Louis Amundson 2009-10 Evaluation
by Wil Cantrell on Jun 27, 2010 1:20 PM MDT
in Phoenix Suns Commentary
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PrintThis is the 8th installment of the 2009-10 Phoenix Suns player report cards. We're using the old-school A-F system for continuity’s sake. Today the spotlight’s on Louis Amundson.
Everyone needs a Lou Amundson. Not just a basketball team. Having Lou around the house would be a good thing. He's the type of roommate who'd eat the last bag of Doritos but then he'd go out and buy a new one. Lou would probably do the yard work, he wouldn't get hammered drunk and urinate in the corner and he wouldn't try to move in on a girl you brought home from a bar. I doubt he'd clean much, but he probably wouldn't make much of a mess. Lou's like that older cousin you had growing up who was really cool. He was quiet but he had a pony tail and everything he did was cool, so you idolized him. Mom can I grow a pony tail like cousin Lou?
*ed note: I realize Lou didn't have the pony tail until recently and was an Ashton Kutcher look alike. Acknowledging that would have ruined my ode to Lou.
A little advice to you Lou, (who may not be a Sun in a few weeks). You did buy a house in Scottsdale. The real estate market is depressed. You'd take a loss. Let's be practical. Phoenix is your home. Maybe take Sarver's low-ball offer and hang out for a couple more years, yes?
Louis Amundson was signed out of the Summer League in which he played for the Warriors in 2008. Credit Kerr, Griffin, and Terry Porter (credit to Porter is optional of course) for spotting Lou and recognizing that Amundson was exactly what the Suns needed. Said Steve Kerr:
"We just felt like there was too big of a drop-off over the last couple of years when Steve (Nash) went out of the game and that we couldn't always survive on just making jump shots,...You have to be able mix it up, get offensive rebounds and make ‘dirt-worker plays,' as Cotton Fitzsimmons used to say. You have to be able to draw charges and create extra possessions."
Lou knew what he brought to the table and had little illusion that he could play in the NBA and what his value could be to a team, especially one known for being soft on the boards like the Suns:
"I bring athleticism, toughness and a defensive mindset...I've been told they want to go in that direction and add a little bit of depth in that area."
The Suns needed Louis Amundson. Lou needed an NBA job. Now that's a perfect fit. A guy without an ego who knew his role, cameoff the bench, oftentimes when PHX was getting slammed on the boards, and mixed it up with the beasts of the league, getting under their skin without any fear.
Nene flagrant vs. Phoenix (via coronaftw)
You can understand how some of the millionaire-overly-hyped bigs in the league could get annoyed by some undersized pony tailed wearing nobody boxing you out and standing up to your attempts to intimidate him.
Lou even had the stones to take on Shaq in the battle of pranks:
Phoenix Suns: Shaq Gets Pranked - April 14, 2009 (via PhoenixSunsVideos)
This past season Lou was the spark to many of the Suns come from behind victories. Let us not forget the infamous Mavs game in which the Suns bench, sparked by Lou's 7 4th quarter points which enabled Alvin Gentry to leave Amare Stoudemire-he of the one rebound performance on the bench for the entire 4th quarter. And Amare didn't even complain. Of course there were other great performances by Lou. Games where that one rebound, steal, block, or tip in changed the course of the game. Lou solidified the Suns bench, and while lacking any real offensive acumen, the kid could sky for an alley-oop and occasionally drop a 10 footer.
The numbers don't scream out to us, and why would they for a guy who averaged 10-15 minutes a game, depending on the opponent? But Lou's rebounds per 48 minutes put him in good company among Western Conference secnd unit forwards: 4th among those with at least 40 games under their belts as bench players. No doubt many teams in the league are looking at those numbers and preparing a much better offer than Sarver and Co. will.
There were stretches this season where Lou saw his role and playing time diminish. Yet he always took it in stride, his attitude never changed. If he sat, he was prepared to get on the floor and do what the Suns needed him to do. He never complained, knowing his value would eventually get him back on the court.
Grade: A
What say you all?
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I agree with everything you say will, but lou becomes superflous with the addition of gani lawal.
