Amare finally addresses lack of explosion / poor play

[SelbyCobra]

Selby_cobra claiming amare's saying a loss is his fault is not taking accountability when its exactly taking accountability

come on people
I'd hate you all to be judged the way you judge

I guess we just differ in the type of accountability we look for from athletes. No big deal.

[Moose]

Back injuries are absolutely brutal from what I understand ...from a personal point of view, and from what I see in the sports world.

The bad back may cause his lack of explosion and lift over his knees at this point.

Bending, jumping, simply moving...all affected during a back injury.

Hopefully he continues doing his back exercises and gets lean...the added weight to his upper body can't be helping I imagine...I know for my back, it took me 12-18 months before i began to feel somewhat normal...and till this day, really bad back days do happen.

But its much better than at its peak and assuming his knees are okay, amare could get back most of his lift and explosion ...this schedule cannot be helping though...

[NoLayupRule]

Im just curious how you think this statement lacks accountability

Again it’s my fault. We lost the game because I got into foul trouble.

its the very definition of accountability

[CANiLIVE]

@makeitstop

Huh? You can't compare a pro basketball player to yourslef let's just stop that there, plus let's not act like he didn't play in a game over the summer, so his back wasn't that bad. He planned a training camp in early fall so let's not act like he wasn't ready to start the season, he had a good month and some change to improve and didn't. We all have to face the fact amare is just not the same player anymore.

[GONYK]

Come on now, how don't you play basketball all summer at all, I know his back was healing, but come on your a pro, would you every hear any great players say this? Perhaps not, this just rises red flags.

I'm guessing you've never dealt with a real back injury before huh?

That besides the point he's a pro basketball player making 100 mill, you telling me you can't improve on mastering your craft for a whole summer at all, there's other plays to improve basketball skill set like watching tape. His back was not broken, he came back with 15 extra pounds so he was working out, so let's not act like he couldn't move at all.

So...you've never had a back injury before

[omerome]

@makeitstop

Huh? You can't compare a pro basketball player to yourslef let's just stop that there, plus let's not act like he didn't play in a game over the summer, so his back wasn't that bad. He planned a training camp in early fall so let's not act like he wasn't ready to start the season, he had a good month and some change to improve and didn't. We all have to face the fact amare is just not the same player anymore.

Again have you played basketball or any physical sport with a bad back before? Trust me, it's either extremely difficult, nearly impossible, or very painful to do. You almost can't move on the court. Any sudden movement leads to agony and just aggrivates it more.

I hurt my back a couple of years ago after cutting the lawn after sneezing because of allergies (funny typing it now but wasn't funny at time) and it felt that my back completely locked up. I really couldn't do anything for a while.

Amar'e stated that he spent the majority of the offseason rehabbing his back and because of that he couldn't participate in the normal workouts he does. He only played in the one charity game so it wasn't like he was playing basketball everyday.

I'm also sure the back injury played a role in him not having the training camp he planned because his back was probably giving him some problems then.

[GONYK]

@makeitstop

Huh? You can't compare a pro basketball player to yourslef let's just stop that there, plus let's not act like he didn't play in a game over the summer, so his back wasn't that bad. He planned a training camp in early fall so let's not act like he wasn't ready to start the season, he had a good month and some change to improve and didn't. We all have to face the fact amare is just not the same player anymore.

He trained in that last month. You think a month is all it takes to get into basketball shape?

[makeitstop]

@makeitstop

Huh? You can't compare a pro basketball player to yourslef let's just stop that there,

In one respect, I most absolutely can. I have a back, so does Stoudemire. And a back injury can debilitate a pro basketball player just like it can debilitate me. Ask Brad Daugherty, or Ralph Sampson. Bill Walton had back injuries that never went away, causing him to miss a ton of games and ultimately shortened his career.

He's a ball player, not a damned robot. Injuries can happen to anyone.

plus let's not act like he didn't play in a game over the summer, so his back wasn't that bad.

One game. Ever stop to think he didn't play in more games because of his back?

He planned a training camp in early fall so let's not act like he wasn't ready to start the season, he had a good month and some change to improve and didn't.

Did the thought occur to you that he didn't go through with the camp because maybe, I dunno, his back was bothering him?

