I don't think that's something to be taken literally. Obviously Z wanted to play in the game. He probably said that because he has too much pride to beg for PT, but it was obvious he was upset with the decision. Why else would he avoid reporters if not playing was his own idea?
It wouldn't be surprising at all that he'd deny it even if its true. That's what you'd do if you're trying to diffuse the situation.
The alternative to begging for PT is not telling your coach you don't want to play. That's the last thing any player should tell his coach. Totally the wrong reaction from Ilgauskas, if that's indeed what happened.
That's like a child threatening to "run away and never come back", or an employee threatening to resign. Its an instinctive reaction that usually happens when you're upset about something, you try to act like you don't care. Brown probably called his bluff, and gave Z his first DNP-CD in his entire career. If Z had been Sprewell or Artest, you bet Brown would have been strangled by now.
Um, Channing Frye played 40 mins that game, and Stoudemire played 30 mins. Amare does post up, but he also shoots a lot of perimeter jumpers and drives to the hoop like a guard, and Frye is a poor man's Dirk at this point. I'd say a front court of Frye and Amare are as much a perimeter frontcourt as any in the league.
I don't think you're getting the point. in all of Z's career, when he has been healthy, he never had a 'DNP' before, this was the first time ever, and this was also "coincidentally", the game he would have broke the record on. Z had flown his friends, and his family to witness the great moment, but Mr. Potato head coach was an idiot and didn't play him for even 10 minutes. Z got the record the next game, but it didn't feel the same, he didn't even look happy, none of the players on the bench looked happy, it was much different when he got the rebounding record the year prior, everyone looked happy including him. out of all the coaches on the elite teams, there is no doubt in my mind that Mike Brown is the worst one by far, he should just be a defensive assistant.
Um, look at the lineups the Suns had on the floor when Ilgauskas was in the game. Simply better matchups there than he'd have against the Mavs.
