Amare: "I've got to learn how to play all out for 48 minutes.."

[Covert Rain]

I am not so sure you can call Raja a good defender this year.

He has been spotty but he has been good at times as well. Not as consistent but still better then many other shooting guards I see on any given night. So even if you count before this year, since D'Antoni has been here the overall argument still applies.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

He has been spotty but he has been good at times as well. Not as consistent but still better then many other shooting guards I see on any given night. So even if you count before this year, since D'Antoni has been here the overall argument still applies.

We were better defensively even last year. We always had opponents in low shooting percentages. This year we are giving up some many offensive rebounds it quite difficult to not shoot around 45% against us.

 

[BC867]

Between his careless fouls and his knees, is there any question that Amare is holding back from what we saw early in his career?

Unfortunately, neither his maturing nor broadening his game make up for it.

And we're not seeing the super-stardom, or even star consistency we expected of him.

He could have eventually challenged Elgin Baylor, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and Tim Duncan as the best Power Forward of all time.

Instead he's being played as a tweener by a coach following the Suns long tradition of using Power Forwards covering Center.

Bad for Amare's health, bad for his stats and bad for the team's Championship hopes.

 

[Covert Rain]

We were better defensively even last year. We always had opponents in low shooting percentages. This year we are giving up some many offensive rebounds it quite difficult to not shoot around 45% against us.

We are down basically 1% (worse) in FG% defense from last year and 1% (worse) in 3 Point FG% defense from last year. That's not a dramatic difference even though obviously worse.

However, what's odd is that we are ahead of the pace in both blocks and steals at this point in the season and are also near the top in taking charges again. So despite improvements in some defensive categories from last year we are still worse. Doesn't that smack of coaching? That tells me that you have some horses who can do the work, they just need to be put in a position to succeed.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Oh I agree it is coaching. Part of the reason we give up so many offensive rebounds is that our forwards and guards are taught to try to run out for a fast break instead of crashing the boards.

D'Antoni's system would be great if we had better 3 pt shooters. It has proven it can succeed at the highest of levels. However, we aren't the 3 pt shooting team we once were.

If only Mike Miller could somehow find his way to the Suns

 

[Proteus]

We are down basically 1% (worse) in FG% defense from last year and 1% (worse) in 3 Point FG% defense from last year. That's not a dramatic difference even though obviously worse.

However, what's odd is that we are ahead of the pace in both blocks and steals at this point in the season and are also near the top in taking charges again. So despite improvements in some defensive categories from last year we are still worse. Doesn't that smack of coaching? That tells me that you have some horses who can do the work, they just need to be put in a position to succeed.

It may not be a big difference percentage-wise but in terms of ranking it is. We were 14th in opposing team's field goal % last season, but 24th this season. We're actually slightly better ranking-wise in 3 point defense from 22nd last season to 20th this season though.

 

[Joe Mama]

For the life of me I can't figure out how anyone who has watched Amare Stoudemire during the last several years and especially this year and come away and not question his effort on defense/rebounding. I've never agreed with the idea that he had improved at either.

Joe

 

[Nasser22]

I think it's obvious it's improved, but yes the lack of effort is very visible, especially this year. Did no one see the flashes of the old Amare during the last half of the 4th quarter vs. Dallas? He ALWAYS needs to play like that.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Nobody is asking Amare to be a stopper or to totally devote all of his energy to defense. He just has to be competent/decent at rebounding and defense, and he has along way to go. Defense and rebounding are also the most effort dependent skills in basketball.

 

[dodie53]

just play D Amare..

 

[The_Matrix]

[

Hopefully he says screw you I am the beast I need to have the ball.

Amare is never going to be what you all want, a player that refuses to score and focuses on defense entirely.

We don't want Ben Wallace. We do want Kevin Garnett. We do want Tim Duncan. "Screw you I am the beast?" OK that's tolerable, Kobe rides that theory to success, AI also... But to do that you'd better be the best player on the floor, 45 minutes a night. Where's "screw you" when Amare's on the bench with two quick fouls and the Mavs are building a SEVENTEEN point first quarter lead? Where's "screw you" when you feed the ball to Amare in the post and he bulls over Stackhouse, committing an offensive foul because he doesn't have a hook shot? How can you even say "screw you" when most of your scoring starts with a spectacular Steve Nash pass? (Anybody remember consequtive behind the back passes, Game 4 vs Spurs?)

So the facts are: First, Amare's foul problems mean he's not qualified to say "screw you." Anybody find it laughable that STAT stands for 30 mpg while old man Nash Rambles on for 35 mpg? Second, what offense Amare does contribute is usually generated by Nash. Who's the beast here?

