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Amare's Much Improved Pick and Roll Defense

Amare had an awesome game Friday against the Utah Jazz with a season-high 44 points on 14/16 shooting. He tore through the Jazz front line like a horny surf boy through a puck of sex wax.

His offensive explosion was fun to watch. His pick and roll defense was something else entirely. See for yourself

Star-divide

On the Jazz's third offensive possession of the game (the first ended in a steal by Grant Hill and the second ended in a 29ft contested toss at the end of the shot clock) Amare blocked Mehmet Okur on a pick and roll.

The rest of the Jazz cleared out to one side while Deron and Memo ran the pick and roll around the elbow extended. Amare showed hard to trap Deron who made a sweet pass to Memo cutting to the rim.

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Amare recovered quickly and chased down and blocked the reverse lay up attempt.

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As you can see, it was a clean block. Perfectly timed by Amare and made possible by his quick reaction to the play....and his amazing speed and leaping ability. This is what Focus looks like on the defensive end.

It also looks like this.

Just a couple of plays later, the Jazz ran the side pick and roll with Williams and Boozer. This time Robin trapped the ball and Carlos rolled free to the basket for what looked like an easy finish.

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Amare immediately recognized the play (credit to his pre-game preparation) and reacted perfectly. You can see Amare moving as soon as the pass from Deron is made.

009_medium

He came from the weak side and got into position in front of Boozer and then rose up and blocked his shot without fouling.

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The block feel right back to Boozer who tossed it quickly back at the rim but it fell off.

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Amare continued to battle with Carlos and used his hops and long arms to secure the rebound even though Boozer had better position on him.

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One other thing to note in the video is all five Suns players staying back to help secure the ball while Boozer was left alone under the rim. Should the ball have squirted out, the Suns would have corralled it. In Arizona, you corral loose leather. Dead or alive.

 

 


 

These two defensive plays from Amare set the tone for the game. The Jazz would only score 37 points in the first half and shot just 39% for the game.

Poll
Has Amare's recent play earned him a Max Contract?
YES! SHOW HIM THE MONEEEEY!!!
363 votes
Nope. He's doing great, but still not worth Max dollaz
120 votes

483 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs  |  Comment 25 comments |

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I like how the Suns and Amar’e are playing really serious right now. I hope the great win against the Jazz won’t distract them against a good team in Portland on Sunday.

by Beavis 25 on Mar 20, 2010 3:57 PM MDT reply actions  

I'm finally believing in the focus now

I used to worry they would follow a big win by laying an egg, but not any more. I think the Portland game will be another convincing win. I’ve been going to a dozen Suns games a year since ‘04 and last nights game was one of the hardest-played games end-to-end that I’ve ever seen them play. I am so impressed.

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 5:06 PM MDT reply actions  

I seriously appreciate his play as of late..

but I don’t believe kerr and crew will offer the max; how can they?? Not with his injury history, especially his knee problems. They’re only gonna be good for a few more years before more work should be needed. Don’t get infatuated! If Max gets the Max, I only see it as a short term deal. Kerr’s just not that easily swayed. But I do think he’ll be resigned.

by bigredd1987 on Mar 20, 2010 5:32 PM MDT reply actions  

We can’t assume bad luck will happen, any more than we can assume it won’t.

by 8472species on Mar 20, 2010 7:12 PM MDT up reply actions  

Yes and no

I don’t mind a Max extension for 2 years. Max extension for 5 years is still too risky now, given his knees and the looming new CBA.

OTOH, Reshard freaking Lewis has a max contract. 14.5PPG, 4.6RPG, 1.5APG, and shoots 43%. Channing Frye can do that if he gets 33MPG like Lewis does.

Grant Hill is totally the next MJ!!

by gadogry on Mar 20, 2010 6:36 PM MDT reply actions  

still a no on the max for me. i would still only give the max to 2 or 3 players in the league right now. however, it does make what amare wanted in the end (didnt it end up being only $13-14 mil per over 4 years tacked onto the option? suns agreed on salary per year but not length?) seem very, very reasonable.

Banzai!

by Suns' Sensei on Mar 20, 2010 6:49 PM MDT reply actions  

Would it help to rephrase the question as “Do we want to keep Stoudemire or not?” Because since neither side appears interested in budging, that’s what the real question is. Not “how much should the Suns pay Stoudemire?”.

by 8472species on Mar 20, 2010 7:19 PM MDT reply actions  

I wouldn’t mind paying the guy. That wasn’t the problem in contract negotiations. The problem was length of contract. Kerr isn’t sure how long those knees can hold up. It would be a gamble.

by Beavis 25 on Mar 20, 2010 7:29 PM MDT up reply actions  

The question has to come down to "getting your money's worth..."