We all have to face the fact amare is just not the same player anymore.

Maybe not. But some of you guys are writing him off completely at age 29. I prefer to wait and see what happens rather than going into panic mode and demanding he be traded for table scraps.

[CANiLIVE]

I play basketball on the reg, stat was training most of the summer getting in shap and rehabing his back, let's not blame how he's been playing on his back, he is just clearly not the same player anymore, he has not said he was hurting him or anything. Amare needs a post game his days jaming on people every game are over.

[stuporman]

To be honest, the Knicks don't need Amar'e to become the one we saw from the first half of the season. He's not going to be the featured, first option, 25/9 guy or it would actually hurt the team. The Knicks can use him to be 18/8 with 1 bpg and having good consistent energy on defense. He does that and the Knicks are dangerous. He gets that elbow jump shot back and he immediately makes the team so much better. Look what Bosh's jumper has done for Miami, it's opens up the floor for them. It would be nice for him to get some of that explosiveness back at finishing around the basket but I'd rather see his jump shot come back and his defensive energy to become a staple of his game more than him clogging the paint.

He can get more time in the pick and roll, that would help alot but it doesn't have to be run every time down the floor like it was last season. There are so many weapons now that he doesn't have to carry the load the way he did last season. He can get his numbers, use some of that energy on defense and help the team win. He'll have his dominant games again but he doesn't have to go bonkers every game for the Knicks to win. The energy and focus he gives on the defensive end will be much more important to the Knicks than how many power dunks he has.

[GONYK]

I play basketball on the reg, stat was training most of the summer getting in shap and rehabing his back, let's not blame how he's been playing on his back, he is just clearly not the same player anymore, he has not said he was hurting him or anything. Amare needs a post game his days jaming on people every game are over.

Thanks Doctor

STAT wasn't training. He was resting and then later lifting and conditioning. He was not playing basketball.

Why are we acting like there isn't a precedent for this? The year he came back from his eye injury, he also got off to a real slow start, then tore the league up after the AS break.

[SelbyCobra]

Im just curious how you think this statement lacks accountability

Again it’s my fault. We lost the game because I got into foul trouble.

its the very definition of accountability

Because in the context of the game, that had nothing to do with anything, and in fact it was just outright false.

Amar'e had been playing like a dog for multiple games prior, yet he is going to attribute the loss to him getting into foul trouble? That's 100% garbage - it had nothing to do with that game.

In fact, when Amar'e left the game with foul trouble in the 1st half, the Knicks ended up being ahead by 5 pts at the break. They were even up 2 pts going into the 4th quarter, again, for the mostpart without Amar'e, and then when he came back in and actually played, the team got worse!

It was plain as day that his fouls had nothing to do with the reasons they lost. Then, in typical Amar'e fashion, he responds to a question about not getting the ball in the 4th quarter by playing the passive aggressive blame game.

"I was amped up and ready to go in the fourth. I was ready to dominate."

I remembered that quote today because it was infuriating to me at the time - this guy had been shooting 35% from the field on high volume over the past week, and he's essentially going to say the loss was attributable to him being off the floor (completely not true), and him not getting the ball in the 4th quarter (completely unsuportable, as he was in the midst of shooting the ball at a horrific clip).

I've said it before, but the thing that made him awesome to me when he signed, the thing that made him be the one guy, and the perfect guy at that, to bring attention back to the Knicks - his inflated sense of super-stardom - is what's killing me about him since the Knicks have become less reliant on him. His bravado and ignorance to the reality of his value allowed him to be THE panacea in a situation involving a terrible team in a horrible situation. However, I personally find that same attribute (all talk, no substance; inability to speak directly to the truth in the media; lack of legitimate accountability) to play much differently now that the Knicks are in a real, competitive situation with a ton of upward mobility.

Again though, I understand that everyone is different. I just like it when athletes take accountability for REAL, and without indirectly implying that they weren't actually at fault. Like Lin coming out after the Miami game and saying point blank that it's on him, that he has to do a better job, the end.

