Amare Stoudamire?

[sp3nc3r13]

Just a question thread....when is this guy expected back? If and when he comes back don't you all think he presents a serious problem in the playoffs with the on-the-rise Phoenix team?

[MavKikiNYC]

1) Next year.

2) No.

[EricaLubarsky]

I thought he was supposed to be back in feb or march?

and Im not afraid of him this year but he could be dangerous in the coming seasons if he comes back 80%+

[MavsFanFinley]

I thought he was supposed to return right after the all-star break? They said they wouldn't rush him back so we'll see.

As for whether he'll be a threat or not? It all depends on whether his knee holds up and he's healthy enough to finish out the year.

[sp3nc3r13]

Originally Posted by MavKikiNYC

1) Next year.

2) No.

I haven't heard this anywhere...

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 12, 2005 12:00 AM

Shawn Marion was sitting courtside Friday, talking as positively as his Suns coach and the team's point guard about how the Suns can survive Amaré Stoudemire's absence with as many points and as much speed when assistant Alvin Gentry walked by the All-Star forward.

"No, it's not that much pressure," Gentry interjected. "He's just got to average 35 (points per game) and 17 (rebounds per game). That's not that big of a deal. He's just got to do it until the All-Star break."



Does this mean he should be back after the all-star break?

[kriD]

From the East Valley Tribune on Dec. 26, 2005:

“Amare Stoudemire is back on the basketball court shooting free throws, moving day to day with some discomfort but no pain and - according to everyone from doctors to therapists to teammates - is a tad ahead of the four-to-five-month schedule in his rehabilitation from the Oct. 11 microfracture surgery on his left knee. That doesn’t mean Stoudemire will be on the floor before the Feb. 18 All-Star game, or even right after.“

[sp3nc3r13]

Originally Posted by kriD

From the East Valley Tribune on Dec. 26, 2005:

“Amare Stoudemire is back on the basketball court shooting free throws, moving day to day with some discomfort but no pain and - according to everyone from doctors to therapists to teammates - is a tad ahead of the four-to-five-month schedule in his rehabilitation from the Oct. 11 microfracture surgery on his left knee. That doesn’t mean Stoudemire will be on the floor before the Feb. 18 All-Star game, or even right after.“

thanks krid. this clears alot up for me!

[mary]

Stoudemire: 'Once I get back, we can't be stopped'

The Phoenix Suns are first in the Pacific Division despite playing without forward/center Amare Stoudemire, their leading scorer last season who had surgery on his left knee Oct. 11. The fourth-year veteran, a second-team All-NBA pick and a first-time All-Star last season, was a major reason the Suns had the best record in the NBA. The 23-year-old rising star talked with USA TODAY NBA reporter Roscoe Nance about his injury and the Suns' success this season.
Stoudemire says he does not feel pain in his knee and his rehabilitation is going well.


Q: How is your rehab progressing?

A: It's going great. We're pretty much on schedule. I'm not doing too much weight-bearing (exercise), and I haven't started running and jumping yet. I'm right on target, and I don't really feel any pain.

Q: What are you able to do?

A: I'm shooting free throws and doing correctional exercises to strengthen certain ligaments and certain muscles that were pretty weak after the surgery.

Q: Do you have a target date for your return?

A: No, not exactly. It depends on how I feel in the next couple of months. That will determine when I get back out there.

Q: How frustrating has it been for you?

A: It's tough. This year was going to be my breakout year. I was looking to having a huge year. But as soon as I get back, I'll be right on pace to pick up where I left off.

Q: Most people wrote the Suns off when you went down. What were your expectations?

A: It's not surprising how well we have played. I helped make some of these offseason acquisitions and bring in a few guys. I knew the type of players we have. Once I went down, I figured we would be slack in a few categories, but they've done a great job of playing hard and bringing in some wins.

Q: Is there any difference in the Suns this season and a year ago?

A: We're better defensively with the offseason acquisitions. With the veterans we brought in and the veterans we had, we're much more on point with what we should do defensively. Eddie House has done a good job coming off the bench and filling the scorer's slot. Kurt Thomas was one of the main guys we wanted to bring in because of his interior defense. Raja Bell was another guy we wanted to pick up for his defense.

Q: Do you see this as a championship team?

