<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Amar? Stoudemire found a wall for his back and put hands to knees. His first day of sprints exhausted him enough to joke about taking an elevator rather than a short flight of stairs. "I'm pretty fatigued," Stoudemire said. "Overall, I feel pretty good. There's still a little discomfort. I'm just seeing what it takes to get back to 100 percent." Those steps are coming rapidly this month. He took part in his first five-on-zero play Friday. He sprinted through five sets of three practice-floor round-trips Monday. He was tired but still dunked a ball for grins. Next week, Stoudemire could advance to one-on-one and two-on-two play with contact if another magnetic resonance imaging exam on his surgically repaired left knee shows no problems. "If you can do one-on-one and two-on-two, it's going to be really close," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "It'll depend on his physical condition as we go forward. We're probably looking at another month, and then he'll be ready to go."</div> Source
Glad to see Amare recovering after a serious injury. It's obvious the Suns don't need him in the regular season, but if he can come in during the playoffs and wreak some havoc, that could bolster their chances at winning.
True, but at the same time I think Amare needs to try and play some re gular season games as well so he is able to get back in the mix of the game. It would be very hard for him to make a comeback during playoff time, the game is at a much faster pace, and is a lot more intense. With that being said it is important for Amare to get as many regular season games under his belt as possible to prepare him for the playoffs.
Oh yeah, I agree with that. I was inferring that the Suns could slowly bring him back in the regular season, maybe off of the bench, and then a couple of the last games of the season, give him some heavy minutes so during the playoffs, he's got the pace back.
I don't understand why the Suns have not yet been mentioned as serious contenders for a championship in the national media yet this season. They are clearly a diverse, skilled, and experienced team. What they need most at this point is an inside presence who will not cramp their offensive style (Amare), and they are the complete package. So long as Amare realizes his shortcomings (rust, lack of chemistry with current group) come postseason time, he's going to make a huge splash, as is this team. A title isn't far out of reach, but no one's talking about it, why?
Personally, I think the Suns are going to the Finals against Detroit. They almost had San An last year, they can get 'em this year mainly if Amare fits back in. Phoenix is faring just fine right now, being 4th overall and top of their division. It's just that Amare needs to get back in the swing of things. The worst thing that could happen is that he comes back and things start going downhill. Otherwise, Phoenix is heading to the Finals. Phoenix isn't being thought of as a contender because they are being outshadowed by Detroit's top record, defending Champ's San Antonio, and Dallas' surprising season. Phoenix probably won't be thrown into the mix until Amare returns. Don't worry, they're not ignored.
