Most devastating injury in Phoenix Suns history: Amar’e Stoudemire
Amar’e Stoudemire attained his borderline-superstar status serving as Steve Nash’s pick-and-roll dance partner in the mid-to-late-2000s, but he often struggled to stay healthy.
In eight seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Stoudemire played in at least 79 games five times. So the team grew accustomed to producing wins without him on the floor. But having a slashing, athletic forward like him in the lineup made things easier for everybody.
The most devastating injury during Stoudemire’s time in Phoenix occurred during the 2005-06 preseason when doctors discovered cartilage damage in his knee.
This forced him to miss all but three games that year, but it didn’t faze the Suns much during the regular season. They won 54 games and reached the Western Conference Finals, where they lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games.
In that series against the Mavericks, the Suns received surprise contributions from unknown role players like Tim Thomas and Boris Diaw, as their efforts helped compensate for the loss of their All-Star forward. But it’s fair to wonder if Phoenix could have gotten over the hump and reached the NBA Finals had Stoudemire been healthy.
Going forward, Stoudemire continued to accumulate nicks and bruises like this during the rest of his stay with the Suns. Once he signed with the New York Knicks, he was no longer the explosive player who could finish plays with some flair.