A: No doubt about it. As soon as I get back, we're making a push for it. If everything stays on schedule and I don't experience too much pain, I definitely will be back this year. The (San Antonio) Spurs are up there, but once I get back, we can't be stopped. We just have to continue to stay on this good pace.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baske...-timeout_x.htm

[dude1394]

Stopped last year knucklehead.

[Murphy3]

We can only hope that he's just a shell of his former self...

[MavKikiNYC]

Suns' Stoudemire not expected to return until March

By Marc Stein
ESPN.com




PHOENIX -- Suns forward Amare Stoudemire, who remains on course to resume basketball activity after the All-Star break next month, told ESPN.com on Friday that he doesn't expect to play his first real game until sometime in March.

"Right now, we're looking at about two months out," Stoudemire said following a rehab session for his surgically repaired left knee.
"That's what we're striving for right now."
Stoudemire underwent microfracture surgery Oct. 11 after knee soreness that surfaced during the offseason worsened during the first week of training camp. The Suns announced at the time that Stoudemire would miss "approximately four months," citing the nominal size and location of the defect and Stoudemire's age (he turned 23 on Nov. 16) as the basis for their belief that he could return to the practice floor in February.
Stoudemire's rehab, in the words of coach Mike D'Antoni, has progressed "ahead of schedule," to the point that Stoudemire is frequently seen shooting stand-still jumpers or free throws at practices. But D'Antoni cautions that the Suns will not budge from "a normal" recovery timetable.
The Suns acknowledge that the toughest steps of the recovery process are the latter steps. Stoudemire, who only just began what he called "hops and slight jumping," said Friday that he's not expecting to start jogging for another two weeks. Getting back into full-contact practices and restoring confidence in the knee are even bigger obstacles after Stoudemire proves he can run without discomfort.
"I think Amare's smart enough to know that we need him for the long haul and we're definitely smart enough [as an organization] to know that," D'Antoni said. "We're not going to push him.

"We don't have to do it this year and we don't have to do it next week. Everybody has the same goal -- get Amare 100 percent."

Stoudemire, who signed a five-year extension worth more than $70 million days before the surgery, said he's willing to sit out the entire season if he can't get to full capacity, but the most likely scenario remains a second-half return. Noting that the Suns have only three games in February after the All-Star break, D'Antoni echoed Stoudemire's projection for a return to the active roster.

"You're probably looking at the first part of March," D'Antoni said.

"Both options are out there," Stoudemire said of rejoining the team in the near future or waiting until next season. "Rehab is going great, but it just depends on how I feel. I really want to win a championship, and we're very close with the team we have. But health is the most important thing right now to me."

Despite playing for much of the season without its two greatest sources of speed -- Stoudemire and guard Leandro Barbosa, who returns from a recurring knee injury Saturday against Cleveland -- Phoenix is on the pace for the 50-win season D'Antoni predicted even after losing Stoudemire.

Reigning MVP Steve Nash and All-Star forward Shawn Marion are the only healthy returnees from the primary rotation that carried the Suns to a 62-win season and the Western Conference finals last season, but Phoenix has overcome the injuries and the departure of guard Joe Johnson to lead the league in scoring again (105.1 points per game) and significantly improve its defense (holding 21 of the 28 foes under 100 points after a 3-4 start).

[Drbio]

That contract just keeps looking better and better.....

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by sp3nc3r13

If and when he comes back don't you all think he presents a serious problem in the playoffs with the on-the-rise Phoenix team?

"Black jesus" and his gang of misfits don't concern me even in the slightest. Honestly, they scare me about as much as Sacramento does.

[Drbio]

An equally fair question would be if you thought Amare would completely disrupt any solid team play that is currently developing in Phoenix.

[Milles]

Originally Posted by Drbio

An equally fair question would be if you thought Amare would completely disrupt any solid team play that is currently developing in Phoenix.

Anything I have read, Nash is always cautious about the reintroduction of Amare, aware that it will take time. He doesn't seem to be fooling himself by saying anything along the lines of, "boy, when Amare gets back, right to the top". In fact, if anything, he seems to downplay any immediate impact that Amare may have. This is from an SI article, earlier in the week.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ire/index.html

"It's not like we're incorporating a role player or a backup," said MVP point guard Steve Nash, referring to Stoudemire. "This team has worked hard to come together as a new team, so it's going to be a big adjustment for us. At the same time we're adding one of the top talents in the world, so we're looking forward to it."

