By Steve Kerr, Yahoo! Sports
October 3, 2006
TREVISO, Italy – The Phoenix Suns have been one of the most consistent franchises in NBA history. Only 12 times in their 38-year existence have they missed the playoffs, and their .551 winning percentage ranks fourth in league annals (among current franchises) behind only the Celtics, Lakers and Spurs. They've also enjoyed a host of exciting all-star players (Paul Westphal, Kevin Johnson, Charles Barkley, Tom Chambers, Walter Davis, etc.) who have helped establish a rich basketball tradition in the Valley of the Sun.
But despite their sustained excellence, the Suns have failed to accomplish the only goal that truly matters – winning a championship.
The man who was there from the beginning and has been the architect of the Phoenix franchise – Jerry Colangelo – once famously summed up his teams' near greatness by saying, "We're 21 feet away from being the Lakers – Wilt, Kareem and Shaq." Indeed, NBA championships have been dominated by superstars – usually intimidating centers – and while the Suns have had their share of stars, they have never had a truly dominating big man.
The question now, as the Suns conduct training camp here in northern Italy, is whether or not Amare Stoudemire can return from microfracture surgery in his left knee (and a year-long absence) to fill that role. Can he be the missing piece – the imposing inside presence – that carries this exciting, up-tempo club to a title?
The last time Stoudemire was on the floor in a contest that mattered – other than a quick, three-game failed experiment last March – was during Phoenix's five-game series loss to the Spurs in the 2005 Western Conference finals. Stoudemire used his ridiculous athleticism to average 37 points per game against Tim Duncan and the NBA's stingiest defense, and his future looked limitless. But then came the injury just before the start of last season and Stoudemire spent the past year rehabilitating.
Without him, the Suns made a remarkable run back to the West finals, ultimately losing to Dallas in six games. They begin this season's quest with a deep roster, and even though it remains to be seen if Stoudemire can rediscover his game and fit in smoothly, his comeback – combined with the return of last year's key players (Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, and Boris Diaw) – has made Phoenix a popular pick to win the NBA title next June. But there are several issues for Stoudemire and the Suns to overcome.
The injury – Many players have undergone microfracture knee surgery, and only a few have made successful returns. Allan Houston, Penny Hardaway and Chris Webber were never the same after the procedure, having lost their explosiveness and confidence. Jason Kidd, however, has made a full recovery in the past year. Kidd, who has counseled Stoudemire on what to expect during his comeback, offers hope. The fact that Houston, Hardaway and Webber were all in the latter stages of their careers at the time of their surgeries makes Stoudemire's case more hopeful. At just 23 years old (he turns 24 in November), Stoudemire should recover more quickly from the injury and regain his explosiveness.
The comeback – While Stoudemire's youth may serve him well physically, it may hinder him mentally. Having come straight out of high school to the NBA just 4 years ago, Stoudemire lacks life experience and maturity. Coming back from an injury like this one requires perseverance and patience – not exactly character traits of the young. Inevitably, Stoudemire will have rust and he'll have some rough moments. A player with more experience might be more able to weather the storm of frustration. Stoudemire needs to lower his expectations and continue down a patient path. Is he capable of doing so?
His game – Stoudemire is not Duncan. He doesn't post up on the low block and use footwork and fundamentals to outmaneuver his opponent. He jumps over people and dunks on them, and he runs past them. In other words, he simply relies on his athleticism to succeed. What if it's not there right away? Can Stoudemire adjust? The right thing for him to do is to concentrate on rebounding and defense and to let his offense come later. But that's not his game. He's not a particularly good rebounder or defender. He'll want to score right away, and if he's not able to, frustration may set in.
His team – Last season, the Suns won 54 games and made the conference finals without Stoudemire. They did it by becoming the best passing team in the league. The ball hummed around the perimeter, with the pass-first Diaw stepping into Stoudemire's role at the high post and playing an unselfish style that energized his teammates. The team knows it can win without Stoudemire, and Amare knows that, too. He was humbled by the team's success without him. If things go south, Stoudemire will feel the pressure and some blame. Both he and the team will have to fight through the inevitable adversity and stay united.
The rotation – One of the things coach Mike D'Antoni and his staff will have to figure out is whether or not Stoudemire and Diaw can play together. Will the ball stop once it hits Amare's hands, or will he move it along? And when he does have the ball, will opponents sag off of Diaw, who is a decent shooter but not a great one? If so, the Suns won't be able to spread the floor with their three-point shooters, a staple under D'Antoni. As for Marion, he has been most successful under D'Antoni as an undersized power forward. Assuming Stoudemire and Diaw play alongside him, Marion will become a small forward, where his quickness is not quite as big of an advantage. In other words, while D'Antoni has plenty of options, he also has plenty of issues.
Stoudemire has been hampered by several setbacks during his rehabilitation, but so far in camp, he has looked relatively good. His sculpted body shows no evidence of a long layoff, although his lack of conditioning does. He appears to get winded very quickly, particularly with D'Antoni's drills all focusing on quick transitions and fast-paced offense.
Amare isn't running the floor like he can, perhaps because he isn't yet trusting his knee. In an intrasquad scrimmage on Tuesday night, Stoudemire showed flashes of brilliance, catching a lob for a huge dunk, hammering home an offensive putback and knocking down several long-range jump shots, but he clearly isn't himself yet. It will take him some time to adjust to the speed of the game, particularly the way the Suns play it.
For him to be effective, Stoudemire needs to run the floor like he did two seasons ago and play with great activity. Four days into camp, he's not doing that. In fact, if the season started today, Stoudemire wouldn't even be in the starting lineup. D'Antoni has made it clear that it's up to Amare to earn his position, and for that to happen, he'll have to make dramatic improvement in the next few weeks.
Still, there is plenty of reason for optimism – not only for Stoudemire but also for the Suns. This is a much deeper team than last season's squad, allowing Stoudemire to ease his way back in. The hope is that he can work his way back into form by January, and if he achieves that goal, it will give the rest of the NBA one more weapon to worry about when facing the Suns.
And if Stoudemire fully recovers to his once explosive self? Well, the Suns just might finally have that dominating big man – and the championship trophy – that has eluded them for 38 years. Steve Kerr is Yahoo! Sports' NBA analyst. Send Steve a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast. Updated on Tuesday, Oct 3, 2006 10:34 pm, EDT Email to a Friend | View Popular
|
