Move over Pau, Amar'e's the new best big man in the league
by NashMV3 on Mar 19, 2010 11:39 PM MDT
82 comments
Seriously, the man is on a tear. He's playing defense. He's hustling. His offensive repertoire is insane. Amar'e Stoudemire is seriously making a case that he not only deserves the money he's asking for but a case for being the best power forward in the NBA as well as the best big man. This title once belonged to Pau Gasol as being the most skilled big man in the league but I think at this point, there's no contest.
Remember in the past few seasons when you'd be biting your nails when you see STAT holding the ball for more than 5 seconds and were just waiting for him to make a bad play? I know I was because those were the times when the Suns would usually have a turnover due to a bad play from STAT. Now he knows when to attack and how to attack. He's playing much smarter and I think he's shown he's the best big man in the NBA.
He has monster games against the best of the NBA's bigs. When he faces Dwight Howard, he always takes him to school. He had a few bad games earlier this season against the Lakers but seriously, he was still coming back. The last 2 meetings had him dominating and Robin Lopez definitely helped take off some of the pressure. He easily abuses Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett when he plays against them and they're 2 of the best defensive big men in the league.
Offensively, Stoudemire's in another stratosphere and I don't think any player has a more complete game. The man can dunk, post up, dribble and drive, spot up and shoot, and he even has a fadeaway shot. He's a good free throw shooter so he's not someone you'd feel comfortable sending to the line. (Work on those free throws, Dwight!) Also, when he comes at you, he comes at you HARD. I doubt there's anyone who'd question his toughness. Defensively, we know that he's CAPABLE of being an double digit rebounder and a great shot blocker. The guy has great leaping abilities and is an athletic freak. With his abilities, he should easily be a formidable defensive presence and now it looks like he's slowly progressing in that direction. With Robin down there with Amar'e to protect the paint, both are able to come from the weak side to block shots. It's a win-win situation for them. Also, Amar'e's learning not to leave his feet when he's guarding his man so he's not in foul trouble as much as he was in previous years.
I think he's clearly the best big man in the NBA now and if he continues to beast like this, that max contract is well-deserved. Amar'e gets bashed for a lot of things that he doesn't do but those bashers are spoiled fans who can't appreciate what they have. He's the only big man that is perfect for our system and we would never be able to find another player to fill in that gap. The Suns need him. Speaking as a true Suns fan, we will definitely regret having Stoudemire leave.
Amar'e really is Standing Tall And Talented. 'Nuff said.
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A lot of people don’t like it when players with amazing talent aren’t playing up to their potential. Amar’e has a lot of excuses though. This is the first time he’s actually played next to a real big-man that fits the team( Although he played great along side Shaq under Coach D).
I like that Amar’e is playing great and expected it as he does this every year as the playoffs approach. He steps up his game and seems more focused out there. Plus, I think fans forget that Amar’e really steps up his game big time in the playoffs on defense, offense and rebounding. Just look at his career history.
Yeah, having a defensive center helps
Gasol has Bynum to hide his soft defense, and now Lopez helps Amar’e. But Amar’e is better offensively than Gasol, and I think his help defense is better, too.
by gerriseinfeld on Mar 20, 2010 12:56 AM MDT up reply actions
He always was...
I remember having a discussion on planetorange.com about STAT wanting Pau Gasol money, not a max contract like many of us believed. I raised the point that I thought Amare had a point because I believed he was the superior player to Pau, and I was met with a lot of resistance to that opinion.
I was shocked to find out that some people would actually prefer Pau Gasol over Amare. Sure, it may be hard to find them these days with Amare putting up 30pts on average a game, and playing better defense as well. But even before then, I believed Amare was a much more potent offensive player, and wasn’t far behind Pau Gasol on defense either.
Now that we’ve seen the new and improved Amare, who has consistently improved his game since entering the league straight out of high-school, I hope it will be enough to convince the front office to Sign him to a contract extension that will keep him in Phoenix.