Lawal comes cheaper and provides more of the same but I think Gani can develop a consistent 10 J to provide more offensive punch; I’d give Lou a solid B+ for his sound efforts but he didn have as much of an impact as say robin/jrich or even frye did; I’d give lou a B+ because in game three or four against the lakers he by himself outrebounded the lakers bigs in the fourth quarter
Draft Day 2009: I was in a Detroit theater about to watch the Hangover when my cousin texted me telling me who the Suns had drafted. I texted him back asking him who the F*ck that was. I shed a tear and told myself: The Suns are going to suck next year and Amar'e is going to be traded and my life ruined. 12 Months later to the day I am looking back at the Suns incredible playoff run to the Western Conference Finals.
Perhaps
But I don’t think Lawal will be at Lou’s level this year, hence a one year deal for Lou….Let’s see what happens in the Summer league before we judge Lawal.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jun 27, 2010 2:05 PM MDT up reply actions
true
Lawal wont approximate Lou this year, simply because its year 1. But Lawal has a lot more long-term potential. I’m hoping for a Serge Ibaka-like impact.
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.
exactly
It cracks me up how much hype rookies get this time of the year…so few actually make an impact in their 1st year or 2. It takes time.
Raising Arizona Sports at SB Nation Arizona twitter: @sethpo
by Seth Pollack on Jun 27, 2010 7:17 PM MDT up reply actions
and this could turn into a long discussion
about lou’s value if both frye and amare leave. and if all three leave that’s a lot of front court to replace.
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
I'd guess the likelihood of returning is
Frye
Amare
Lou
in that order. Frye just compliments Lopez so well in terms of matchup probs for the other team.
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.
With the players they’re getting, I think the Suns might become a team that plays strong defense but is weaker offensively. The problem with Lou Amundson, these draft picks brought in to replace him, and Earl Clark, and to a lesser extent Grant Hill—is that they play defense but don’t score nearly as much as Stoudemire. He’s more offensively potent than all of them put together. If he leaves, the entire frontcourt will be offensively challenged. If Frye and Stoudemire both leave, Robin Lopez would suddenly become the highest-scoring big man.
the thing the draft has shown is that Amar’e will return (drafting 2 defensive minded, PFs, when they know they would need scoring if he was to leave), and Jones/Lawal will back him up, LB will be traded for an SG/SF (may be Brewer) or cap space, leading to Dudley sliding to the 2-guard position, Hill holds his position with several experimentations as regards his backup till Clark get ready (he will get time though during that process). The PG has its 48 minutes used up, though expect another point guard (Reynolds or a veteran as insurance).
Our team next season:
PG= Nash/Dragic
SG= JRich/Dudley(/Brewer)
SF= Hill/(Brewer or experiments/)Clark
PF= Amar’e,Jones/Lawal/Collins
C= Lopez/Frye
Frye gets the money saved on LB and the extra (if any) is used on signing rookies. Bye bye JCollins, TGfirff and Lou (will miss you), but there’s only room for 15 players MAX
People love the Dunk, but i'll rather see a skillful athletic shot, a super 3-pointer from another area code or seeing players get Dragic-ed
by jatrex4suns on Jun 28, 2010 7:55 AM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
Sottie Reynolds
I like Torrance better
Timon: Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase
Pumbaa: Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze
Timon: It means no worries for the rest of your days
Timon: It's our problem-free philosophy
Both: Hakuna Matata!
The Lion King (1994)
A
Great energy off the beach and great defense. Please keep Lou!
AND WHO THE HELL VOTED F?!?!?!?
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
TURRIBLE!
One grade less than Frye
Lou was great, but not as effective, or as big a surpise, or as unique, as Frye.
Take that back!
:0
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
TURRIBLE!
