Interesting Comments

[cobbler]

A lot of people turning on Amare? Seems weird that just a few months ago we were talking about how we needed to "feed the beast" and give Amare more touches, and how Diaw should never see the ball, and now Diaw should get the ball, and Amare is a black hole.

I agree that Amare has a lot of shortcoming on defense and rebounding, and his overall attitude sucks right now, but it's just weird to see the change in perception.

I think Amares post series comments fueled a lot of this.

 

[Rab]

Diaw earned it. He was given a chance to play small forwards and he came through. Amare choked a few times. As far as I am concerned, Diaw earned more touches than Amare.

We were all calling for Diaw's head after Game 2. People's opinions change with the breeze. 2 effective games in the playoffs isn't enough for me to change my mind.

You really think Diaw over the course of an entire season at SF will be this effective? I don't. Running the offense through him takes Nash and Amare out of the game. Seems a little counterproductive to me.

 

[Rab]

I think Amares post series comments fueled a lot of this.

Amare has said a lot of dumb things in the past.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Amare has said a lot of dumb things in the past.

the difference is in the past, he raised his game in the playoffs, whereas this year, I saw none of that from him.

 

[Rab]

the difference is in the past, he raised his game in the playoffs, whereas this year, I saw none of that from him.

He averaged 33 ppg in the first 3 games I believe. When they started going through Diaw, both he and Nash dropped off the face of the earth.

 

[LV-Suns]

You really think Diaw over the course of an entire season at SF will be this effective? I don't. Running the offense through him takes Nash and Amare out of the game. Seems a little counterproductive to me.

We really need to work on that in the offseason. Diaw with Amare. There will be times when the ball will be taken out of Nash's hand in the future from now on. The ball has to go through Diaws hand that time. We cannot afford to make Amare a non-factor when Diaw is shining.

 

[SirStefan32]

We were all calling for Diaw's head after Game 2. People's opinions change with the breeze. 2 effective games in the playoffs aren't enough for me to change my mind.

You really think Diaw over the course of an entire season at SF will be this effective? I don't. Running the offense through him takes Nash and Amare out of the game. Seems a little counterproductive to me.

I don't the problem was that Amare and Nash didn't know what to do when everything was going through Diaw. This is a coaching issue. Once they get used to this, it will not only be fine, but it will be an essential set up for the Suns.

Diaw in the post is brilliant- he can score on most small forwards, and he can pass if doubled. If Amare is smart, he could benefit from this more than anyone else.

Don't get me wrong- I am not saying that Diaw is the man and that we need to go through him every time. I am just saying that Diaw needs to be a bigger part of suns offense. It doesn't really take anything away from Amare- Amare is a terrible post up player. Pick and roll and face the bucket and drive is Amare's bread and butter. They can both do their thing and they can both benefit from both sets.

 

[LV-Suns]

I don't the problem was that Amare and Nash didn't know what to do when everything was going through Diaw. This is a coaching issue. Once they get used to this, it will not only be fine, but it will be an essential set up for the Suns.

Diaw in the post is brilliant- he can score on most small forwards, and he can pass if doubled. If Amare is smart, he could benefit from this more than anyone else.

Don't get me wrong- I am not saying that Diaw is the man and that we need to go through him every time. I am just saying that Diaw needs to be a bigger part of suns offense. It doesn't really take anything away from Amare- Amare is a terrible post up player. Pick and roll and face the bucket and drive is Amare's bread and butter. They can both do their thing and they can both benefit from both sets.

 

[SirStefan32]

He averaged 33 ppg in the first 3 games I believe. When they started going through Diaw, both he and Nash dropped off the face of the earth.

That's a coaching issue. Suns haven't practiced that set. Once they figure out how to incorporate Amare and Nash in that set up, they will be fine. If you cut, Diaw will find you. He is happier with 10 assists than 30 points. I don't see any issues here. Amare just needs to learn that he needs to get himself in the lane and Diaw will find him.

 

[SirStefan32]

We really need to work on that in the offseason. Diaw with Amare. There will be times when the ball will be taken out of Nash's hand in the future from now on. The ball has to go through Diaws hand that time. We cannot afford to make Amare a non-factor when Diaw is shining.

Exactly. Also, this is going to be very important when Steve is out of the game.

 

[Rab]

I don't the problem was that Amare and Nash didn't know what to do when everything was going through Diaw. This is a coaching issue. Once they get used to this, it will not only be fine, but it will be an essential set up for the Suns.

Diaw in the post is brilliant- he can score on most small forwards, and he can pass if doubled. If Amare is smart, he could benefit from this more than anyone else.