Beast Mode
Man, Amar’e has gone beast in his last 10 games. Amare has been averaging 30.4 ppc (points per contest) and the Suns have been 11-3 since the All-Star Break. 116.2 ppg scored for them and have allowed 105.4 ppg in the last 10 games. A 10.8 ppd (point per differential). The Spurs tried to best our 152 last night but they had 147. When has Paulina Gasol scored 40+ points this season? And has anyone seen Gasol posterize on somebody getting a top play nominee on Sportscenter? I’ve seen Stoudemire posterize Richard Jefferson and that was sick! And Gasol has missed 17 games this year.
Amare
has always been a mixed bag. Not mixed like whether he is average or great. He has always been a top ten player in the league. (And at times in the top three.)
His upside:
driven
talented
big and strong
great shooter
rebounding
focus
His drawbacks:
basketball IQ
injuries
On the fence:
defense
passing out of the post
On defense, I am not in the camp that it is bad. I not sure I would say it is even mediocre. The Suns for most years Stat has been here, have not had a true big, and ask him to play out of position, to play defense out of position constantly against bigger men, add the injury time and healing, it is difficult to measure how it effect his game. I think it is a tough call to dis his defense. (Although as a fan I want him to do more.)
Given his personal history, focus is not his challenge.
Basketball IQ: This issue is definitely there. His decision making on the court is suspect at times. Is this maturity or experience, or does he lack the ability to learn it?
I think you could say this about all the great players in the league at points in their careers.
IMHO: You do not trade away a top 10 player unless you are rebuilding you team from scratch. Pay him.
drawbacks? lol
basketball IQ? seriously? I can’t remember the last time Amar’e made a bad or stupid play. His game is perfectly polished and he always knows where to be to get easy shots at the basket. Stop associating Assists or..something else… to player’s basketball IQ’s. His job on the court is to score the basketball. He understands that role and does it better than any other big man in the NBA.
and injuries…you have no idea what you are talking about.. A single knee surgery and a freak accident eye injury. He’s missed one season from the knee and then was knocked out of the final 29 games for the eye. So that’s one legitimate injury in his entire career.
I wish people would stop saying Amar’e is injury prone. They don’t understand the facts.
You can't remember the last time Amare made a bad player?
That’s a little homerific. Every player makes bad plays.
Steve Nash, the league's MVP, is a longhaired Canadian who spoke out against the war in Iraq and reads The Communist Manifesto. Quentin Richardson declared after a game-winning shot that it "was like Hamlet. It was a suspense thriller, and I killed them at the end." Amare Stoudemire, when asked to comment on a 22-point third quarter against the Kings, said, "I've got a tendency to jump over some guys' heads and throw it down."
made a bad play*
Steve Nash, the league's MVP, is a longhaired Canadian who spoke out against the war in Iraq and reads The Communist Manifesto. Quentin Richardson declared after a game-winning shot that it "was like Hamlet. It was a suspense thriller, and I killed them at the end." Amare Stoudemire, when asked to comment on a 22-point third quarter against the Kings, said, "I've got a tendency to jump over some guys' heads and throw it down."
Have you been watching Suns Basketball All Season?
remember the time when he got dunked on by Dante Cunningham?
He had his back turned, to a fast break. Basic basketball, face the Offense on the fast break, please.
hey man
How are those Warriors doing? I seem to remember in October you thinking they will sniff the playoffs and the Suns would not. I’m sure you’re all for trading Bienrins for STAT now.
April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?
Unpredictabe
Honestly man, this season has been completely unpredictable for the warriors, and what has happened to their roster could have happened to any team if you had the stroke of luck they had. They entered the season with the same team they had last year but with stephen curry, an improved morrow, and an improved randolph, so you cant tellme they werent a contender for an 8th seed until they got smote by the hands of bad luck
Biedrins has totally underperformed this season and the Warriors tried to shop him
Over at SFGate Scott Ostler notes:
Biedrins is 3-for-23 from the line this season. The NBA record low percentage, one season, for a player shooting at least 20 free throws, is held by Garfield Smith, Boston Celtics, 1971-72, shooting 6-for-31 from the line, 19.4 percent. Biedrins is barely better than 13 percent.
