loweyecue wrote:

BigRedDog wrote:

loweyecue wrote:

Stevo718 wrote:

loweyecue wrote:

BigRedDog wrote:This is the difference between playing xbox and real basketball. You just don't bench Amare. He is one of the leaders of the team, respected throuhout the league and for the psyche of the team you don't punish him. He had a bad back injury and really didn't play basketball all summer. He still is rusty. He just had a major trauma in his life and that takes probably 1 full year to recover from. Basketball is his outlet right now and you don't lose him emotionally by benching him. If this team is going to be great it will need Amare to be a big part of that. He is showing flashes of his old self. Maybe you cut down his minutes during the game but you don't embarass him by benching him for Jorts (a rookie!) or Jeffries. He needa to find his game through practice and playing. Come on Man! Whats with you guys, wake the hell up. Do you realy think MDA would do that to Amare.

XBOX Basketball my ***. The team plays better with better energy and results when is off the floor. How about you star watching some real basketball games first?

That might be true right now but wouldn't you rather possible lose some games because of that right now and have him ready for the playoffs instead of benching him now winning a few games more and not having him ready for the playoffs? Amare has a good track record during the playoffs.

NO! We are in eighth place we may not make the effing playoffs if we keep losing. We already wasted half a season on his rehabilitation and have nothing to show for it. I am not big into doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results each time.

We are not at the stage where we keep losing, we are winning. This season started when we found a point guard. We are going to pass Phily and we are going to get the 4th seed. We need Amare to be a big part of that. Imagine going up to Hubie Brown and saying, " we aren't happy with Amares production and we are going to bench him for Jorts, what do you think?" He will probably lecture you about basketball for 2 hours. Again this is real basketball, not fantasy. You need to consider players egos and long term ramifications.

I didn't propose we should bench Amare for Jorts, Blob did and I think it was done to initiate conversation by challenging the status quo. We were winning before Amare's return and since then we are actually either 500 or one game below and our playoff appearance is not a foregone conclusion. Considering people's egos makes it real basketball? What are you Sigmund Freud? Real basketball games are won by real players who play as a real team and not based on a collection of past accomplishments. I don't give a rats ass about Amare's ego he gets $100 M for five years and he needs to be ready to do what is best for the team. NO PLAYER IS BIGGER THAN THE TEAM.

It's when fans and media start making basketball decisions that egos come into play.

You know if Jeffries, Jorts, and Novak had gotten all the playing time and Amare was out recovering, we'd probably be around 20-16 or 21-15.

SupremeCommander wrote:

Anji wrote:

SupremeCommander wrote:

misterearl wrote:If you start anyone, you start Jeffries.

And you don't start Jeffries.

Out of respect D'Antoni will allow Amar'e to remove himself from the starting lineup after he waches the film.

If is a public move, D'Antoni possibly loses Amar'e ("the Knicks are back!") forever.

D'Antoni is not stupid.

Agree 100 percent. Pringles remembers Amar'e single handedly crushing the Spurs when they were in thier collective prime. A simple cost/benefit here is so freakin easy to see. The risk of benching Amar'e: lose him forever. The risk of playing Amar'e: above average PF play. Maybe his play has slipped but can anyone name 15 PFs that are better than Amar'e right now?

This is so ridiculous. fishy hit it on the head. What a joke

15 players that are better or 15 players that would be a better fit??? Pure numbers aside would the starting lineup be better with what Kris Humphries brings or Stat???? I think Humps.

And I wouldn't start Jorts, but don't make it seem like there isn't a bunch of Power Forwards out there that could give you better defense, better rebounding and better spacing than Stat can give you at the cost of some offense.

I meant better talents, but you know what, either. So feel free to give me 15 guys that are better fits. I don't think there are 15 better fits.

(And while I see the appeal to adding a guy like Humphries, I'll take 2 rebounds less for the post player that if/when he gets his legs under him, can get 50. Not ready to write him off. Maybe if it wasn't a lockout season I woudl but it isn't)

The unrealistics
Pau
Lee
Josh Smith
Bargnani
Boozer
Zach
Horford
Nene Hilario
Paul Milsap

Overhill Legends with 1-2 years left but are very good 20-25 min guys
KG
Timmy

Get....ables
Ryan Anderson
Anderson Varejao
Chris Hump
Ersan Ilyasova
Luis Scola

Guys I would vouch for but aren't starting or out of shape or butthurt
Haslem
Diaw
Odom