Don't get me wrong- I am not saying that Diaw is the man and that we need to go through him every time. I am just saying that Diaw needs to be a bigger part of suns offense. It doesn't really take anything away from Amare- Amare is a terrible post up player. Pick and roll and face the bucket and drive is Amare's bread and butter. They can both do their thing and they can both benefit from both sets.

Diaw has the potential to be a good player in this league, but I question his desire to be. I don't know that I want to count on him in the future being a bigger part of the offense. I think he already was a big part of what we did, he just didn't do it well. Whether he was passing up open layups, or outhinking himself in the post, he has struggled. Even without Amare on the floor this season, he didn't instill much confidence in me. Maybe some coaching adjustments, and a full training camp practicing that change may do some good. I don't know, I just don't see it.

I don't know that Amare and Boris can co-exist together in the lineup together more. They never really have.

 

[nowagimp]

Are you opposed to seeing Amare traded for good pieces?

Put me down for that trade if the pieces are right. I was a big amare supporter, didnt want to trade him for KG even. Amare is so talented, and yet he's just not a smart basketball player. Smart basketball players win championships, not talented ones, because in the playoffs these guys are tested with defensive strategies that try to expose their weaknesses. Amares weaknesses are passing and recognizing the defense that is presented. When you double Tim Duncan, he will kill you with the pass to the open shooter. Double amare and he's gonna take the shot or try to go through the defense anyway. If he does pass it will be as an after thought(kind of like diaw does with the shot), and by that time the defense has closed his passing lanes. Frankly what Pops did with amare was pretty transparent to me. Was it brilliant? Nah, but he took advantage of amares "Im the man" psychology, his poor passing and his inability to read the defense. Im sure the scouting report was to keep the ball in amares hands as long as possible in the half court, because he's a poor decision maker. Pops strategy led to some easy baskets going the other way on many of amares team high 14 turnovers in the series. After being in the league for 6 years, I see no change in amares abilities as a passer or as a smart player over the last 3 years, he's hit a learning plateau. I was wrong, if the KG trade was really on the table, the suns should have pulled the trigger. To win a championship, smarts are needed and the coach cant make players think. No team is stronger than its weakest link, physically(nash), or mentally(amare). Any competent coach will attack the weakest link given the time to prepare(the playoffs).

 

[nowagimp]

I don't know that Amare and Boris can co-exist together in the lineup together more. They never really have.

this is starting to be a theme with amare, first he cant co-exist with JJ, then marion, now diaw. After a while, you have to ask: who is the problem? JJ seems fine in atl, he can coexist with josh smith and those guys. Marion seems an easy enough guy to coexist with, doesnt even get plays run for him. Diaw wants to pass, should be easy enough to coesist with a guy who drops dimes all the time. But amare seems to have a problem coexisting with anyone if he doesnt get his points. I can almost hear Pops laughing hard at the local pub thinking how he upended the fragile psyche of amare.

 

[LV-Suns]

He can so-exist with Diaw. But how is he supposed to play good when he clearly doesn't know Diaws game. That was the first time this year the ball went through Diaw. Coach DA never bothered to work on it during the regular season.

Its something they need to work on it in the offseason

 

[SirStefan32]

Diaw has the potential to be a good player in this league, but I question his desire to be. I don't know that I want to count on him in the future being a bigger part of the offense. I think he already was a big part of what we did, he just didn't do it well. Whether he was passing up open layups, or outhinking himself in the post, he has struggled. Even without Amare on the floor this season, he didn't instill much confidence in me. Maybe some coaching adjustments, and a full training camp practicing that change may do some good. I don't know, I just don't see it.

I don't know that Amare and Boris can co-exist together in the lineup together more. They never really have.

I see what you are saying, and a lot of it is valid. I would argue that Diaw has never played a small forward with Amare playing 4 before.
Amare should watch the tape of games 4 and 5 and just observe what Bell and Shaq did when Boris had the ball in the low post.

Boris is a pass-first player. Amare just needs to cut to the lane or get himself open on the weak side, much like Divac and Webber used to play in Sacramento.

The only way those two will not coexist is if Amare is a prick. Right now, he is being a prick. I do believe that he will realize that Diaw posting up will benefit the Suns as a team and Amare as a player.

Every player has strengths and weaknesses. Shaq is a low post player, always has been, always will be. He is no good to anybody around the free throw line. Amare is an outstanding pick and roll player and one of the best "face the defender and attack the rim" players. Diaw is a very talented small forward who has size advantage over just about every small forward in the league and might be the best small forward when it comes to posting up and passing.

