Stoudeimire: 'We were an inch' from title Paul Coro The Arizona Republic Jun. 15, 2007 03:58 PM There was somebody who watched all of the NBA Finals this year. Amaré Stoudemire, as painful as it was, did so. San Antonio swept Cleveland, making the Suns the only postseason team to challenge the Spurs when they had their second-round series tied at 2. “I think it helps us because it lets us know we were this close to winning a championship, an inch from winning a championship,” said Stoudemire, lamenting the Game5 suspension he received but saying he would not appeal it and does not think the bench rule needs to be changed. “It just played out that that Stoudemire guy wasn't able to play.” Stoudemire has been working out regularly this month on the practice court with assistant coach Phil Weber after taking the end of May off. “I can't help it,” Stoudemire said. “I just can't leave the court. I guess you can call me a basketholic.” Stoudemire is preparing for USA Basketball duties this summer with two minicamps and an Olympic qualifying tournament this summer. He also will take his first college class, Global History 101, next month at Arizona State.
good for him. the suns got flat out robbed by the league, who practically handed the spurs the title w/ those b.s. suspensions. that is the series that made me a spurs hater, but gave me a little respect for the suns. i hope they use it as a motivator to come back strong next year. sounds like that is stoudamire's approach.
That Stoudemire guy was available for Game 1 as I recall, and they still managed to blow the game at home.
exactly. they could've lost game 5 anyway. people like to use the suspension as an excuse, like it's a given the suns would've won.
a rule's a rule... sorry tough guy, dont leave the bench next time FYI- not one of the owners even brought up the rule change at the annual owners meting- its going to stay in place, which is what the players on the bench wil need to do in order to avoid a suspension
Yeah, Suns owner brought it up for discussion and it was shoot down by Larry Bird. Larry Bird also suffered from this rule. When Bird coached the Pacers vs the Bulls in the playoffs, Ron Harper and Reggie Miller scuffed each other in a play and Jalen Rose get away from bench to look and Rose was gone for Gm 7. I dont think the NBA or the owners want to change it anyway. Anything ugly happens on the court, the media will sure turn around and call NBA a "thug" league.
They might have been an inch away from beating the Spurs, but not an inch away from the championship as Stoudamire suggested. Am I the only one thinks that the Jazz would have given the Suns a tough time? They match up very well against running teams. Look at how the Jazz handled the Suns in the regular season and the Warriors in the playoffs.
It certainly wasn't a given at all that they would beat the spurs, but the nose injury to nash in game 1 and the suspensions didn't help at all. Oh well- if "if's" and "buts".....
i wanted to suns to win that series because i dont really like the spurs that much and yes he did get suspended and so did diaw and that did change the course of the series. whether or not they would have won is questionable because they had a chance to win game one but that bloody nose didnt help matters any. you take the best suns player off for the last minute and your chances of winning is decreased dramatically. i don't think the suns would have beat the spurs for sure if they had amare and diaw but we'll never really know.
I also think the Jazz would've been much tougher challenge for Phoenix than they were for San Antonio. The Jazz lost that serious because they had no answers for Tim Duncan (on both sides of the ball) and the Spurs could match their aggressive play. With Phoenix, the Jazz aggressive play would have worked in their favor along with the Suns tendacies to have break downs on defense in the paint and on the perimeter. I think Fisher and Williams would have done superb job on Nash, while both body him up on offense. The Suns also wouldn't have answer for Carlos Boozer, he would destoyed them the same way he did the Warriors. With Okur and Ak-47, they would've dominated the boards. I think the Suns would've eventually won the series, but it would've went the distance with the Suns barely escaping. I think they still have shot next year, it might be a little bit tougher with how much better the other teams get and if whether or not they lose Shawn Marion. If they do lose him, they won't make to NBA Finals. He's really their best all-round player.
Suns would have blown out the Jazz. They are more under control than the Warriors and most importantly, have big men to counter Boozer.
The Suns would've won Game 5 vs. the Spurs had Amare not been suspended. Hell, they nearly won it without him and Diaw. The question is would they have won Game 7? I'd lean towards yes since it would've been in Phoenix and San Antonio is not very good in elimination games. But we'll never know. Either way, the 2007 title is tainted thanks to David Stern and Stu Jackson.
Suns don't need to do anything roster wise to contend for the title next year. They gotta stand pat and keep Marion. That's it. These guys can beat the Spurs.
The Suns are this decades Jazz, except they can't make it to the Finals. I predict the Suns never win it all with this group and are getting worse by the end of the decade, when Nash starts to slow down...
I think sun might be cursed. Missing joe johnson or whoever 3 years ago, then amare last year, then well, the suspension this year.
I think the Suns would have won game 5 and could have closed the Spurs out in game 6. In game 6, their starters were exhausted from game 5 because of being short-handed. Just my opinion, but I thought the series shifted when Phoenix stormed back and took game 4. The Spurs looked shellshocked and were ripe to be taken down. I tend to view this title as somewhat tainted because I agree with Amare's statement. This was the Suns' year but Amare and Diaw lost it for them because of their own stupidity. The Spurs and Horry don't really deserve all that much blame. Horry was a sorry jerk for the foul but he didn't make those guys come off the bench. Suns fans should be upset at the two players for using very poor judgement. THEY, not Horry or Stern, cost Phoenix an NBA championship (IMO).
You can go back to the mid-70s and think this about the Suns. There is always something that bites them late in the regular season or playoffs. Their worst memories might be the two Clutch City years.