I agree with you
Love Amundson, but you can replace a hard-working PF who rebounds, plays D and hustles, yet has no offensive game beyond dunks and layups when he receives a pass under the basket or gets a put-back, easier than you can replace a 3-point shooting center. And, Amundson was scary bad at the FT line. Amundson in 2010 playoffs: 2.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 43% FT shooting vs. Frye’s 8.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 94% FT shooting.
by East Bay Ray on Jun 27, 2010 7:32 PM MDT up reply actions
You forgot something
Amundson in 2010 Playoffs: 12.1 MPG vs. Frye’s 27 MPG, that’s more than double the playing time Amundson had, if Amundson played just 24.2 MPG he would have 5.8 PPG, and 7 RPG.
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
TURRIBLE!
No, I didn't forget that
But there is a reason Gentry didn’t put Amundson on the floor more. His offensive game is extremely limited. +5.12 when he’s on the floor vs, +10.81 when Frye was on the floor in the playoffs. As I said before, you can find another Amundson before you find another Frye.
by East Bay Ray on Jun 27, 2010 9:32 PM MDT up reply actions
You do have a point there, but I’d rather replace Frye with a SG that can shoot the 3 and defend and go and get a big man that will bang in the paint.
Mehmet Okur, Raef LaFrentz, Matt Bonner, Rasheed Wallace , Ryan Anderson, Andrea Bargnani, and Kevin Love
are all big men who can shoot the three, just like Frye. I don’t know, I prefer Lou over Frye.
Defense > Three pointers
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
TURRIBLE!
well...
Okur makes 9 million
LaFrentz is out of the league – has been for yrs.
Bonner sucks otherwise, much much worse than Frye
Wallace just retired after making something like 25% of this 3s this year
Anderson, Bargnani and Love would be great, but are unavailable
Not one of those you mentioned is a viable candidate to replace Frye
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'm not saying they could replace Frye,
I was using them as an example of Big Men who shoot the three, there are others out there, but I would much rather have a low post and defensive PF than Frye.
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
TURRIBLE!
but those low-post guys
don’t spread the floor and make it almost impossible to stop the Suns.
remember Shaq?
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.
You gotta love Lou's hustle.
We all know he’s a younger version of Chris Andersen minus the idiotic notion that he could do well in a dunk contest. When I saw Lou swat both Bynum and Gasol in the 3rd regular season matchup between the Lakers and Suns, I knew we had someone special. Offensively, he could improve. He’s only 27.
I think he and Robin can both work on their post moves together and be a potent defensive duo with a good amount of offense. Hell, he can also work on his FT shooting. Grant helped Shaq with his FT shooting and Shaq managed to go from .500 to around .625 or something during one stretch of the 08-09 season. At least Lou is willing to improve and change, unlike the Big Empty Diesel.
In Nash I Trust! Steve Nash DOES play defense, foo!
Remember all his feeds and alley-oops from Goran Dragic? Dragon and Lou have the potential to be the next Nash+Amar’e duo. Laugh now, but it can happen.
I know, I doubt it too.
It took a near career-ending injury for STAT to master the midranger jumper.
Let’s just hope Lou doesn’t need something that drastic to happen for him to improve his jumpshot and FTs
In Nash I Trust! Steve Nash DOES play defense, foo!
That alley-oop from Goran to Lou will be missed.
Lou constantly gives Goran a single assist from that move and also that drive-dish move from Goran to Lou who’s waiting at the weak side for a quick layup or dunk.
Timon: Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase
Pumbaa: Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze
Timon: It means no worries for the rest of your days
Timon: It's our problem-free philosophy
Both: Hakuna Matata!
The Lion King (1994)
Dragic/Lou can never equate Nash & STAT
simply because those are extremely talented and special players….(Nash & STAT had more skills as rookies than these two do right now…) That combo ranks up there with the Stockton to Malone combination…
While Dragic may eventually reeach Nash’s level of skill, Lou simply is running out of time…He doesn’t have STAT’s FT%, his body control, his ability to take contact & finish in traffic or his ability to step out from 10-15 feet…
"The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can and slap the crap out of him before he figures out you are there...."
- me into a mental stupor after forgetting the rest of Ulysses S. Grant's speech....
Nice article mate. You summed up Lou perfectly.
He’s the guy that every team needs. no ego, no ‘me’, he is entirely dedicated to helping in any way he possibly can. At times, when J-Dud couldn’t get his game up to the levels we’ve come to know, Lou did.