Nellie has theorized that the free throw woes are having serious consequences for Biedrins’ offensive game (if that’s what you want to call it) [SFGate]:
Since his 18-rebound, three-block effort Feb. 6, Warriors center Andris Biedrins has averaged 4.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks a game. “He doesn’t seem to want to go to the free-throw line, so he is staying away from the moves and places that give him a chance to get fouled,” said coach Don Nelson, who pointed to Biedrins’ 3-for-23 free-throw shooting.
We’ve discussed and written this countless times in the past, but it’s completely inexcusable how poor of a jump shooter Biedrins is in his 6th season in the league. It simply shows his lack of commitment to the game of basketball. The jumpshot is one of the most fundamental aspects of this game and there is nothing fundamentally right about Biedrins’ form. If you’ve never seen Biedrins shoot a free throw, then don’t. Everything with it is mechanically wrong as Nellie has noted in the past (flip to the 2:24 mark).
Yea That's a good read
I agree about this being a show of his lack of committment issue, but his injuries have really halted his progress, especially this year. He began developing a hook shot last season, but his shitty performance form the line is really inexcusable. but being a big playing for the warriors is no easy feat this season. Being the only guy rebounding, the only guy shot blocking, and the only guy able to play any kind of big position.
Oh my Lord!
I knew Biedrins was an awful free-throw shooter…but 3 for 23?!? That’s horrific!!!!
I had no idea he was playing that poorly at G.S. this season…I guess I still had the misguided assumption that he was still a semi-talented player.
Ｔｈｅｒｅ ｗｅｒｅ ｓｏｍｅ ｂｒｉｇｈｔ ｇｅｎｉｕｓｅｓ ｈｅｒｅ ｗｈｏ ｗａｎｔｅｄ ｔｏ ｔｒａｄｅ Ａｍａｒｅ ｆｏｒ Ｂｉｅｄｒｉｎｓ
Ｄｏ ｕｓ ａｌｌ ａ ｆａｖｏｕｒ． Ｄｏｎ＇ｔ ｔｒａｄｅ ｗｉｔｈ ＧＳ．Ｔｈｅｉｒ ｐｌａｙｅｒｓ ｈａｖｅｎ＇ｔ ｐｌａｙｅｄ ｉｎ ａ ｐｒｏｐｅｒ ｓｙｓｔｅｍ ａｎｄ ａｒｅ ｎｏｔ ｒｅａｌｌｙ ｔｒａｉｎｅｄ ｔｏ ｐｌａｙ Ｄ．．．
That's A Genearlization
You’re gunna tell me you wouldnt have even discussed that curry trade just because you dont want to deal with GSW?
And these are NBA caliber players, you’re basically suggesting the Warriors are a compiliation of misfits that don’t know how to play high level basketball, and just because Nelson doesn’t concentrate on this, doesn’t mean these players can’t do it. I’m not sure if you were being sarcastic, or if you were just joking.
Because the last time I checked,
Turiaf shut down our shaq last year
cj can guard any point guard in the league (not shut down obviously)
monta did a legit job on kobe last monday
they have two players in the top 5 league steals/pg leaders
check that last bout we had in Oakland where Nash was burning up, last shot, us down by a bucket, and we choose a Nash three for a last shot. CJ watson smothered him and nash barely got a shot in the air, much less a clean look.
he has missed significant portions (including all of second half) of 2 of past 4 seasons
That may not be injury prone, but it’s also cause for pause. You can’t put all your eggs in one basket if that basket goes missing half the time.
And YES, he’s asking for more than 3 years. He said so HIMSELF on a radio interview after the all-star break. A DJ asked him point-blank: “will 2 or 3 years get it done?” and Amare replied without hesitation “Probably not”. So he’s not asking for Gasol contract (3 yrs, 57 mil). He wants more years than that. And that’s where most fans start to hem and haw, as well as the Suns FO
Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.
Which is good because we love him and he loves it here, but we don’t know how long his knees can hold up and how much age can hurt his athleticism.
Plus, I think the FO wants his contract to end the same time Nash’s does.
actually, I think they really want his contract to end the day before he needs new microfracture surgery. ;)
Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.
Amare recovered faster than most players i.e. just look at Al Jefferson
And players do get injured when they play hard… So not sure how you can avoid injuries if u do so.
Nash is more of a health risk btw.