[

The team gets all pissy when Amare becomes assertive offensively because it cuts into their precious threes and I think it's the largest barrier for him by far.

What do Garnett and Duncan do? They make their teammates better, as in 4.5 and 3.2 assists per game respectively. Teammates don't get pissed at KG/TD. That because when real leaders are "assertive offensively" they'll still trust their teammates and pass the ball if it's the RIGHT BASKETBALL PLAY. Why do the Spurs shoot such a high 3pt%? Cause Tony/Manu/Bruce/Brent/Finley KNOW Duncan will kick it out to them in the right situations. Why do the Suns shoot such a high 3pt%? I'll give you a hint, it's probably due to Nash's 12 apg, not Amare's 1 apg. "THE TEAM GETS ALL PISSY" You're damn right they do because unless you shoot 90% from the field you should probably average more than one assist per game. So passing to teammates is Amare's "largest barrier"? Maybe Amare should quit the NBA and play 2v2 tourneys with Nash, "White Men Can't Jump" style. Will you then confirm that Amare Stoudemire has overcome his "largest barrier"?


[

I was in attack mode the whole time (in the fourth quarter).
This says to me Amare going to be more assertive on offense and defense. I expect to see Amare take over more often and I for one say thank God. F Marion if he wants to pad his stats on easy rebounds, F Raja and Barbosa who want to jack up 50 jumpers each per game, F Mke n' Dantonis philoposhy of kick outs and threes. This team needs an assertive selfish player who can carry the team.

What kind of Suns fan says something like this? "F" to our PF, SG, Sixth man and coach? You want "an assertive selfish player who can carry the team." You realize we already have an ASSERTIVE, UNSELFISH PLAYER who carries this team? His name is Steve Nash and he's won two MVPs. You know who's the best ASSERTIVE, SELFISH PLAYER in the entire world? Kobe Bean Bryant. So you want Kobe leading this team?

Oh and you know what they call an assertive, selfish player who says "screw you, I'm the beast" on offense but doesn't play hard enough on defense or for the full 48 minutes? Antoine Walker. Zach Randolph. Stephon Marbury. Really, you've set some high standards for Amare to aspire to.

 

[cly2tw]

Amare has not been healthy. But skill wise, his help defense is night and day compared to earlier. He has yet to learn to incorporate it as second-nature to properly box out on rebounds. In the 4th vs Mavs, he did everything right on the court. We lost a couple offensive rebounds because Marion was overzealous and fighted with Amare and Nash from behind.

And in general, the fact Amare had to help so much was evidence that our perimeter defense is poor. After rotating to help, normally another teammate should rotate into his position to lay a body on the free center of the other team. This apparently wasn't done properly either. So, the outcome always seems that Amare's man get too many off. rebounds and conclusion being Amare never improves on defense. That's a total mispercetion.

His health/energy has been down for the last 3-4 games. Evidence for that is that his midrange jumper has not been falling. Just like with Hill, energy and midrange jumper accuricy is perfectly correlated.

 

[The_Matrix]

He isn't saying he isn't playing hard for 48 minutes. This entire team lacks focus sometimes out on the court and I think Amare is saying it goes for him to.

START

Amare is saying it goes for him to.

it = lacks focus sometimes out on the court

Amare is saying he lacks focus on the court sometimes

playing hard for 48 minutes = focus on the court for 48 minutes
lacks focus sometimes out on the court = isn't playing hard for 48 minutes

Amare is saying he isn't playing hard for 48 minutes

FULL QUOTE

He isn't saying he isn't playing hard for 48 minutes. This entire team lacks focus sometimes out on the court and Amare is saying he isn't playing hard for 48 minutes.

 

[Covert Rain]

START


it = lacks focus sometimes out on the court



playing hard for 48 minutes = focus on the court for 48 minutes
lacks focus sometimes out on the court = isn't playing hard for 48 minutes



FULL QUOTE

Um....OK. Thanks for adding much to the topic. Sorry, had a few typos.

Playing hard does not equal focus.
Playing hard = Effort.
Focus = mental concentration needed to complete a task.

They are related but not the same thing. I have seen guys bust their butts off but when it comes to the little things in games they don't do very well (i.e. turnovers).

 

[btimsah]

Lurker here..

I think the reason he doesnt always play that hard is because of foul trouble. Only at the end, when he stops worrying about fouls (Too late to matter then..) does he let loose.

We need a better coach to teach him how to defend without fouling, and how to hypnotize the refs to stop calling those lame flops against him. I've never seen one player get called for charges when really the opponent flopped.

He almost needs to fake like he's gonna hit them and then don't. Watch em' fall to the floor like a boxer taking a phantom hit. Slam it home!