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#2 Amare Stoudemire vs. #6 Leandro Barbosa
How They Got Here:
Amare Stoudemire: He destroyed Stephon Marbury in round one. Stoudemire earned 94% of the vote to move on to round two.
Leandro Barbosa: He pulled off the upset of Shawn Marion in round one. The number 3 seed Marion only managed to earn 41% of the vote while Barbosa had 59% of fans vote for him.
The Analysis:
Ben York:
This one, at first glance, doesn’t seem to be competitive. Amare Stoudemire has been on the All-NBA 1st team, the All-Star team, and has been amongst the league leaders in scoring. Barbosa has won 6th man of the year, been a spark plug off the bench, and is almost equally fun to watch. Doesn’t seem like a close contest…
However, Amare has fallen off with many fans this year with his comments about being “the man” and perhaps wanting to leave Phoenix in the off-season. On top of that, he’s been injured and out of the picture for the 2nd half of the season. Barbosa, on the other hand, has really made a case to become a starter in the league. Though having a difficult year losing his mother at the beginning of the season, he’s been as consistent (if not more) than any Suns player and is really (finally) coming into his own as a a legit scorer. Each player, ironically, has been sorely missed this season due to their injuries. They’ve both seem to come at the wrong time when we needed them the most.
Amare is one heck of a player to watch, but Barbosa is almost impossible not to like as a player or person.
Mark McLane:
Amare Stoudemire exploded onto the basketball scene with thunderous dunks and almost otherworldly athletic ability. Averaging 37 points a game in the 2005 playoffs against the Spurs, Amare announced his presence with authority, seemingly taking the torch from Tim Duncan as the best power forward/center in the league.
Despite the dreaded microfracture surgery robbing him of an entire season, Amare has continued to be a force in the paint for the Suns. His explosiveness may no longer be what it was but with the tremendous improvement of his jump shot, Amare no longer needs to rely on raw ability alone. With his combination of scoring ability, youth, and athleticism, Amare could very well be the block the Suns build their future around.
As a rookie from Brazil, Leandro Barbosa was as raw as they come. The fastest player on the court had no control or discipline his first season, and looked nothing like the 2007 6th Man of the Year he would eventually become.
With unmatched speed and a silky smooth jumpshot, Barbosa has thrived with the up tempo Suns. His blazing speed and infectious smile easy to cheer for, LB is a fan favorite (my mom is NUTS about him) and loved by his teammates.
The Picks:
Ben York: I think Amare still edges this one out, based on name recognition alone, but it will be much closer than you would think.
Mark McLane:
LB may be “fast, nice, and good at basketball,” and like Amare, a unique talent, but there’s a reason Stoudemire has a restaurant across the street from the arena. The Suns will go only as far as he takes them. Hopefully, LB will be around to help.
Vote Here:
http://phoenix.fanster.com/suns/2009/03/31/phoenixs-favorite-sun-round-2-stoudemire-vs-barbosa/