Amare Stoudemire articles and columns are giving me arthritis in my head... it's really starting to hurt.

Joe