I am Not saying injury prone
just saying his injury(s) where drawbacks;
And I would agree he is playing great basketball right now. But, he does need to learn to throw the ball out, all great post players know where to send the ball when double and triple team.
I love Stat play, but I want him to be even better, pinpoint passing from the low post would be awesome.
He's not "top 3" yet BUT, I do think he has entered Superstar territory.
pushing Top 5 or 6, which would still make him a Superstar. The Top 6 players in the League are “Superstars” in my book. I will soon write a fanpost detailing my definition of it and whose these players are. I agree that Amare has been Top 10 for awhile, but Top 10 doesn’t make one a Superstar. Top 5 or 6 DOES. He is now challenging that territory. And by the way, Superstars deserve and get max money.
The great thing for us, is that it automatically makes us a Championship contender in at least one sense: I believe all Championship teams in the NBA have to have at least one Superstar; Amare would be ours ! That can no longer be used as an excuse for why the Suns can’t challenge for a title…“But the Suns don’t have a Superstar,” etc…
But now we DO !
I wish I KNEW
that he would sustain this at a consistent level after he signs that next contract…
Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @sethpo
by Seth Pollack on Mar 20, 2010 11:03 AM MDT up reply actions
I think he's got legacy in mind.
Sure, it’s a contract year, but I think he feels legitimately overlooked as an NBA talent and has finally put together an all-around game with the intent of entering that upper realm of NBA superstardom.
As for basketball IQ questions, this is a player who has literally come to each new season with a new weapon in his arsenal: longer range on his jumper, more patience in the post, better decision-making, etc. In a way, the injuries have been a blessing in that each time he’s re-habbed, he’s adjusted his game to account for not having his explosiveness.
Now with all those tools plus his finishing ability at 100%? He’s probably the most frightening offensive force this side of Lebron, Kobe and maybe Wade. He’s only less dangerous than those 3 because of their ball-handling/play-making skills.
Twitter: @MikeLisboa
by Mike Lisboa on Mar 20, 2010 11:32 AM MDT up reply actions
for me, its more health than effort
that scares me. Amare has always put out as long as he’s healthy. But if his knee goes, and he misses a year again, that’s a big void to fill
Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.
by Alex Laugan on Mar 20, 2010 12:54 PM MDT up reply actions
feed the beast
I think the Suns are finally figuring out that no one can guard him, and to keep feeding it to him. I could see a 60 point game against most teams.
April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?
The Suns don't have a superstar?
Who’s that Canadian 36 year old who resurrected the Suns back in 04-05? Steve Nash has been our superstar but the thing was the Suns has unfortunate things happen to them. They lost STAT in 05-06 so they were lacking post presence but yet they made it all the way to the Western Conference finals. 06-07 is always the year that Suns fans will remember as being the year that had the biggest letdown. A Robert Horry hipcheck that led to suspensions of STAT and Diaw for a critical game that would’ve given us the lead in the series. The man didn’t win 2 MVPs for his toilet humor.
I don’t know if I’d consider Nash a superstar. I wouldn’t consider John Stocktan or Kidd a superstar. I would Consider Malone and Magic a superstar.
stockton or Kidd
didn’t win any MVPs. A two time MVP IS a superstar.
April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?
Two League MVP's
Equals superstar in my book any day of the week.
Nash is 36 and still playing at a tremendously high level. He’s the best point guard currently healthy and playing in the league right now, and will go down as one of the all-time greats when it’s all said and done.
Nash is, and will always be considered a superstar by my standards at least.
Nash was a Superstar circa 2005-2006. He has gone down a bit though....
When he was winning those back to back MVP’s he definitely WAS a Superstar. Although he is having a great year statistically he has lost some of his physical abilities (although the mental part of his game is probably better than it has ever been!). Age and some inevitable physical decline will do that. The injuries are an indication of that.
Don’t get me wrong, Nash is stll great. He is however just outside that group of upper echelon players who are “Superstars.” He doesn’t dominate games the way he did three or four years ago. He is still a “Star”, an “All-Star”, and invaluable as the undisputed leader of our team, I just wouldn’t classify him as a Superstar, as I would have several years ago…
by Jack Frost on Mar 20, 2010 1:42 PM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
when he won his first MVP
he averaged 15 points and 11 assists. He is now averaging more than that, and shooting a better percentage. Also, he had a seasonin 07-08, I think, where he averaged 18 and 11. I don’t see that he can not be considered now to be what he was then.
