# How Did Amare Stoudemire Last Till The 9th Pick??



## kingofkings (Jun 9, 2002)

This guy has an NBA ready body. The general rule is that you win in the NBA with dominant big men. So why on earth did this guy last till the ninth pick??

From watching games of him this year, the comparison of a young Shawn Kemp, that was made of him in the lead up to the draft, really seems accurate.He has great athleticism and is very explosive, in the fact that he can elevate for rebounds and reject shots. He also loves to take it hard to the rim, and dunk on every chance he gets.

So, why did he slip to the 9th pick?? I have no doubt that the teams that passed on him for project players are going to kick themselves in the future, when this guy really starts having a profound influence on games.

Taking Dunleavy with the 3rd pick, Skita with the 5th pick, ahead of Stoudemire, will come back to haunt them. Why, because in the future, Amare will be a 18 and 9 player at least. Most teams in the NBA would kill to have this kind of player on their roster every night.

The Nuggets could have had both Hilario and Stoudemire on their roster. Picture that lineup, with Hilario at 6"11 and Stoudemire at 6"10, giving a huge lineup, with athleticism and explosiveness.

Not many NBA teams, would have been able to match that particular front line. I really have no doubt that the Suns, from their reaction in the war room, targeted this guy and would have taken him with a top 5 pick.

I can't believe that a player like Skita, who probably wowed the scouts in shooting drills was drafted ahead of Amare. Hoping that a guy can become the next Dirk Nowitzki is just getting caught up with the hype of a tall player that can shoot from long range. Why take a risk on Skita, when you have a guy with an NBA body, ready to contribute right away?? Why wait around for a guy, that might turn out to be a bust??

Why not take a guy that is ready to play, with an NBA body, instead of waiting around for a guy to develop into an NBA player. Who is to say that Skita will ever even be a good player in the future??

The bottom line is that in the future, teams will not really be able to counter the Suns. Why?? Because, not many teams have at least 3 great defenders on the court at the same time, to cover both Marbury, Marion, Stoudemire and a developing Joe Johnson.

Can you imagine what is going to happen when Amare has gotten the hang of the NBA and gets his confidence up to an optimum?? I really see his career being on the same road as Shawn Kemp. I followed Kemp in his early career and I see the same signs with Amare. The scary thing, is that Amare is ahead of where Kemp was, in his first year in the NBA.

He is already crashing the boards on the offensive glass and getting some huge dunks in traffic. He is already on his way, to being a great explosive player. Some of the picks drafted before him are going to pay, by watching him explode onto the scene with vengeance.

I just wish that I was Stephon Marbury on the break, thinking about who he should pass the ball to, on transition for the massive dunk. Marion or Stoudemire??

To all the teams that missed on Amare Stoudemire, watch out and be prepared to suck it up and then some. Because you win in the NBA with big men that can dominate.....


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## PhatDaddy3100 (Jun 16, 2002)

I think that the teams were reluctant to pick Stoudemire because of the struggles of the three high schoolers the year before. yes, Amare is going to be great. I can' wait. He is doing great, and If we can get another athletic PF or C to go along with him, watch out!


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## kingofkings (Jun 9, 2002)

Well he just recorded another double double against the Celtics. In a few years, I really see him developing into a Kemp/Mcdyess kind of player. He just has that raw aggression that you cannot teach or really drum into players. You either have this asset, or you lack it. Simple.

He is getting the early jump ahead of guys like Wilcox,Hailslip Ely and Hilario, those in the same draft class as Amare. Not only is he starting, replacing an injured Googs,but he is learning to play with fouls. Instead of yanking him out of the game when he has 3 early fouls, he is allowed to play on and learn how to still be aggressive, when plagued by foul trouble.

I take my hat off to coach Frank Johnson, with the way that he handled Amare. Playing him big minutes in pre season games and through the reagular season, will give him that early jump start, for him to develop his game at a faster rate.

Why bench a guy when he has the tools that you cannot coach into a player. Height, an NBA body, strength, athleticism, low post skills and explosiveness.

Like I said before, teams could have taken him with the draft picks 1-8 and I really expect that in the future those teams will rue their mistakes. Amare is almost averaging 9 rebounds per game in his rookie season, coming straight out of High School.

I also like the fact that the Suns are not shackling his game up. They are letting him play naturally. Let him feed off his own aggression and explosivness, which will build up his confidence in his own game in the future.

I know it is early, but to me he really looks the goods...


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## Tenshi25 (Nov 27, 2002)

Stoudemire is playing really well, and showing the Suns got the steal from the draft, but sure it's very easy to talk about why no team picked him before now that he's already played 20 games and proved to be a good player, but when you have to make the decision before having seen him playing in the NBA and coming from the high school then you have more doubts and things aren't as simple, that's the "magic" of the draft; I am sure all those teams who didn't chose Stoudemire had their own reasons to not to at that time, and now they regret not having picked him up, but as I said it's very easy to say that now. Suns have proved to have a good scouting team this time.


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## PhatDaddy3100 (Jun 16, 2002)

The suns have always had a good scouting team, they picked Steve Nash with the 16 pick, michael finley with the 21st, alton ford with the 53, marion with the ninth, stoudemire with teh ninth, ceballos with teh 50 something.


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## KJay (Sep 22, 2002)

and we see how much those picks have built the team.


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## brad-z (Jan 2, 2003)

Having watched him a few times, I have to say that either the scouts are generally idiots or the guy had to have improved a hundred percent in a short time. 

If this kid showed the stuff he is showing now during predraft workouts, he should have at least been the number 2 pick. Only because 7'5 is hard to come by. 

The recent bouncepass to Marion might not be the most spectacular pass ever, but it was nice to see from a 20 year old kid who is mean and nasty


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## Tom (Jul 15, 2002)

i would have taken him first...i always sung his praises. He can shoot, but has to feel more confident. He has to learn to go lefts..but he will. He will be in the Hall of fame. I love being right.


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