All eyes are on Amare.
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

By John Schuhmann

You could call them question marks. Or maybe X-factors. Call them whatever you want. These guys have something to prove this season. NBA.com gives you 10 players (in alphabetical order) who will be under the microscope in 2006-07. For various reasons, all eyes are on them.

Next up is Amare Stoudemire.

On the Spot Index

There's probably no player under a bigger microscope than Amare Stoudemire. Before his surgery, he showed the potential to be the best big man in the league ... sooner rather than later. Without him in '05-06, the Suns made another strong run in the Western Conference, but to get over the hump, they need STAT.

His preseason has been hit-or-miss and the bigger issue right now may be getting in synch with his teammates rather than the condition of his knees. We know he has been working on his shooting and ball-handling, but his athleticism will always be what makes Amare who he is. And right now, we're very curious to find out if he is who he was.

"Stoudemire's yearlong journey through two knee surgery rehabilitations has given him plenty of doubts, but his recent on-court performances, such as the 15 points he scored Sunday in a 99-91 preseason victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, will keep him moving ahead.

"Two months ago, Stoudemire was supposed to play here for USA Basketball but left town early after some sluggish practices. Stoudemire said this summer that he would be back in Las Vegas in February for the NBA All-Star Game.

"On Sunday, Stoudemire's performance was somewhere in between but much further ahead than at the start of training camp. He cleaned up a Marcus Banks miss with a rocking, two-handed slam. He got caught under the basket, only to reverse his course and dunk. He even played more defense than he did most of the time before the knee surgeries, blocking shots from the weak side and coming up with five steals - "I've been watching Raja Bell tapes on defense," Stoudemire joked - to finish a nice stat line that included nine rebounds (four offensive)."
-- Paul Coro, Arizona Republic

"Without the 6-foot-10 Stoudemire, the Suns advanced to the Western Conference finals, ultimately falling to Dallas in a gritty six-game series. Imagine how good this team can be if he returns to his previous form. His Vegas stat line was as oversized as his wingspan: 15 points, nine rebounds, five steals, four personal fouls, three turnovers and two blocks. He played 31 minutes (more than any other player), including the entire fourth quarter, the most game action he has seen since he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee last April 5, which followed the microfracture surgery on his left knee last October."
-- Richard Deitsch, SI.com

"The list of players who were robbed of all but assured greatness by injuries (most of them to the knees) is long as it is depressing: Grant Hill, Penny Hardaway, Chris Webber, Allan Houston, Jamal Mashburn … With each passing day, a similar fate seems to be awaiting the gifted Stoudemire. Last season, he missed all but three games, and already this summer there has been talk of continuous knee trouble. Can he return to the dominant and unstoppable force he was pre-surgery? Every basketball fan should hope so."
-- SLAM Online