Exactly what had he gone down on? Not his stats. He dominates games. Who do you think was getting STAT the ball in the 4th quarter against Utah?
April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?
If you're looking purely at statistics, you're right Hawk, but I'm looking at some
of the things he may not be able to do as consistently. He just recently went through a mini-slump two weeks ago were he couldn’t buy a basket — his shooting was off. Of course alot of that had to do with the abdominal injury etc. and I also think he was fatigued from the Olympics etc. What is he 36 years old? Don’t get me wrong, I know we would be lost without him, and despite how great Amare has been I think Nash is still our MVP. But I don’t think he lulls like the one recently when he won the MVP’s. I guess part of it is also because he is a playmaker and not a scorer first, it doesn’t feel like he is dominating the game, but of course he can still do that. Just not in the way he did before. Part of that may be the team around him, no Dantoni etc…
The heart of my definition of “Superstar” lies in t hat players’s ability to single-handedly dominate a game for long stretches of time." Not just getting hot for 2-3 minutes, but being able to dominate for a whole quarter or half. What was that game LeBron had a few weeks ago where he scored, what, like 25 straight points for his team — now THAT is domination. That is what a Superstar does.
I guess part of it is the limitation of the definition. It is easier to assess “domination” of a game from a scorer or even a defensive presence or rebounder. It is hard to notice it from a distributer like Nash, but I hear what you are saying. Perhaps I have to rework my definition. Bill Russell was not a scorer, but he definitely dominated games and definitely was a Superstar. In fact, I think he is the Greatest Player Ever. Certainly the greatest defensive player ever. And there has never been a better team player than Russell and never been a bigger winner than Russell.
So, I am not basing this totally on scoring. I think I have to reformulate my definition of “dominating” a game because it is harder to assess from playmakers — if the guys they’re passing to don’t finish then they don’t dominate, so it is largely based on others etc.. Also, pure stats can be deceiving, because as you know Hawk alot of those assists are accumulated in blow-outs were the opposition has mentally given up and is playing lax etc. I think you have to watch entire games to get a sense of who “dominates.” You can’t just look at stats. I think that was really true of someone like Russell.
What has gone down? The Suns place in the standings.
In December this team was seriously underachieving. I don’t remember a month like that during the 2004-5 season when we went 62-20 and Nash won his first MVP. I also don’t remember a month like that in 2005-6 when Nash won his second straight MVP and the Suns again won the Pacific Division.
Whether it is fair or not, a players greatness is ultimately measured by how his team performs. That’s why the MVP almost always comes from a Division Winning team. Barring a miracle the Suns won’t win the Pacific Division this year, and they can’t win 60 games. In order to win 54 games they’d need to go 11-2 the rest of the wayk which seems a stretch. Not impossible,but a stretch. With that in mind, the Suns as a team won’t be as good as the years when Nash won his awards and was by my standards a “Superstar.”
Of course, if this team plays to their full potential in the playoffs and shocks the pundits then I assume Nash will be in the middle of any playoff magic. At that point we can talk again…
Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul?
Main Entry: su·per·star
Pronunciation: \ˈsü-pər-ˌstär\
Function: noun
Date: 1924
1 : a star (as in sports or the movies) who is considered extremely talented, has great public appeal, and can usually command a high salary
That’s Merriam-Webster’s definition of superstar. Nash easily qualifies.
Now that part about team success. What about Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul?
Both pretty easily meet your definition of superstar, except for the part about their team’s performance. Wade’s heat are barely over .500 and the Hornets were a mere 26-21 when Paul went down with an injury. Yet both are easily “dominant” in the way you think Nash should be, but isn’t (which is completely arguable). Same with Derrick Rose (he of the 4th highest selling jersey in the NBA) and his sub-.500 Bulls.
