Uh, Phoenix... we have a problem...

Amare Stoudemire is starting tonight at San Antonio. Some people around these parts are excited about it. I'm a little concerned. Not for the typical physical reasons. Yeah, maybe it's Coach D'Antoni is trying to get Amare rolling against the team he last played great against (the Spurs in the 2004-05 conference finals) or making matchups work (even though Kurt Thomas has always played Tim Duncan tough). Maybe this is a way to spark Amare a get a fire under his butt. Maybe this just Coach trying to pick and patch a lineup that works, but I see right through it.

I'm as big a fan of #1 as anyone but I said before, Amare needs to get his head right. That was a veiled way of saying that Amare needs to stop be a pouting, little pussy and play basketball. He has been way too snippy and throwing glares at Coach D when he's been taken out. Amare is clearly in his own head. He needs to get over the fact that he isn't the monster he was right now., but he CAN still be a very effective player. He should just stop thinking and do what he is told to do. He's not the whole team. A thumb cannot pick up a boulder by itself. The thumb needs help from all the fingers, often from the other hand as well... this season is the boulder.

Obviously, Amare needs to adapt, change and overcome his struggles with the knees. One day he says he's 100% the next he says he's hurting. He's merely a young buck raring to go and be dominant like he was. Have some patience, Grasshopper... You're not another Penny Hardaway or Chris Webber, you'll get over the knee stuff, but either way, your game STILL needs to adapt or else...

So Mike D'Antoni decided to slap Amare into the starting spot, basically to let him:
A) Quit his bitching
B) Start playing like a basketball player and not like a whiny bitch
C) Stop Thinking and let the game flow to/through him
D) or fall flat on his face against San Antone and Dallas, get humbled to the point he HAS to bend to the program

The tell tale sign is in a Steve Nash quote. He was asked what it meant to move Kurt Thomas to the bench and start Amare. Nash stated "I guess it's worth a shot". That sums it up. When Nash is geting tired of the act, he won't hold back about it. He's hoping that Amare gets his ass in gear without his head in it. That's why I love the MVP. He's cool, calm, never gets too excited about things, but he knows what needs to take place. Guys need to get on board and play "Suns Basketball" for more than one quarter at a time.

Thank GOD Krazy-Eyes Kurt is a consummate pro and can handle doing what the team needs (as far as the basketball part goes, anyway)

Now, if we can just get Diaw in form. He's out of the starting lineup in exchange for Barbosa. This actually makes sense from a basketball perspective, not as much for behavioral reasons. Bringing Diaw off the bench as a point-forward makes Diaw a tough matchup for the Spurs AND gets Barbosa'a speed into the starting lineup.

And lastly, let's break Marcus Banks of the jack-it-up mentality. Psst... Marcus. Come 'ere a minute... Suns basketball works like this. Push, push, push, penetrate and get the ball to the easiest shot... it's ok to shoot, but make sure it's the best shot available on the floor before you hoist it up. Just firing up long jumpers ISN'T Suns basketball...

It's not a big game and it is tonight... huge if we win and hopefully something we can build on if we lose (that sounds like loser talk, eh?)

Go Suns!