With my heart, I want him in Phoenix for life.
With my head, I know that players like Lou are more common to come by than players like Channing and so Lou is ‘expendable’.
What we do know so far is that with Robert Sarver still the owner, anything is possible. So I’ll be expecting a max contract going Lou’s way anytime soon…..
God created the earth in 7 days. If Lou Amundson had been doing it, he would have completed it in 4 and then had sex with Eve for the remaining 3.
And STAT get offered 2 years @ 10 million per...
joking….
"The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can and slap the crap out of him before he figures out you are there...."
- me into a mental stupor after forgetting the rest of Ulysses S. Grant's speech....
I think that could be pretty close.
"I don't lift weights because they are heavy, and I don't run because it makes me tired." - Charles Barkley
TURRIBLE!
His shooting is improving
Lou upped his FT shooting by 10% last offseason. He also added about 6 feet to his range on that jumper, and fundamentally changed the mechanics of that ugly shot for the better.
Keep him around. The kid works, and he keeps getting better.
by jc79 on Jun 27, 2010 4:10 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs
I wish I could give him a higher grade than just an A.
His only impact was positive. And for what he got paid, and what he contributed, well, you can’t do much better than that.
Auntie Em: Hate you, hate Kansas, taking the dog.
Dorothy
I wish you had +/- for the grades...
I would say A- but I have no other recourse than “A”…
Would love to keep him for about 2 million a year…
"The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can and slap the crap out of him before he figures out you are there...."
- me into a mental stupor after forgetting the rest of Ulysses S. Grant's speech....
I fear it will be a lot higher
someone will offer him the full mid-level. Suns will have a approximate that or beat it.
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.
He simply isn't worth that kind of money..Better to toss it at some hungry youngsters..
and see what they can do…
"The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can and slap the crap out of him before he figures out you are there...."
- me into a mental stupor after forgetting the rest of Ulysses S. Grant's speech....
Lou
I have made up my mind that it would be better if we let Amare walk if he wants more money then offered and resign Lou,Frye and put Frye at the PF spot starting and Lou back up PF and have our draft picks along with the rest of the team together and the PF’s we have will pick up the slack from Amare leaving and it would also give them more minutes to grow as players faster then if Amare stayed. GO SUNS
RESIGN
Resign Lou,Frye and then Lawal, Collins will pickup the slack from Amare leaving, all by committee and sign one free agent center to back up Lopez.
Collins?
It would be a big surprise if Collins was back. Lawal is a rookie and won’t play very much. Hopefully our rookie from last year, Earl Clark, will get to play and contribute.
He's talking about our 60th pick.
The rookie Collins.
In Nash I Trust! Steve Nash DOES play defense, foo!
Lol, Jarron Collins.
Timon: Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase
Pumbaa: Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze
Timon: It means no worries for the rest of your days
Timon: It's our problem-free philosophy
Both: Hakuna Matata!
The Lion King (1994)
His hustle and poor free throw shooting can be easily replaced by several dozen other players
A’s and B’s are reserved for players who contribute in their own, individual ways. Channing Frye opened things up for everyone else by shooting 3’s at a great clip. Jared Dudley was a league-leader in 3-pt percentage and played fantastic defense. etc.
Louis Amundson gave us hustle and some rebounds. Any d-leaguer could have been called up and given us the exact some contributions.
C
So that's wahy Dwayne Jones got so much playing time?
Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx
by Wil Cantrell on Jun 27, 2010 10:27 PM MDT up reply actions
Lou will get a contract similair to what Bidman got…. 2 – 4mil a year on a long contract. Im not sure this will be with the Suns though, i think if Earl Clark has shown improvement, they will let earl play those 10-15 mins and let lou go. You guys agree?