Speaking of jersey sales, perhaps the truest mark of superstardom, let’s look at the top 12 selling jerseys in the NBA…
1. Kobe Bryant – Los Angeles Lakers
2. LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Dwight Howard – Orlando Magic
4. Derrick Rose – Chicago Bulls
5. Dwyane Wade – Miami Heat
6. Kevin Garnett – Boston Celtics
7. Chris Paul – New Orleans Hornets
8. Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics
9. Shaquille O’Neal – Cleveland Cavaliers
10. Pau Gasol – Los Angeles Lakers
11. Carmelo Anthony – Denver Nuggets
12. Steve Nash – Phoenix Suns
Pretty hard to argue with that list. I’m going to say Steve Nash is a quiet superstar. Maybe even borderline. But to say he’s not entirely, is to ignore the fact that he’s playing some of the best ball of his career at a time when most athletes are opening car dealerships.
Twitter: @MikeLisboa
as someone who doesn't have to pay a dime to see Amare resigned,
I say GIVE HIM THE MAX!
Crashing the [message] boards from the heart of Spurs Nation, San Antonio, Texas. GO SUNS!
It comes down to gambling on whether he’ll keep playing so well, but if he plays like this during the playoffs, I would bet on him.
by 8472species on Mar 20, 2010 12:01 PM MDT up reply actions
He is on a tear right now, but I wouldn't call him the best big man in the league.
Is he better than Bosh, Howard, Nowitzki?
Steve Nash, the league's MVP, is a longhaired Canadian who spoke out against the war in Iraq and reads The Communist Manifesto. Quentin Richardson declared after a game-winning shot that it "was like Hamlet. It was a suspense thriller, and I killed them at the end." Amare Stoudemire, when asked to comment on a 22-point third quarter against the Kings, said, "I've got a tendency to jump over some guys' heads and throw it down."
Hmmm...
I would say he’s at least as good as or better than Bosh (which is in no way a knock on Bosh).
He’s got more range than Howard, but Howard’s a better defender and rebounder and just as powerful a finisher, so that’s kind of a wash.
There’s maybe a slight edge to Nowitzki because Dirk can score from just about anywhere once he’s crossed the half-court line and has a better handle. Offensively at least, Dirk’s capable of playing pretty much all 5 positions. Granted, you wouldn’t want him as your starting point guard, but he can definitely be a point forward a la Grant Hill and Amare just doesn’t have that kind of playmaking capability.
That said, I see nothing wrong with Suns fans stating their case for Amare as best big man in the league. He’s certainly in the discussion.
Twitter: @MikeLisboa
by Mike Lisboa on Mar 20, 2010 12:39 PM MDT up reply actions
the thing that would make me give howard the slight edge over amare, besides health and youth, would be defense. orlando leads the league in fg% defense. who besides howard do they have thats a good defender? rashard, jameer and vince arent above average. jason williams and jj redick arent that great. barnes is pretty good as we’ve all witnessed, and so is pietrus.
other than that very minor thing i agree with you completely.
Banzai!
by Suns' Sensei on Mar 20, 2010 6:56 PM MDT up reply actions
Those are some nice names to put up for consideration so I'll give my 2 cents.
Bosh is definitely one of the best power forwards in our league. He’s proven it with his consistent effort and it was him (not Dwight Howard) that carried Team USA to a gold medal. Against Howard, Stoudemire has the better jumpshot and I think he has more post moves than Dwight Howard.
Howard rebounds like a madman and is probably the league’s best shot blocker so I admit Dwight is a better defensive player while STAT is much better offensively. The only reason I say STAT is better than Dwight (besides being a Suns fan) is because I’ve seen him go to work 1 on 1 against Dwight and Dwight is always getting schooled. Early foul trouble on Howard and STAT has 30-10 nights against him.
Hmmm Dirk. They rarely guard each other in the Suns and Mavs games so I can’t say for sure who has the upper hand. However I will commend Dirk for having the most lethal jumpshot for a 7 footer. He’s literally unguardable when he raises up away from the basket. STAT however is a better finisher, post defender (remember Dirk’s nickname “Irk”?), and is more of a force inside than Dirk is.
Like Mike says, it’s only a discussion and our opinions are all equally valid. Plainly, I find it easier to express my opinions here than on… say, Yahoo Sports… where everyone basically cusses you out for rooting for a certain team. Also it’s strange how half the comments in a game where neither the Lakers or Cavs are involved end up being about Kobe vs. LeBron. Ugh… thank god for Bright Side of the Suns where I, as a Suns fan, get to express my views.
