ESPNMAG.com - Stoudemire's unpolished skills

Amare Stoudemire isn't embarrassed. "You could say I'm raw," he says.

Yeah, and so is a freshly mined 20-carat diamond. There are some rough edges in the Phoenix Suns forward's game. So what?

Amare Stoudemire
Phoenix phenom Amare Stoudemire is drawing double teams as a rookie.
That's the consensus of the people in the Suns' front office, which drafted him, and Orlando general manager John Gabriel, who wanted to draft him.

"The thing he has that you can't replicate is energy, drive, and a reckless abandon and passion for the game," says Gabriel, who made an effort to trade up for Stoudemire last summer. "Combine that with his God-given ability, and the sky's the limit."

After a half-season in the league, Stoudemire's rebounding and thunderous finishing have made him the steal of the draft and a contender in what's shaping up as an Affirmed-Alydar race for Rookie of the Year with Yao Ming.

He has shortcomings, say coaches and scouts:

He's still figuring out what to do with double teams -- how to recognize and anticipate them, how to pass out of them, when to repost in the block.

Defensively, he still gets lost at times.

He's almost entirely right-handed, and a veteran like Karl Malone knows how to strip him of his dribble.

He doesn't have a jumper yet.

Again, so what?

"What he's done has been remarkable when you factor in what he has had to absorb," Suns general manager Bryan Colangelo said. "He's learning things like team defense, and new rules that don't allow you to stay in the lane on defense. Until this fall, he's effectively been playing with zero rules. There will be bumps in the road, but he's done a tremendous job of adapting."

For every negative, the Suns anticipate a positive. Take the double teams. The fact that Stoudemire draws them means he's far exceeded anyone's expectations for his rookie year -- and his learning curve so far indicates he'll learn how to deal with them soon enough.

On defense, he makes up for his lapses with his effort, which combined with his long arms and athleticism, leads to blocked and altered shots. He's so quick to his right, all he needs to perfect is a dribble or two to his left to flummox most power forwards. The Magic's Gabriel doesn't think that will be a problem for him.

“ (Stoudemire) carries the same quickness and high-speed agility in everything he does. He accelerates through every part of the game, with or without the ball, and you can't say that about many people his size. ”

— John Gabriel

"He carries the same quickness and high-speed agility in everything he does," Gabriel said. "He accelerates through every part of the game, with or without the ball, and you can't say that about many people his size."

He's already developed a nifty little jump hook inside, and every once in a while shows a one-hand runner that calls to mind George McGinnis -- or a kid with a Nerf ball. Expect a real jumper to develop eventually. Guys who practice against him say Stoudemire's release point is a bit low, a habit from being the tallest guy on the high-school court, but his form is fine.

"The question you ask when you try to anticipate how a guy will improve is 'Is the base solid enough to build on?' " Gabriel said. "With him, it is. Just take a look at his free throws -- 67 percent. That's really good for a rookie."

About the only thing that can stop Stoudemire's development is a runaway ego or a lush life. But he's shown no signs of succumbing. Coaches and opponents universally praise his professionalism, and Stoudemire lights up when asked what he's trying to improve. "I'm working on a one-dribble pull-up," he says, "and the coaches are showing me how to make good crisp moves."

In other words, look out. That big rough diamond in Phoenix wants to get polished.

Luke Cyphers writes for ESPN the Magazine.