Amare Stoudemire

I really understand?

I think the single best example I can think of to illustrate this concept is Amare Stoudemire.  I have watched Amare on TV many times and been awed by his athletic prowess, but let me tell you, I had no idea just how much of a freak he was until I saw him live at the Rose Garden a few years ago. Luckily, this was back in the seven seconds or less days of the Suns when they were actually fun to watch and won games.  Reflecting on that game (I do believe that the Suns won in a shootout), here is what sticks out the most.  First off, Amare is giant, which can get lost on TV.  6'10" is a number, but to see him out there on the court gave me a whole new dimension of understanding about his freakish size.  Secondly, he was the fastest player on the court that night, regardless of position and/or size, and yes, you did just read that correctly.  Steve Nash didn't play that game, but somehow I don't think it would have mattered when it came to speed.  And I'm not just talking about end to end foot speed, either, but about his quickness and ability to move in spurts.  Amare has an extra gear, and when he's running on all cylinders, everyone else is moving in slow motion. 

Continue reading "Thanksgiving Send Off Spectacular"

Webster, Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal, Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, Tracy McGrady, Rashard Lewis, Amare Stoudemire, Monta Ellis or Al Jefferson fit in?  What about those guys with NBA ready bodies and/or minds?  Is it fair to keep them from something that they're obviously ready for just because some of their peers are not?  How can we really justify robbing those players (and many others) of several years (or potentially a lifetime, if a player gets hurt in college) of NBA salary?

Continue reading "Bull-Plop!"

If you don't know what the scoop is for today, I suggest you take a look at my first post from today (the one before this post about the Wizards/Cavs).  For anyone who says that San Antonio plays boring basketball, I refer you to this game.  The atmosphere is intense, and the level of play couldn't be higher.  It's overtime, Suns up by 3 butStoudemire has just fouled out.  San Antonio has the ball with 12.6 left on the clock, and after Phoenix blankets Manu Ginobili, he finds Tim Duncan who just drilled the game tying 3-pointer (his first of the season) with three seconds to go (Mike D'Antoni's  facial expression was priceless).  This season's NBA playoffs are already surpassing all expectations, as we are now headed to double overtime in just the second game (LeBron's throw-down in the first game was also unreal) of this year's playoffs.

Continue reading "Playoff Extravaganza Part Two: Suns v. Spurs"