Amare a month away

There's an interview with Amare over at Suns.com: mms://phxsuns.wmod.llnwd.net/a205/o2/stoudemire_060213.wma

He says that he started sprinting today and he felt a little discomfort because he was fatigued, but that it's to be expected and he's going to continue doing sprints for the next few days. He plans on starting contact drills soon and if that goes well then he'll know that he's ready. He also said he's started dunking and he thinks he still has all of his explosiveness.

Now sprinting and even dunking the basketball, Amaré Stoudemire is in the home stretch of his rehabilitation from microfracture surgery.

If he remains on track, he could be ready for a full-speed practice with his Suns teammates within two weeks.

While the Suns returned to practice Monday after a light weekend, Stoudemire began the final noncontact week of rehab with half-court, full-speed sprints on the sidelines before shooting free throws, jumpers and even adding a dunk to end the day. Another MRI will follow, which if it is shown to be unremarkable, will clear him for one-on-one and two-on-two contact drills early next week.

“If he can do that — it’s close, it’s real close,” Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni said. “After that we’re talking about a full practice. We’ll let him go and see where he is.

“We’re probably looking at about another month and we’ll be ready to go.”

A month from today, the Suns will be in Seattle playing the Sonics. But the next night, March 15, Phoenix is home for a showdown against the second-place team in the Pacific Division, the Los Angeles Clippers — a game that could serve as a juicy target date for Stoudemire if all goes according to plan.

Stoudemire, who had surgery on his left knee on Oct. 11, said he felt some initial discomfort during the sprints and fatigue afterward (”I expected it, it was my first day”) and remains cautious when it comes to putting a timetable on his return.

“I’m a little rusty right now as far as moving around the basketball court. It’s been five months,” he said Monday. “I don’t want to do too much. I want to take my time with the physical contact. I’m not ready to put a window out there just yet. It’s a matter of healing up, and only God is in charge of that.”

D’Antoni repeated what has been said for months — that regardless of what the doctors and trainers say, the final decision on when to play will be Stoudemire’s.

“We’ll know when he tells us, ‘I’m ready to roll.’ That’s what we’ll be listening for,” D’Antoni said. “We have a week of no contact, an MRI, a week of contact and then practice. After that, the only thing left is playing.”

so that should give him roughly a month of PT before the playoffs.

Steve Nash, Amare, Ugly Marion they make an awesome trio. Steve could get 5 more assits per game if Amare was there. I can't wait to see Phoenix have same explosivness as last year.

Bringing him back so soon might be good for the team, or bad. Maybe they cannot adjust their offense to include him and lose some valuable games in the process... We shall have to wait and see...

JJF you are right, same thing that happened to Denver might happen.

But what's the offense they run? Fastbreaks! Plus, they have Nash, and the team knows him and his style of play. They won't have problems, IMO.

They won't have problems. Steve Nash will just have another option to kick it to.

All Amare needs to do to fit into the offense again is be as active on offense/getting into position as he was last season. Which he'll probably achieve in his first game.

Can't wait!

wow

suns should be good...

however i dont see them getting past 2nd round

Well, we made it past the 2nd round last season with a worse team. This year we've got more defense. Kurt Thomas is solid on the block, Raja Bell is tough and aggressive, and Diaw makes great decisions on the defensive side (offensive too for that matter).

We really haven't lost anything from last season. We've replaced Quentin Richardson's role of jacking up open 3's after the kick out, ASWELL as getting better defensively (Qrich isn't great on D) in Raja Bell. Joe Johnson's smooth game on offense has been decently replaced with Diaw, who's also better defensively. Plus there's another outside threat in James Jones and and energy spark in Eddie House.

We're winning. Even without Amare. I think we could do really well these playoffs.

they need amare.... without him this team is a wcf bound but add him and they are title contenders

Yippee!

I don't think adapting to each other will take the team very long. There will be some minor confusion of course, but I don't think they'll dip into losing streaks or anything.Some of the guys that have been stepping it up might lose a little flow to their game from not getting as many shots, but that's probably it.

cwebbbiverson, you don't think them getting past 2nd round? as of right now they have the 4th best record in the league and all that without his most explosive offensive weapon - Amare!

Anyways, I can't wait for Amare to come back! he's a monster!!! watch out everybody!

Well, we made it past the 2nd round last season with a worse team. This year we've got more defense. Kurt Thomas is solid on the block, Raja Bell is tough and aggressive, and Diaw makes great decisions on the defensive side (offensive too for that matter).

We really haven't lost anything from last season. We've replaced Quentin Richardson's role of jacking up open 3's after the kick out, ASWELL as getting better defensively (Qrich isn't great on D) in Raja Bell. Joe Johnson's smooth game on offense has been decently replaced with Diaw, who's also better defensively. Plus there's another outside threat in James Jones and and energy spark in Eddie House.

We're winning. Even without Amare. I think we could do really well these playoffs.

Were the "we"'s deliberate or is that how you actually talk about the Suns these days?

Obviously i don't own them. It's easier to write "we", than "the Suns".

I use 'they'...

i use "my posse"

Amare is absolutly an explosive offensive weapon with all the power and strength.

Shawn Marion is also a great offensive and magnificent defender.

As for Steve Nash best PG at the moment.

The Suns have a great line-up.

I dont see whats the problem with using 'we' these days. If there is a team you feel a strong association to and really support, I can see where it comes from. Oh well....




Cant wait to see him back on the court. Hopefully it doesnt backfire in terms of team chemistry but I think thats unlikely. I sure wish they had him the full season cuz I was expecting an MVP type season from him.

[quote="dadamafia"]I dont see whats the problem with using 'we' these days. If there is a team you feel a strong association to.

Yeah what's with people hating on about that, any term that you feel you use and makes sense and you can understand, Why can't you use it?

Jae don't you ever refer to your team when you talk about them as "we" I bet you may have done it at least once.