LOVE YOU GUYS haha
Just to be clear
I’m not a Howard basher. I like Dwight Howard. The man’s funny and I think he’s the best center in the league. I just can’t give him the title of best big man when my biased Suns fandom makes me want to put Amar’e’s name above his haha.
I reall agree
This happens EVERY season, both in the sense of Amare’s Play and fan response.
Throughout the regular season, we’ll watch his lack of hustle, lack of heart, lackluster effort on the court, disturbingly bad post defense, and to harden the blow, he was shooting barely above 70% from ft this season!? And let’s get this straight shot blocking and post defense are two different things. Sure Dwight Howard/Lebron are the best shot blockers in the league, but if you can quantify post defense, best post defense honestly goes do KPerk, Nick Collison, or Andy Varejao.
Getting back to the point, the fans respond by trade demands, no contract extension demands, etc
Then Amare starts to amp it up at the end of the year, and we all fall in love with him “resign him now!” talks. I honestly still don’t like the guy, and don’t think he is a max contract (close, and really getting there) style player because he doesn’t have the ability to take over a game by himself without a playmaking point guard. At this point, would you want him to have the last possession in his hands with time expiring? or Nash. I would still pick Nash in heartbeat because Amare has proven nothing in the clutch when it really counts. Bosh still has a better shot, better shot block ability, better rebounding, bigger heart, more killer instinct, better hair, and more fundamental post moves.
Amare finally started to show some fundamental post moves in the Utah game, and he’s still developing it because his post game is really unorthodox. His only real moves he has involves squaring up, driving right or shooting, maybe spin, and skying high for a hook or dunking. Half of the time his post possesions end in turnovers. He has no drop steps, half step hooks, spin offs, and no backboard.
Wake up guys, and realize what we’ve been discussing all year long. I say let him opt-in, and keep him for sure, because a big man with offensive skill such as his are hard to come by, but he is by no means a max contract player
2.6 TOs for the season and career
He’s hardly as turnover prone in the post as anyone think he is.
Twitter: @MikeLisboa
There have been a lot of strange circumstances though
Knee surgery.
Suns acquiring Shaq in the middle of the season. Amare went off when Shaq first got here, and then Porter came in the next season and made Shaq the focal point of the offense.
Then Porter was fired midseason and Amare tears his retina and has to lay face down on a massage table all summer and gets out of basketball shape.
And now hes playing with glasses.
He has been up and down, but it cant all be attributed to him and his heart. And he isnt the same type of player as Bosh, so why does it matter if he doesnt have Bosh moves?
by gerriseinfeld on Mar 20, 2010 2:22 PM MDT up reply actions
Or anything close to it.
He’s a nice 15 million dollar piece, but no way it should be anymore than that, he’s turning 28 this year, and it’s not like his legs body is getting any better. He’s looking for someone to match “his number”, and I’m pretty sure he wants years, and big bucks, but above all, a title run.
but this is all speculation still, we’ll see what happens this summer
15 mill a year will do it if the management promises to make the team a contender with good pieces
rather than to keep dumping salary and sell picks.
Yeah, I have Howard as the 3rd best player in the NBA and he is a "Superstar"
He can and does dominate games for long stretches, primarily at the defensive end. His shot blocking and rebounding allow him to control the paint and in that way he “dominates” games. Just think, when he adds new moves to his relatively limited offensive repetoire how good he’ll be. Wow. If both stay in the East we may be seeing LeBron vs. Dwight for many consecutive years in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Wow, I was responding to vdub's Howard post and my comment ended up way below..
How the heck did that happen. I did hit the “REPLY” button but it still posted my comment way below…Hmmmmm.
I'm still not sure about giving him the deal he wants
I’m like a lot of people in that I’ll gladly pay him $20m a year for the next three years (including his option year), but not sure I want to have him under contract too much longer until I know what’s going on with his knee. I’d rather give him a 2-year/$40m extension than a 4-year/$60m extension.