Suns just need a coach to explain this to players and to make sure that Suns play to their advantage, meaning- you don't want Hill and Diaw at the three point line, you don't want Raja Bell in the post, you don't want Amare in the low post if he's being double and triple teamed, you don't want Shaq on the perimeter. If you want to win, you have to play in such a way as to maximize your advantages and minimize your disadvantages.

 

[SirStefan32]

this is starting to be a theme with amare, first he cant co-exist with JJ, then marion, now diaw. After a while, you have to ask: who is the problem? JJ seems fine in atl, he can coexist with josh smith and those guys. Marion seems an easy enough guy to coexist with, doesnt even get plays run for him. Diaw wants to pass, should be easy enough to coesist with a guy who drops dimes all the time. But amare seems to have a problem coexisting with anyone if he doesnt get his points. I can almost hear Pops laughing hard at the local pub thinking how he upended the fragile psyche of amare.

Exactly- you hit the nail on the head. If you can't coexist with Diaw, you can't coexist with anybody. If anything, Diaw's fault is that he is too unselfish. Amare needs to be really careful or he is going to end up being Stephon Marbury 2.0

 

[Bayless2Budinger]

"If you're going to play a certain way in the playoffs, you've got to play that way during the whole season," Stoudemire said. "I felt like we changed a little bit in the playoffs, tried to slow it down. If we were going to play that way, we should have played that way the whole season, that way we would have been prepared for the playoffs."

Wait so why are people harping on Amare for making this comment? He is 100% right.

Someone please explain what was wrong with this statement?

 

[Cheesebeef]

He averaged 33 ppg in the first 3 games I believe. When they started going through Diaw, both he and Nash dropped off the face of the earth.

this is EXACTLY what I'd expect Amare to say. Points, points, points, while having pathetic numbers rebounding in Games 1 and 2, not to mention his tortilla act points wise in game 2's second half. it's not all about points.

 

[nashman]

Not to mention we lost all the games where he scores alot, coincidence? Amare needs to shut his stupid mouth and either learn to play some D and play smart or I am all for trading his ass.

 

[SirStefan32]

Are you opposed to seeing Amare traded for good pieces?

Least year, I would have been opposed to trading Amare, but at this point I would welcome it. I am really beginning to question Amare's ability to be a part of a team and to win anything.

If Suns could find a way to get rid of Amare and aquire Dwight Howard, I would be the happiest person in the world. Problem is that Amare's "I'm the man" attitude along with his injury history makes him a difficult guy to trade.

 

[SirStefan32]

this is EXACTLY what I'd expect Amare to say. Points, points, points, while having pathetic numbers rebounding in Games 1 and 2, not to mention his tortilla act points wise in game 2's second half. it's not all about points.

To him it is all about points.

 

[nowagimp]

Wait so why are people harping on Amare for making this comment? He is 100% right.

Someone please explain what was wrong with this statement?

No amare is a fool, the playoffs are different and if he hasnt learned that by now, he's an idiot. Coaches cook up special defenses to take you out of what you are comfortable with, to make you go another way. You have to take what the defense gives, not just plow your way into the defense regardless. This statement shows that amare doesnt understand adjustments and strategy, not suprising at all actually. Welcome to playoff basketball amare, youre way over your head, the "cerebral weak link" of the team.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Diaw earned it. He was given a chance to play small forwards and he came through. Amare choked a few times. As far as I am concerned, Diaw earned more touches than Amare.

Fickle fans we are. Just a week ago, we (not me) were calling for Diaw to be castrated to show his true gender.

 

[nashman]

nowagimp thats the thing I think he is too stupid to even realize that. If we played that way all season they would have did something different. Thats the thing teams adjust to Amare becuase they know he's to dumb to figure it out.

 

[Bayless2Budinger]

No amare is a fool, the playoffs are different and if he hasnt learned that by now, he's an idiot. Coaches cook up special defenses to take you out of what you are comfortable with, to make you go another way. You have to take what the defense gives, not just plow your way into the defense regardless. This statement shows that amare doesnt understand adjustments and strategy, not suprising at all actually. Welcome to playoff basketball amare, youre way over your head, the "cerebral weak link" of the team.

The only fool here is you.

He obviously understands everything more than you. The adjustment we made on offense didnt work. I have no idea why people think it did.

In Game 1 we shot 50% from the field
In Game 2 we shot 46.3% from the field
In Game 3 we shot 48.4% from the field

Then we changed up our offense into something we had never did before. This wasnt just a minor adjustment. It was a huge adjustment and the WRONG one to make

In game 4 we shot 42.7% from the field
In game 5 we shot 41.9% from the field

So OBVIOUSLY our offense didnt get better, its our defense that got better. Changing our offense HURT this team big time especially since we didnt play like that all year long like Amare said.

What worked was our defensive strategy in game 4 and 5.