[Dirkenstien]

I think Amare will make an impact with Phoenix next season. He may play some this season but I believe it will take a while for him to get back to 100%

[Drbio]

Originally Posted by Milles

Anything I have read, Nash is always cautious about the reintroduction of Amare, aware that it will take time. He doesn't seem to be fooling himself by saying anything along the lines of, "boy, when Amare gets back, right to the top". In fact, if anything, he seems to downplay any immediate impact that Amare may have. This is from an SI article, earlier in the week.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ire/index.html

That's exactly my point. He isn't likely to take them anywhere this year but is conversely more likely to interupt the progress they have made in terms of gelling as a team.

[dude1394]

Also little stevie is being smart. You can't sit around and wait for a guy to get back. You have to get it done with the guys on the court. If he gets back and get's re-introduced fine, if not then you are still competing.

[MavKikiNYC]

They're discussing this now on Sports Center (or whatever) and they're starting to hint that he might stay out the season---that March is optimistic, that it will take him a minimum of 10-15 games to adjust, that his best basketball is ahead of him.....yada yada.

I'm going to go ahead and be pessimistic.

I don't think he'll make it back this year, and I think he'll be lucky to be 70% of what he was before.

[dude1394]

If the suns are smart (and I think they are) they keep him out this year. He's just too valuable to have him hobbling around like webber unless he really heals up.

[alby]

they are not going to be able to keep him out =\

sad, but true...

[birdsanctuary]

I have two words for Amare Stoudimire DESAGANA DIOP

[bernardos70]

Love 'Gana, but he'll get steamrolled by Stoudemire if he is 100%. The question is, will he ever with that microfracture surgery? There aren't that many other players I can think of that rely as much on their athleticism as Amare does. Without that explosion off the floor (which I imagine requires him to be in tip toe shape to pull off every night) he'll never be the same.

[alby]

don't you mean DJ MBENGA!?

[kriD]

I'm not sure if M'Benga will even be on the playoff roster. It's between him and Powell. The latter has a good chance as insurance for KvH.

Terry / Harris / Armstrong
Daniels / Stack
Howard / Griff
Dirk / KvH / Powell
Diop / Damp (/ KvH / Dirk / Powell)

But let's wait for Feb. 23 first

[alby]

Who would you rather back up if you were AJ..

Dirk/VanHorn or Damp/Diop

[MavKikiNYC]

Magic: "It will be tough."

Barkley: He should stay out and rehab over the summer.

MRI will help determine when Amaré may return
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 2, 2006 12:00 AM
BOSTON - Amaré Stoudemire will lie down for about 90 minutes this afternoon in the Valley, and it will be one of the most important stretches of his career.

Stoudemire is to undergo a fourth magnetic resonance imaging test today on his surgically repaired left knee, but it is the most important one. With good results, Stoudemire could "turn it up a notch," as the Suns power forward put it. He could be playing basketball in progressive stages this month and appearing in a Suns game as soon as the start of March if all went perfectly.

"Once I get back to the motion of jogging and running, we're getting close," Stoudemire said. "My thing is I just want to make sure I'm not feeling any pain regardless of what the MRI says. It's still up to me on how I feel and the pain tolerance."

Stoudemire has yet to feel any sharp pain, only the expected discomfort that Suns head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson defines as "uncomfortable" or "stiff."

If his MRI is nothing but positive again, Stoudemire will resume the same workout he had last season with strength and conditioning coach Erik Phillips three times a week. On three other days of the week, Nelson's work with Stoudemire will progress to "a lot more explosive stuff and jogging."

If Stoudemire can start jogging and getting his wind back, the Suns medical team will move him onto 5-on-0 play with no contact. With two weeks of that, he could begin one-on-one or two-on-two scrimmaging.

"Right now, it's even hard to put a time frame on everything because if and when we ramp up the activity, it's going to be how he responds," Nelson said. "He might respond great and we go right through things or he might get some general soreness, which I'd expect because he hasn't lifted the intensity up yet. It may be different so it's really going to be hard to put a specific time on it.

"The biggest thing is going to be once he clears all the physical hurdles, mentally when is he going to be ready? It's going to be totally up to him. When does he feel comfortable being able to do what he used to be able to do?"