Offers
I’ll bet the Heat, Cavs and others who were making flimsy offers for Amare are regretting it right about now. They had a real chance to pry him away but were trying to get him on the cheap and Stevie Kerr called their bluffs.
Kerr/Sarver were willing to let Amare go for peanuts on the dollar but lets get real. Seriously if the “highlight” of your deal for Amare is Michael Beasley you just aren’t going to get it done. You got to at least throw some freaking first round draft picks and more than one borderline all-star/border line role player in there.
Are these numbers correct?
http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q11
With the cap going down next year, that would make a max salary around 16 million a year, which seems like a bargain for Amar’e right now (unless they switch to a hard cap). Unless I’m missing something.
It's all going out the window anyway
2011 CBA negotiations are going to be ugly as hell. And the players are going to get hosed. And by hosed I mean, I think guaranteed contracts and the numbers we’ve seen of late are going out the window. There’s a huge incentive for Amare to sign before then and get that corn now, son.
Twitter: @MikeLisboa
Which is why he will opt out
Haha Nate McMillan
by gerriseinfeld on Mar 20, 2010 2:26 PM MDT up reply actions
no he's not
I made the comment earlier in response to your post. He said HIMSELF on radio interview since the deadline that he wants more than 3 years. Direct response to a direct question. On KTAR.
Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.
Yeah
The number of years is where Amar’e and the Suns FO disagree. Kerr probably wants to give him 2 or 3, and Amar’e wants 4 or 5. The next CBA will drastically reduce the amount players make (if owners get what they want), and Amar’e wants to be set for a few of those years afterward.
That said, if owners get to grandfather in the changes to the contracts, then it might now matter how much Amar’e gets or whether its guaranteed. But I don’t see how they will get that into the deal. That would be a long lockout.
by gerriseinfeld on Mar 20, 2010 11:35 PM MDT up reply actions
dking97 - it was reported on Yahoo! Sports that he was using Gasol's 3-year deal as a basis for negotiation
Please note that that comes after his player option for next year.
Amare is the Amare that he was
The difference is Lopez…… The Suns have stumbled upon a potent combination there. (Thats not to say he isn’t deserving of the money he is going to get)
by dCoye on Mar 20, 2010 2:17 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs
Respect?
Has anyone noticed that Amare is not gettin the respect he deserve on how he’s been playing since the allstar game?
It’s because he’s on the Suns. Nobody respects the Suns. We’re old news. Amar’e is old news. Nash is old news. Nobody cares about us. The OKC get talked about more than we do. Heck, the Spurs still get talked about more than we do. Nobody ever really notices us. They won’t notice our improvement on defense. They won’t notice our toughness we’ve been playing with as of late. They don’t even know how good our bench is and this season is practically almost over. We are an underrated team and Amar’e is an underrated player. They just think we’re a good team that has NO shot whatsoever to win a Championship. They don’t even think we can compete. We have just as good as a chance as Denver does at beating LA and I mean that. Denver took LA to 6 games last year. We can do that.
Good to see that Charles Barkley is the only guy who has noticed our changes.
just wait till the playoffs
the Suns will get respect in the playoffs. No one respected the 06 team till then either.
Twitter: @dahking
Too late to change the stupid twitter name. Did it as a joke to my teenager, but now I'm hooked on the news-feed aspect of twitter.
I think this is why...
I wrote the post to begin with lol. When you’re beasting in this league, you deserve respect.
Amare-Pau
Funny, I never considered Pau better than Amare. His offense is methodical. Amare’s is electric. His defense is so-so. He does pass the ball better than Amare, and he looks a lot better playing next to Kobe, Put it this way. Trade places. A Laker team with Kobe-Amare-Bynum-Odom might never lose. Good God- you’d have to single cover both of them!
April 29, 2008 Total Eclipse of the Sun. Is the sky falling?
The only team for us to really fear is the Cavs
Let’s hope the Magic knock them out cuz the Cavs are the only team that gives the Suns the biggest matchup nightmares. >_<
If your not named
kobe or lebron you wont get dat much shine. look at espn, amare had dominated jazz but he was overshadowed by kobe and lebron
Hahaha
I can’t believe I haven’t seen that before.
by gerriseinfeld on Mar 20, 2010 11:42 PM MDT up reply actions
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