I thinkl if lou leaves then erl will get those 10-15 minutes and we also start cutting back grant's minutes because clark needs room to grow; I have a lot of faith invested in clark
Between lou, amar’e, and frye I say let lou go, trade barbosa for nothing and have clark play back-up sf and have lawal play pf and have channing play backup C; then give Dwayne collins sporadic minutes at the C or pf; meanwhile let go of jones and jarron collins and have a 12 man roster completed with taylor griffin,
Draft Day 2009: I was in a Detroit theater about to watch the Hangover when my cousin texted me telling me who the Suns had drafted. I texted him back asking him who the F*ck that was. I shed a tear and told myself: The Suns are going to suck next year and Amar'e is going to be traded and my life ruined. 12 Months later to the day I am looking back at the Suns incredible playoff run to the Western Conference Finals.
You're tellin me!
I’ve been Earl Clark’s cheerleader for so long that I almost feel personally invested at this point. I was one of the main people saying that we SHOULD draft Earl with our #14th pick last year, and was absolutely thrilled when we actually did!
I was a fan of his game in college, and was convinced he wasjust the type of player we needed at the 3. Even after a lackluster start, I still fully believe he is our long term answer at SF.
I also hate to see Lou go, and I REALLY, REALLY wish there was a way I could see our organization justifying keeping him around. If Amare ends up leaving, then that will increase his chances of staying exponentially. But baring that, with Earl likely to eat up a good portion of his minutes next year, and even possibly Lawal and or Collins getting in there to some degree, I just don’t see how it’s possible.
That said, I will be thrilled if we end up keeping Amare, Frye, and Lou on our roster for next season.
A solid A.
Lou introduced hustle before we even knew what that was. Our idea of hustle as Phoenix Suns fans was going after a defensive rebound and a put back. Going after loose balls, meh, going after out of bounds balls, meh. But Lou showed what real hustle is, never give up against all odds.
I truly do want Lou to get paid for what he is worth, and he isnt getting that with the Suns. Please let me be wrong, I want Lou to play with Phoenix so much.
Slumdog Millionaire without the million.
A for me
I wish Sarver would make it a priority to sign him first before Amare. Lou played for two straight years underpaid, constantly brought the hustle with him, never bitched about playing time or how much he’s worth. I hope Sarver would show some loyalty to a player like Lou and offer him at least a couple of millions.
By the way, to those who voted F, I hope you die-slowly.
Timon: Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase
Pumbaa: Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze
Timon: It means no worries for the rest of your days
Timon: It's our problem-free philosophy
Both: Hakuna Matata!
The Lion King (1994)
B+
I gave Lou an A, but in all honesty, he deserves a B+. Despite his tenacious “D” and garbage time plays, you must be able to at least hit a free throw. I can ignore every other offensive deficiency he has, but not the charity stripe. If he can make is free-throws when it matters, then I’d definitely give him an A.
Are you grading on his "development" or on actual contribution?
I mean, there’s the kid in class who starts near the bottom, works his rear off, learns a ton, improves his lot, but he’s still just not as smart at the smart kids. Going by that scale, Lou gets an A.
However, I can shoot poorly from the charity stripe, try to catch passes with my nose instead of my hands and “hustle.” And, in class, I still can’t figure out vector calculus. I worked my rear end off for a C (to the detriment of other courses) and realized I better change my major.
Mmmmm ... Guinness
And I hope he gets a nice contract, but it can't be in Phoenix
I hope he gets a four-year deal, making more than the league minimum. I’d like to see him with an 8 or 10 million dollar contract. I just don’t think that’s money well spent for Phoenix.
Mmmmm ... Guinness
A!!!
He sets a pick like a steel bar; he chops away amidst the tall timber under the hoop, grabbing more rebounds during a timeout than Amar’e gets in a half; he has more FloorBurns per min than anyone else in the league; he picks his spots on offense, while the Blur and the Dragon swoop and circle through the lane, throwing down jams while being ignored. Did you notice he was developing a little ‘timmay’ bank shot toward the end of the season? He and Fropez could definitely shut down the lane together, rattling some teeth, or busting some doors.
No A+, though. I mean, c’mon, dude, you gotta shoot better than the opposite of Nash at the FT line!!
by SteveNash, QuantumPhysicist on Jun 28, 2010 12:52 PM MDT reply actions
Word
WE NEED LOU!
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."
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