Stoudemire, asked how much time he'd need to be playoff-ready, said, "Probably one game." It has been that kind of confidence that Nelson has needed to harness.

During the tedium of more than three months of baby steps, Stoudemire at times has tried to act on desire and move ahead of schedule. That's when Nelson reined him in.

Each step has excited Stoudemire. Nelson saw Stoudemire's eyes get big just over his first day of spot shooting or stationary ball handling.

Stoudemire's body looks more chiseled than ever with some extra pounds of muscle. He is at least as strong as he was last season.

Games such as Wednesday's win help Stoudemire temper his excitement to get back.

"I really want to get in the games we're struggling," he said. "I really want to get in and show them the Statmeister's back."

[mary]

Suns forward Amaré Stoudemire received the positive news Thursday the team hoped he would get. The pivotal magnetic resonance imaging exam showed no problems.

The condition of his surgically repaired left knee will allow him to move forward with his rehabilitation, leading to the resumption of basketball activity, probably within the next few weeks.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns.../0202suns.html

[Murphy3]

Damn, I was hoping for " D. E. A. T. H. spells DEATH, DEATH, DEATH"

[chumdawg]

Dude is going to be a monster when he comes back. I bet one year he averages 35 and 15.

[jleefilled]

If that dude comes back healthy, that team is going to be monstrous.

[kriD]

Stoudemire is cleared to intensify workouts

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic

Amaré Stoudemire starts moving faster today.

The Suns' sidelined star was still long enough Thursday for a pivotal magnetic resonance imaging exam, which showed no problems with how his surgically repaired left knee has responded to more than three months of rehabilitation.

That cleared the way for the team's medical staff to advance Stoudemire's work immediately. He will jog for the first time today, and with no setbacks, he could go through a progression of different basketball activities such as five-on-none, one-on-one and two-on-two play later this month.

Stoudemire can ramp up his agility drills to include multi-directional movement for the first time. He alternates days between agility and strength work.

Although Thursday's MRI was a major hurdle, the Suns do not have a timetable for his return. Stoudemire has said he would play no earlier than the first week of March, but also has mentioned coming back in April or not at all this season as possibilities.

"It just depends how he responds to it for when we progress," Suns head athletic trainer Aaron Nelson said. "We're heading in the right direction."

Stoudemire, 23, has not played this season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on Oct. 11. He had a lesion that was 8 millimeters by 1 centimeter, requiring a microfracture procedure to repair the cartilage damage.

Phoenix leads the Pacific Division without him at 30-16 and plays the next four games at home, starting Saturday night against the Chicago Bulls.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by chumdawg

Dude is going to be a monster when he comes back. I bet one year he averages 35 and 15.

He'll be a monster, no doubt, but I think 35 and 15 is really pushing it. Not looking up the stats, I don't think Shaq ever averaged 35 and 15. Hard to see Amare doing that.

[dirno2000]

I've yet to see a player come back from micro-fracture surgery without losing a step and Amare's game is built on quickness and athleticism. He'll still be a good player but I don’t think his top side is what it was at this time last year.

[sike]

Originally Posted by chumdawg

Dude is going to be a monster when he comes back. I bet one year he averages 35 and 15.

you crazy.

I actually thought Damp did an ok job on him...but he just could not stay in the game (fouls)

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by sike

you crazy.

I actually thought Damp did an ok job on him...but he just could not stay in the game (fouls)

Lord knows Duncan didn't do much better (or any at all)

[alby]

This guy is getting WAY too much press for an injured player IMO.

[MavKikiNYC]

