Amar'e on goggles, the running Suns and young point guards

Twenty-two hours a day, 10 long, incredibly boring days. That's how much time Amar'e Stoudemire logged face down -- face down! -- after having fluid drained from his right eye in July, the eye in which he endured surgery in February for a detached retina. It was as scary as it was tedious, giving the Phoenix Suns' still-young but injury-hampered power forward time to think. Ponder. And re-commit to his All-Star career, with its Hall of Fame potential and its lack of championship rings.

The bright side in Stoudemire's trial by bed rest was that he did have time to reflect and, of course, that it worked. He is back now, not quite what he has been as a player --- Stoudemire averaged 26 points and 8.9 rebounds in 2004-05 and 25.2 and 9.1 two years ago --- but plenty good, and flaking off rust with each performance. He's the only player in the NBA who ranks in the top 15 in both scoring average (19.9) and in field-goal percentage (58.5), and in the seven games prior to Tuesday's contest at New York, he had averaged 22.1 ppg while shooting 67.4 percent from the field and 77.5 percent from the foul line. Better still, he's got a renewed appreciation for the simple joy of playing. Said Suns teammate Grant Hill, who knows a thing or two about persevering through what could have been career-enders: "Sometimes when you have some misfortune and you have to really fight to get your career back --- and you have that early --- I think that really shapes things as you continue your career. Going through those injuries and setbacks can help you understand how to take care of your body. I think Amar'e's got another 10 good years left in him.''

One month into the first season of the rest of his career, I caught up Stoudemire for a locker-room chat:

NBA.com: You were sort of on the "Grant Hill NBA career arc'' for a while there, missing almost the whole 2005-06 season to knee surgeries (including microfracture work on the left one in October 2005) and then shutting down early last winter with the torn retina in your right eye. Do you find some hope in the fact that Grant has been so healthy for you guys (playing in 169 of 181 games since signing with Phoenix, including 99 in a row through the weekend). Steve Nash seems to motor along just fine, too, at a ripe ol' age.

Amar'e Stoudemire: Absolutely. Watching Grant and Steve, these guys are fairly young but the NBA calls them "old.'' They're 37 and 35 and both guys are playing phenomenal at their age. It gives young guys the motivation to keep working and keep improving, and go for that longevity.

NBA.com: Your recovery process sounds pretty grueling, all that time face down, all the discipline needed to stick with it. But you make it sound as if the time you missed was even worse.

AS: It absolutely was. It was definitely tough to go through. Last year, I thought we had a chance to go to the playoffs, go a little further, so it was definitely frustrating from that standpoint. At the same time, I knew this season it would be very important for us to bounce back and regain our respect in the league. So I wanted to make sure I got healthy. So far, I have been and we've been done well.

NBA.com: So far, so good wearing the goggles?

AS: I prefer not to . But for the most part, I have to. Just for the simple fact of protecting the eye. So I've gotten adjusted to it. I can't take another hit. It would be bad if I got poked again.

NBA.com: It seems odd to say, given the Suns' success in recent years overall. But the failure of the Shaquille O'Neal acquisition and the coaching changes led to what Grant called "no expectations at all'' among a lot of NBA fans for your team. What has made the difference, to the point of having the league's best record (14-3 heading into Tuesday's game at New York)?

AS: One, the guys are back healthy, 100 percent, good to go. We all started together since training camp -- that kind of builds the camaraderie there. Also, two, with Alvin [Gentry, head coach] implementing the offensive schemes, it's gotten everybody comfortable. Everybody knows their spacing, where they should be and the hot spots from where they can score. So we can practice that way. We can gain some momentum. Also our camaraderie. We get along very well and that's showing on the basketball court.

NBA.com: You were out after a couple of minutes tonight [Stoudemire picked up his second foul at 9:29 of the first quarter at Minnesota Friday]. Then the way the game went, you sat and watched the whole fourth quarter. Frustrating night?

AS: That was the first time this whole season that I got into foul trouble early. But there's always two halves to a game. So I kept my composure and kind of motivated the guys a little bit from the sideline. They kept it going fairly well. Came out in the third quarter and wanted to jump on them again, and we did that. [Stoudemire scored 10 of his 12 points in the third, playing only 18:11 in the 120-95 victory.]

NBA.com: The danger in games like this is playing down to your opponents' level. How do you guard against that in what, let's face it, is a long, tiring season?

AS: You've definitely got to bring your 'A' game. Games like this, teams like this, you've really got to really focus. There's no other way about it. This can be a getaway game for us. At the same time, on the flip side, they could be really motivated to get this win. It may help turn their season around. So we attacked early and kept it on all night.

NBA.com: Given a fresh start on your career this season, did you come into training camp determined to improve any specific part of your game?

AS: Defense is what I'm focusing on this year. Really, really focusing on that aspect. Weak side. Just trying to put ball pressure on. Create some havoc out there. I can honestly say I've improved this year so far.

NBA.com: Does the same go for the Suns? You guys aren't thought of as lockdown defenders, you know.

AS: As a unit, I think we're playing solid defense out there. We might not be the best defensive team in the league, but I think we're good enough to create the havoc that we need.

NBA.com: From Mike D'Antoni to Terry Porter to Alvin Gentry, there was a lot of shifting in coaching styles going on with you guys. What's working now with Gentry?

AS: For the most part, he's aggressive in making sure we understand how good we can be. The offensive plays that we're running are great, they get everybody in motion. The up-tempo style of game gets everybody in their hot spots, keeps 'em in their comfort zone. Defensively, there's no letdowns. He makes sure everybody's held accountable at their positions in their rotations and their responsibilities. To me, everybody's accepting that.

NBA.com: Already there is speculation about what you will do next summer and where you might end up. [Stoudemire holds a $17.7 million player option for 2010-11, and he has been the subject of trade rumors both last season and this season.] You've talked about "your legacy.'' Are you thinking a lot about what the future holds for you -- and where?

AS: No. No. Not at all. I'm simply enjoying my time here. Work with teammates and try to win. That's what's on my mind right now, keep playing the way we are and hopefully it will work out for both of us [team and him].

NBA.com: People consider the "Shaq era'' in Phoenix to be a bust. It certainly crowded you in the low post when you were together. Where was it left with you guys, and how do you look back at his time with the Suns?

AS: Shaq's still a friend. But we're playing great this season, so we can't look back. All we can do is look forward. And try to improve.

NBA.com: The league is brimming with terrific young point guards, so if you do end up playing somewhere else, you'll have a good chance of ending up with a great playmaker. From Deron Williams and Chris Paul to Rajon Rondo, Brandon Jennings and Jonny Flynn, what do you make of the new breed?

AS: I still prefer our older point guard. There's a great crop of young guys coming into the league now and playing well at the position. So it's going to be exciting for the future. But I think Steve is pretty much the same since I've been here. He's been playing great for us, since he became a Phoenix Sun again.

Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA for 25 years. You can e-mail him here.

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