[Milles]

Sounds as though they will continue to limit his minutes.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns...unsnb0326.html

Stoudemire to be limited on trip

Paul Coro and Doug Haller
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 26, 2006 12:00 AM

Amaré Stoudemire's minutes could gradually increase after the coming weeklong road trip.

Come playoff time, the key will be deciphering whether Stoudemire is at a level to be featured like last season or somewhere shy of that.

"He doesn't have to be the No. 1 guy, the No. 2 guy or the No. 3 guy," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He just has to be one of the top eight guys."

Suns trainer Aaron Nelson said Stoudemire will be limited to 20-22 minutes each game in the road back-to-back sets - Monday and Tuesday at New Jersey and Milwaukee, and then Thursday and Friday at Indiana and Toronto. His minutes could then gradually increase, starting with next Sunday's game in Detroit.

"There's a point in (every NBA season when) talent stops being important and chemistry and character become more important, and I think Phoenix is probably in that stretch," Denver coach George Karl said. "It's a situation that's got to be handled and probably once it's handled you're happy about it. There's some growing pains to it. There might be a loss that you might not have had, but in the same sense he might win a playoff game that the (team) would've lost."

Stoudemire told Nelson his knees felt better Saturday morning than Friday, when he had some muscle stiffness.