[CANiLIVE]

@makeitstop

No stat didn't do the camp because the lockout,

Stat has been playing at a pro stage for years going threw countless bumps but being a pro you go threw it that's why I said you can't compare a pro to yourself,

I'm buy no means writing him off, I never said we should trade him for scraps, he needs a post game but I don't know if he can get one, being in the lg for so long you can't just change for whole gameplay, stat skill set was always based off being a man-child and playing above the rim and if that's gone I have no idea what kinda player he will be.

[CANiLIVE]

I play basketball on the reg, stat was training most of the summer getting in shap and rehabing his back, let's not blame how he's been playing on his back, he is just clearly not the same player anymore, he has not said he was hurting him or anything. Amare needs a post game his days jaming on people every game are over.

Thanks Doctor

STAT wasn't training. He was resting and then later lifting and conditioning. He was not playing basketball.

Why are we acting like there isn't a precedent for this? The year he came back from his eye injury, he also got off to a real slow start, then tore the league up after the AS break.

You can't compare a eye to a back, in basketball you need your back and messing that up ends careers,
Lifting and conditioning to get ready to play your sport is called training.

[GONYK]

I play basketball on the reg, stat was training most of the summer getting in shap and rehabing his back, let's not blame how he's been playing on his back, he is just clearly not the same player anymore, he has not said he was hurting him or anything. Amare needs a post game his days jaming on people every game are over.

Thanks Doctor

STAT wasn't training. He was resting and then later lifting and conditioning. He was not playing basketball.

Why are we acting like there isn't a precedent for this? The year he came back from his eye injury, he also got off to a real slow start, then tore the league up after the AS break.

You can't compare a eye to a back, in basketball you need your back and messing that up ends careers,
Lifting and conditioning to get ready to play your sport is called training.

I'm speaking more to the lack of playing basketball and being in game shape to start the season, and then being ready to go after the AS break.

He says his back is fine, and he didn't have his legs under him to start the season. We also know he gained weight, which he is starting to make an effort to lose. Assuming his back is healthy again, which we can only take him at his word on, then he should be primed for a better 2nd half.

But to call his career over at this point is a bit premature.

And yes, lifting and doing conditioning for a month before the season starts is training, but that alone doesn't put in you NBA shape, especially if you aren't also playing basketball.

[CANiLIVE]

@gonyk

Never said his career is over, I said a back injury can end a career. Just like arthroscopic surgery "can".

[GONYK]

@gonyk

Never said his career is over, I said a back injury can end a career.

But you're saying "his days of jamming on people are over" and "we just have to face the fact that Amare is not the same player anymore"

There is no conclusive evidence to that except the 30 games he's played this season.

What I'm saying is that the only other time he didn't train the way he normally does in the summer, and started the season not in NBA game shape, he also got off to a slow start and then had a huge resurgence.

The evidence that he will come back is much stronger than the arguments for why he won't.

[CANiLIVE]

@gonyk

Never said his career is over, I said a back injury can end a career.

But you're saying "his days of jamming on people are over" and "we just have to face the fact that Amare is not the same player anymore"

There is no conclusive evidence to that except the 30 games he's played this season.

What I'm saying is that the only other time he didn't train the way he normally does in the summer, and started the season not in NBA game shape, he also got off to a slow start and then had a huge resurgence.

The evidence that he will come back is much stronger than the arguments for why he won't.

The reason I said that is because you don't see many 30 year old pf's jaming on people like they did when they there were 25.

[GONYK]

@gonyk

Never said his career is over, I said a back injury can end a career.

But you're saying "his days of jamming on people are over" and "we just have to face the fact that Amare is not the same player anymore"

There is no conclusive evidence to that except the 30 games he's played this season.

What I'm saying is that the only other time he didn't train the way he normally does in the summer, and started the season not in NBA game shape, he also got off to a slow start and then had a huge resurgence.

The evidence that he will come back is much stronger than the arguments for why he won't.

The reason I said that is because you don't see many 30 year old pf's jaming on people like they did when there were 25.

So you would be saying those days are over whether he was off to a slow start or not?

[CANiLIVE]

@gonky

How he has been playing does influence my statement but if he wasn't slumping this topic wouldn't be here, but father time does catch up to everyone and as you hit the 30's you don't get up that high. Are there any 30 year old high flying pf's.