USA Team.. No Amare?

[Jdiddy701]

Guys, what's going on with Amare.. Why isn't he joining USA this year?

[walkingart]

Guys, what's going on with Amare.. Why isn't he joining USA this year?

According to ESPN he sorta unofficially took himself out of consideration because he is concerned with his knees and staying healthy; due to him being able to sign an extension after next season.

[eastsidecrossover]

I think it is bad and good at the same time. I really wanted to see him play and bring back honor to the best basketball nation in the world. However, His knees are really important, and he needs the rest, and needs to work on his weaknesses.

But if he plays and wins, maybe it makes him even more hungry to win the title.

[-SDU-]

i thought amares opt out wasnt for 2 years?

i dont want to have the distraction of amare opting out all year long

im happy he is resting, good for the suns, though i did just get a limited edition autographed amare team USA jersey which i wanted to have framed and call "olympic gold medallist" but ill frame it regardless

[walkingart]

He has 2 years left with a third year as a player option, but I think after this season he is elgible for an extension. I think he has from July 31, 2009 to October 31, 2009 to get a deal done. And then if he cant come to terms he either opts out or takes his option. It behooves him from a business standpoint to sign an extension after the upcoming season and he knows it.

Kinda how Marion wanted an extension this last summer, even though he was under contract for another year with a second as a player option.

Him not playing in the Olympics because he wants another max deal makes it seem like he wants to stay in Phoenix.

[whambamslam]

I'm glad he's not going to be playing. let some other teams star player go get hurt in the olympics. It'll be good for him to rest his knees.

[b-ball forever]

Good move by Amare.
It wuda been cool to see him win team USA's first gold medal at an international tourney in 8 years this summer, but he's better off resting those knees.

Last year after spendin the summer playing FIBA ball he came into camp real tired, and it took him a couple months of crap/rusty play to get back into full groove.

This will let him start off the season already in top shape, and let him finally work on his defense/rebounding/back to the basket moves... hopefully

[tsherkin]

Yeah, even with healthy players, it's tough to see them going to the Olympics or other summer games because of the injury threat (see Jorge Garbajosa, Yao Ming, Pau Gasol, etc) but Amare in particular needs to keep his knees rested so he's healthy for the NBA, which is much more important. There are other guys going out there to represent the US, so it's OK. Maybe this way, they'll look to increase the depth of their frontcourt rotation instead of going with too many guards.

Meantime, a healthy and rested Amare should be a force next season.

[Sun Scorched]

I know it's a good thing...

It was a treat to watch Amare and Dwight play together in the qualifiers though...

If they had the ability to play together more, much less be on the same team, I would have to consider them the best front-court tandem to have ever played together. It's speculation, I know, but think about it.

[BitonKOBE]

ah this sucks. players can get injured practicing in the offseason, esp if they're practicing hard defensive post up drillz n skillz which amare should be. plus, prob my favorite thing about last summer qualifiers and the thing i was lookin forward to the most (after KOBE) was watching amare come in off the bench.

there's nothin like seeing the look on the int'ls faces when they've been gettin elbowed by dwight howard for 5 or 6 minutes, who is gettin all the rebs and takin up all the space, then amare comin in fresh as a new urinal cake just JAMMIN and swishin 20 footers. it makes the opposing front line want to throw up.

go team usa