Rooster wrote:I think Amare's more of a centre than Marion is a PF simply because his size permits it more (6'10" 255 or so for a C is tons better than 6'7" 230 or so for a PF)
Well, that's only natural because of their size, generally being able to play at the next position up at certain times. But as it's been, that doesn't mean they are where they should be for their primary spots.
Also, I actually haven't known of at all Amare's 255, and doesn't appear that way. I've always known of his weight being from 235-245. I think I read Amare said himself he's around 235, recently. And I know Doug Collins did lately, on the Utah game last week. The talk about his weight spurred from when Amare got beat pretty well on a post-up spin to the basket dunk by Okur. A similar offensive move was done against him from Kwame Brown in G3 of the playoffs last year, too.
NBA.com: 249
Yahoo: 245
ESPN: 245
SI: 245
CBS: 249
BBRef.: 245
FoxSports: 245
Rooster wrote:he doesn't have that tendency to go to the 15-footer so much as just cram it. Ideally, my PF is probably in that Brown/Grant mold where he's playing shutdown D and knocking down smart shots while my C is the one constantly at the rack.
Actually Amare takes numerous jumpshots from different places on the floor, and is more of a slasher, face-up guy. Not more jumpshots than the stuff to the basket, but still a bunch of jumpshots per game. He's not constantly at the basket. Actually worked on adding the 3PTer to his game more this summer. Not in the way of taking them like a wing-player does, but attempting more than he has in the past. Which is what's been going on.
Jumpshot stats: 51% att., 44% (.437) eFG%, 64% ast'd, 6.4 ppg
Inside: 49% att., eFG% 73%, 75% ast'd, 10.2 ppg
http://www.82games.com/0708/07PHO13A.HTM
He's too small mass/strength-wise, and not nearly enough defensively, playing center. The latter I'd guess would go similarily at PF, just because he's not a solid defender. On a more traditional team, he's playing PF, and he played PF primarily before 04-05. D'Antoni went to Amare before the season in 04, and insisted he play center so the team can play smaller and at the pace he wanted. I heard a few times on how the Suns were set-up originally, that Amare may of not been right on board with playing center. But D'Antoni convinced him.
(82games.com)
03-04: 30% of minutes at PF, 19 at C.
02-03: 52% of mintues at PF, 11 at C.
No one as a big man for a PF, like you described on Phoenix, though. So far, they don't want to commit significantly to somebody like that. Which is because of the reliance and bias to speed and skill offensively. Even with Kurt Thomas they didn't most of his time there. 26.4 MPG in 05-06, with no Amare, 18 MPG in 06-07 with Amare. His age was probably a factor, but Thomas changing the offense's ability and the tempo was the main factor. Then of course his larger contract which they didn't ultimately like.
