Phoenix Suns with Amare? A serious threat?

[Guest_Randy]

Phoenix has the 4th best team in the league (4th with a 71 percent winning percentage) and they have been without their best player all season.  The Suns have a better perimeter defense this year, they added a better post defender (Thomas as opposed to Hunter) and I think they are a better all around team than they were last year.  

Now, with the 4th best record in the NBA (3rd best in the West), Amare has been cleared to begin practicing and join his team -- assuming that he can pick up where he left off last year -- how far and how good can the Suns become?

They already have the best PG in the league.  Thomas gives them post defense and rebounding and they have shooters that can space the floor.

[westkoast]

I thought they were a  threat last year so I do not see why this year would be any different.  If Amare can run and dunk then Nash will get him back into the offense quickly.  That is the beauty of having a point guard who can make things happen so easily for his teammates.

Amare is fresh and rust seems to come off real quick when your PG is giving you beautiful bounce passes for layups.  I expect them to really give SA a run for their money this year.

[Lurker]

Biggest question has to be chemistry.  How will the players who have gotten minutes react to playing a reduced role?  How will dumping the ball into the post effect the free flowing open game?  IMO the Suns have been even more run & gun this year without a post presence.  How will the outside shooters react to less touches?

Still a dangerous team but they will be changing what has got them to this point.  What type of effect that change will have and can they work out any problems before the playoffs are the key.  Having the easy bracket in the playoffs should help them make it to the conference finals.

[westkoast]

Biggest question has to be chemistry.  How will the players who have gotten minutes react to playing a reduced role?  How will dumping the ball into the post effect the free flowing open game?  IMO the Suns have been even more run & gun this year without a post presence.  How will the outside shooters react to less touches?

 

Alot of Amare's points coming in the paint were from pick and roll type dishes from Nash so its not so much dump to the paint and stand around type basketball.  Amare is not a great back to the basket player at this point in his career so I don't think it slows down the offense as much as other teams who let their big men pound with their back to the basket.

The shooters are going to react like  :eek2:  once they see all the extra space they have to shoot the ball now that teams are going to have to deal with Amare in the middle.

One thing the Suns have missed with Amare being gone is a player who can alter shots because of how quick he can get up off the ground.  We will see if that same spring is there after the injury.  He is young so I would imagine its still there somewhat  :up:  

[Reality]

Of course they are a threat.  Just because Spurs rolled them 4-1 last year does not mean it was easy.  Those were great games and most came down to the last part of the 4th.

The easy Phx bracket as Lurker mentioned should put Phx in the WCFs.

D Antoni is a good coach.  I would look for the Amare blend to work out fine.

[Guest]

Of course they are a threat. Just because Spurs rolled them 4-1 last year does not mean it was easy. Those were great games and most came down to the last part of the 4th.

You have to wonder if a healthy JJ makes a difference in that series -- he definately is twice the player that Richardson is.  

As for the Suns, I think they are a MUCH better team than they were last year -- I think they are better defensively in the backcourt, I think they improved their post defensive by lightyears just by adding Kurt Thomas.  I think it will be a better series than it was last year -- and if TD isn't healthy?   :rolleyes:  

[Laker Fan]

Personally I see no negative effects from Amare's return, indeed, the Suns are probably chomping at the bit to start taking advantage of a siginifcant post presense, one their opponents must respect If the transition into more half court sets is smooth and is accomplished by the end of the regular season, this team should be lethal in the playoffs, where the action slows down anyway and where you must have a post threat or you go home. Amare is that serious post threat, not a back to the basket type as 'Koast pointed out but more a motion threat coming off screens, give and go's, and Nash's spectacular passing ability. None of this really should affect the freeflowing offense the Suns run very much anyway.

Additionally, Phoenix really seems to buy into the team concept, not a lot of ego's there to disrupt chemistry, sort of like the Spurs. I think they all realize if they are to get deep into the playoffs, they need Amare back and contributing, I also think they are all perfectly OK with that.

Look out San Antonio, these guys could clock you if the above scenario's play out and you don't take them seriously, I know the Mavs don't have enough to match up with them.

[Skandery]

Personally I see no negative effects from Amare's return, indeed, the Suns are probably chomping at the bit to start taking advantage of a siginifcant post presense

I don't know if I'd go that far, LFD.  While it's apparent that Amare is one of the exciting young players today and no doubt a huge piece of the Suns run to the WCF last year.  I don't know that there will be NO negative effects.  As a big man, Amare's game is very conducive to the run-n-gun style of play the Sun's run anyway (especially when Kurt Thomas sat the bench), and in that respect maybe the Kurt Thomas injury is a blessing in disguise.  

That being said, lets not forget that Amare commanded 16 attempts per game for this team last year.  16 attempts that will taken away from Marion, Bell, and Diaw.  How well does Marion adjust not being the primary pick and roll option?  When Nash sits the bench, D'Antoni has run the offense through Diaw, a role that Diaw has embraced whole-heartedly.  Does that dynamic change when Amare comes back?  If so, will the effectiveness of Diaw wane?  Since he is not a conventional back to the basket post big man, is his presence really a boon to shooters: James Jones, Eddie House, and Raja Bell?  And, of course, the biggest question of all remains, what kind of game shape is Amare really in.  If he is sluggish, or playing at 75%, does Phoenix risk losing its breakneck pace and limp into the playoffs to work Amare back?  

My personal opinion is that this team has integrated disparate parts and pieces seamlessly over the last two years (see Jim Jackson signing mid-season last year) and there is no reason why Amare, their franchise player, should be any different.  However, there are pitfalls for Phoenix to overcome.        

[Reality]

How well does Marion adjust not being the primary pick and roll option?

If anyone will be a crybaby in this, it will be Marion.

He was owned in last years series vs Spurs.

Yet this year he spouts off in article how "no one can do what he does".  Thread started by you (i think).

[westkoast]

How well does Marion adjust not being the primary pick and roll option?

If anyone will be a crybaby in this, it will be Marion.

He was owned in last years series vs Spurs.

Yet this year he spouts off in article how "no one can do what he does".  Thread started by you (i think).

Just about anyone who can dunk can do what he does if they had Steve Nash on their team.  Nash sets the pass up so perfect that the defenders are already out of the way, jump and slam.  Not rocket science when you have a passer as talented as Steve Nash.

As far as where Amare is at, he was ahead of schudele for his rehabilitation...so I am hoping that he is a little further along in that department by now.

[Laker Fan]

Since he is not a conventional back to the basket post big man, is his presence really a boon to shooters: James Jones, Eddie House, and Raja Bell?

My personal opinion is that this team has integrated disparate parts and pieces seamlessly over the last two years (see Jim Jackson signing mid-season last year) and there is no reason why Amare, their franchise player, should be any different.  However, there are pitfalls for Phoenix to overcome.

How this is accomplished is by virtue of the fact that defenses still have to account for him and double team him to keep Phoenix from eating them alive on pick and rolls, the Jazz used to do the same thing with Malone and when teams started playing off the screen Hornicek and Stockton would burn them.

I guess maybe I over generalized and if you want to point to a potential fly in the chemistry ointment, I would say Marion is the likely candidate, but really, is losing 16 attempts a game going to take that much away from Marion and Bell? Especially when it really is only 9 attempts a game given Thomas was averaging 7 attempts a game.

Of course there will be some adjustments that need to be made, but it's not like Amare doesn't play a similar style offense to what Phoenix already runs so I think the adjustments will be negligable and be more than offset by the benefits. Besides, I'd take Amare's 26 PPG, .511 FG% and 8.9 RPG over Kurt's 8.6 PPG, .486 FG% and 7.8 RPG any day.