The Long Road Back

By GEOFF VAN DYKE
Zach Randolph was worried. It was March 2005, and the 24-year-old Portland Trail Blazers forward had decided to undergo surgery to repair cartilage in his right knee, injured two months earlier. The procedure, called microfracture surgery, is daunting: an orthopedist removes loose cartilage and drills holes in the end of the femur. These "microfractures" bleed and clot, leading to the formation of new cartilage. The list of players who have had the surgery and struggled to return to peak level reads like an all-star team from the late 90's: Penny Hardaway, Jamal Mashburn, Allan Houston, Chris Webber. "You hear stories of guys not coming back, or coming back less strong," Randolph says. "This was my first surgery, and everything I was hearing about it was bad." On March 31, he went under the knife. Then the hard work began. Here's how Randolph got his knee back.
April
The Blazers' orthopedist, Dr. Don Roberts, and the team's athletic trainer, Jay Jensen, started Randolph on ehabilitation almost immediately after the surgery. For one week, eight hours a day, Randolph's knee was placed in a continuous-passive-motion machine, which flexes the joint without a person's having to use his muscles. He was on crutches for less than three weeks. Jensen compares this post-op period to planting a lawn: not putting any weight on the joint "allows us to begin the seeding process, the laying down of the replacement cartilage."
May
The hardest part of the rehab, Randolph says, was rebuilding his leg strength. Shortly after the surgery, he couldn't do a simple straight-leg raise (in which you recline on a table and raise one leg with your knee locked) because he was unable to tighten his quadriceps muscles.Jensen focused instead on exercises done in a pool, like running, straight-leg raises, hip abduction (lifting the leg to the side with the knee locked) and swimming. This hydrotherapy allowed Randolph to flex his knee and build strength without putting weight on the joint. By late in the month, he had regained his full range of motion.
July
Three months into the rehab process, Jensen started Randolph on the bike, increasing the length of his rides as the weeks progressed. Randolph also started shooting baskets with minimal movement and began weight training and leg raises with resistance to strengthen the atrophied muscles. "My major concern outside of Zach's knee was, How am I going to keep his weight down?" Jensen says. Randolph, who began the 2004-5 season at 253 pounds, overhauled his diet, eliminating red meat and pork. Through a combination of diet and exercise in the weeks to come, he was able to take off five pounds, reducing the load on his knee.
August
At this point, Jensen says, the two of them "really started hitting it." They stepped up the strength building with "closed chain" exercises — squats, quarter-squats and lunges — in which the feet are planted on the ground to reduce the stress on the knee. Randolph's knee still had swelling, which decreased as his leg became stronger. Jensen also emphasized cardio fitness, increasing the length and frequency of the bike rides. "I like the bike as a tool because it builds strength without the impact, and it's fun," Jensen says. "He had to keep up with me, and I had to keep up with him, so we both stayed in shape."
October
By September, Randolph was back on the court, but hardly in playing condition. He used pickup games to work on basketball-specific moves like pivots, backpedals and defensive slides.Jensen also put him through agility drills, like running with bungee cords for resistance, single-leg jumps to build explosive power, and power skipping, in which Randolph elevated as high as he could on each skip. Training camp began in October, and Randolph completed nearly all of the practices. "Riding the bike helped him regain strength, but it didn't help him get his basketball instincts back," Jensen says. "We tried to use training camp to do that, and to his credit, I think he only missed one practice."
December
By the beginning of the month, Jensen felt that Randolph had gotten "to the point where he's the old Zach." But Randolph wasn't so sure. "I wouldn't say that," he said, "but the knee is back to about 75 or 80 percent. It's a long process." By year's end, however, Randolph appeared to have regained his form:he was averaging 18 points and 9 rebounds, and had the game of his career right before Christmas, scoring 37 against Detroit. Even better, he had missed only one game.

[Milles]

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns...unsnb0211.html

Amaré increases practice workload

.......
Stoudemire's recovery process hit another landmark Friday when he joined in some team basketball for the first time, albeit with no defenders. He ran the floor and took shots - jumpers and lay-ins - as the Suns went through plays.

"It started out a little stiff, which is normal, but it felt great out there getting up and down and jumping and shooting as though I was never injured," Stoudemire said. "I'll tell you what: I really believe I'm coming back more explosive because of the correctional exercises the trainers have me doing and just the way I go about working out."

Stoudemire's debut in basketball simulation drew rave reviews from the select viewing audience of staff and teammates.

"He's so fast and powerful that even if he's 50 percent, he's one of the fastest and strongest guys we have," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "It's amazing."

Stoudemire's workouts have intensified since the start of the month, when a positive magnetic resonance imaging test allowed him to jog for the first time. One week later, he moved onto the five-on-zero work that likely will lead to some two-on-two or one-on-one play this month.

Stoudemire described Friday as "only 50 percent. I'm trying to get back to 100 percent so that hands down, I'm stronger, faster, quicker."
........

[dude1394]

Good for Amare', hope he's fine. I sorta doubt he'll be the same, but good luck.

D'Antoni and he should get a room however. sheesh...