Phoenix Suns: 7-Seconds-or-Less team vs. Barkley-Era team; who wins?
By Kenny Glenn
Which Phoenix Suns era team was the best: Center
Mark West vs. Amar’e Stoudemire
At a time when centers meant something in the NBA, the Suns had a 32-year-old Mark West and a 22-year-old “manchild” Oliver Miller. Both of these players were big (and wide) and Amar’e did have trouble with wide bigs.
Even though the Suns 1993 duo held their own versus David Robinson and Sam Perkins the previous two rounds of the playoffs, they would struggle with STAT.
Amar’e, who should have been in the Ring of Honor LONG ago (come on, Sarver!), two years earlier was the Rookie of the Year, and this year (2004-2005) he made his first All-Star game, one of his six total appearances.
In 2004-2005, STAT averaged 26 points per game and nine rebounds while playing 36 minutes per game for the run-and-gun Phoenix Suns. But in the playoffs, the real “Manchild” showed up and Amar’e scored 30 points per game while pulling down 11 rebounds over 15 games!
After his injury the next year, he came back with a vengeance over the next five years averaging 23 points and 9 rebounds a game while making five straight NBA All-Star teams.
I have picked on Robert Sarver a lot here especially for Joe Johnson which was just a bonehead owner move. But letting Amar’e walk in a sign-and-trade for just a second-round pick and the Steve Nash trade for a couple of firsts were very smart moves even though the draft picks were squandered. Both players were just shells of themselves only two years after each had been traded.
My gripe: Put Amar’e in the Ring of Honor!
VERDICT: Amar’e Stoudemire