Can the suns do better with the 4 years 70 million it would take to sign Amare…I am not sure who they can get that can give them moe than Amare would even with the possibility of his knees flaring up in the next few years…

"I especially liked the part where I dunked on the McDonalds All-American dude..."

Anonymous high-school player after a Virginia basketball state championship game...

by Sun God on Mar 20, 2010 7:35 PM MDT reply actions  

the problem

is if he’s out for half the time due to injury. If that’s the case, you can get a lot more talent than nothing for that money. But when he’s healthy he’s worth the max. That’s the problem.

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 7:43 PM MDT up reply actions  

no, but you can fail to plan

and the easy way out is to go max money and years

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 10:26 PM MDT up reply actions  

Kerr and Sarver has proven to be bad planners by indulging in cost cutting

i.e. dumping salary and selling picks. 

Look at what the last 1.5 seasons progressed with their decisions. 

by magenta on Mar 20, 2010 11:28 PM MDT up reply actions  

i've been against amare getting the max the last 2 years

but, I think my angle was a 2 part thing
1. his past injuries
2. the economy and the idea that salaries are growing smaller, not larger. Not sure on this, but it’d be my guess….little by little

So to ask is Amare worth the max is not a simple question….If every team in the league was going to pay the max on 1 player on their team, then I think the Suns should make it Amare. But besides the Mavs, Boston, NJ, and L.A. Lakers….I don’t think many other teams can afford spending the max on a player. Unless the other contracts are very well balanced.

But since we already have some high contracts.

Bottom line…whether Amare get’s the max or not. He is playing just great basketball and between his play the last month and I’m glad to say I’ve changed my mind about Amare. Add to that the emergence of Lopez (even if not consistent), Jrich’s play (also not consistent, but many great games), along with Hill’s recent play and other Suns play and I think this team has a chance to go deep in the playoffs.

by be-the-ball on Mar 21, 2010 12:15 AM MDT up reply actions  

You're right.

Keep the team in decent financial shape is a terrible idea. They should just throw cash at everyone like the Knicks. That worked out well for them.

Twitter: @MikeLisboa

by Mike Lisboa on Mar 21, 2010 2:36 AM MDT up reply actions   1 recs

Amare does not want the max and selling draft picks have turned out poorly for us

And not making a decent offer for Joe Johnson?

The Suns have not been in decent shape for some time.

But I’m still glad we are past the trade rumour stage of the season with the most amateurish shopping of the team’s key talent I’ve seen in ages…

by magenta on Mar 21, 2010 4:46 AM MDT up reply actions  

He doesn’t want the max? Why not?

by 8472species on Mar 21, 2010 8:40 AM MDT up reply actions  

At no point have I ever said max money and years.

I’ve always been an advocate of the Pau deal. 3 years on top of his player option for next year for $57M. He’s worth at least that. It should be noted that Pau was going to get almost $65M until the economy took a dump and cap fell.

Twitter: @MikeLisboa

by Mike Lisboa on Mar 21, 2010 2:40 AM MDT up reply actions  

When he plays like he is lately

then he fully deserves a max deal. Not even an argument.

by Toon Army Sun on Mar 20, 2010 8:14 PM MDT reply actions  

is only asking... wow..

wonder what he’d be asking for if he were serious ??

actually, I’d be fine with 15→17 per, if before paying him, Amare did the same thing for us that Pau did for the Lakers: get us to the finals and be the #2 (or better) guy on a championship winning team.

"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".

by Pliny the Elder on Mar 20, 2010 11:20 PM MDT up reply actions  

My point is that he'snot asking for a max deal like Kobe

And he'splaying better than Gasol, who has the advantage of playing with Andrew Bynum and Odom to form the longest and tallest front court in the West.

by magenta on Mar 20, 2010 11:29 PM MDT up reply actions  

The Lakers were in second place in the Pacific before they got Gasol

and without him, the Lakers don’t even sniff at a finals appearance, let alone a title.

$15 Million is a lot of change, and given that Amare is still the second best player on this team, then all I’m saying is that fair’s fair, and if Amare wants Gasol money, he needs to ante-up like Gasol, and help take us to the promised land first. That’s all.

He’s got a season and a quarter to do it.

"True glory consists of doing what deserves to be written, and writing what deserves to be read".

by Pliny the Elder on Mar 21, 2010 11:49 AM MDT up reply actions  

Amar'e has been a stud recently

i just hope he’s not pulling the old contract-year switcheroo. I don’t think he is, he always comes back better after the break, but it’ll be awful if we think we sign a 25-10 guy to a max and then we end up with a 18-7 guy for a huge contract that we can’t move.

by DaveJD on Mar 21, 2010 10:11 AM MDT reply actions  

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