Amare finally addresses lack of explosion / poor play

[dantian]

Clyde,
I'm just wanna say, amidst fans' hate on Amare, that he is really doing better and become more useful, at least in this game. Actually, I think Woodson was doing some good job to correct Amare's defensive problem too. He has stopped to move too far out at PNR defense. His man defense is not that bad. His main problem remains disorientation after scrambling and with help defense. Whether he regains his athleticism, if he keeps improving, he will be very useful come playoff time. Constant complaining even after a good game as if fans needed to find a scapegoat in him just doesn't help. That's all. Peace!

[Clyde_Style]

Clyde,
I'm just wanna say, amidst fans' hate on Amare, that he is really doing better and become more useful, at least in this game. Actually, I think Woodson was doing some good job to correct Amare's defensive problem too. He has stopped to move too far out at PNR defense. His man defense is not that bad. His main problem remains disorientation after scrambling and with help defense. Whether he regains his athleticism, if he keeps improving, he will be very useful come playoff time. Constant complaining even after a good game as if fans needed to find a scapegoat in him just doesn't help. That's all. Peace!

I want him to get better, but it is not going to be irrational anger expressed if I feel he is not giving us a $20M effort. On defense, if they don't want Stat to wander too far out, then they are going to have to address some of the switching issues, because you can't do it sort of kind of and let it stay within a tight range if his man or switch is a good shooter who moves out of the paint.

So, yeah, he gets hung up and lost and often just standing there when his help defense could be better. He at least used to be a better weak side defender, but the blocks he used to get have mostly vanished because he got those by quick athletic recoveries he is not making now.

Overall, when I watch Stat now, even when he does better he is still very stiff looking compared to a year ago. He does not move like a man his age and with his natural ability should be moving. He's awkward and there is very little fluidity in anything he does, even the shots that go in. I'm not sure what it is, but I see a different ball player out there. Even with any improvements so far, I'm still wondering where the Stat we once saw is, because he doesn't look like him out there.

Anyway, I was just trying to answer thoughtfully, since I'm not one of the angry ones after this game. I think it is going to take some more time for this team to gel and I'm hoping Stat gets some of his zip back.

[breakdowny2j1]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcg6DfMKJMk&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

so uh, 36 year old Duncan has more lift than Amare I see.

[blumatic]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcg6DfMKJMk&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

so uh, 36 year old Duncan has more lift than Amare I see.

Pfft. Amare has more lift than that now. It helps that u a legit 7backup footer with long arms. Birdman got left. Remember Amare left Boozer in the dust and slammed ir home.

[Suns2k5]

I forget why did Amare say to "stay tunned"? Was he going to do something? I mean the season has been long enough to make up for the preseason he lost right?

[StyLeD]

Amare just isn't the player he used to be. I think 32 games is enough to determine that. He'll have flashes of brilliance where it seems like he's back, but they will just be flashes, nothing more. I've come to accept who he is now, even if I don't like it, so there's no looking back or looking fowards. The problem now is what the Knicks are going to do with the current, overpaid Amare. They will never win a playoffs series with his defense.