Amar'e Stoudemire Done for Season

With Phoenix on the outside looking in on the Western conference playoff picture, one saving grace for a late season run was the potential return of All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire.

The Arizona Republic reported on Thursday that Stoudemire, who had previously been expected to return for the playoffs, will be out for the remainder of the season with a torn retina.

"Not this season, not at all," said Dr. Pravin Dugel, the Valley eye surgeon who operated on Stoudemire's detached retina two weeks ago. "The Suns have the same goal - to make sure he can resume his career.

"It's very difficult to explain to anyone how serious this is. It's more serious than any knee or ankle surgery. The healing is excruciatingly slow and delicate."

This is obviously tough news for Suns fans, but the truth is, they weren't making a title run this season. Giving Stoudemire adequate time to recover is the best possible scenario.

This injury that occurred on Feb. 18 against the Clippers was the second time his eye had been damaged this season, and Amar'e said he will most likely wear protective goggles the rest of his career.

"Now it's a matter of just waiting for his body to resorb the fluid," Dugel said. "So far, it's resorbing slowly."

The only way to accelerate resorbing of the thick fluid is through surgery, which would require a gas bubble that could cause a cataract.

Yeah, I think I can speak for Amar'e when I say, the words "gas bubble" and "cataract" in the same sentence are reason enough to take a little extra time to recover. The Suns, who sit ninth in the West, face off against the Rockets at 8:30 PM ET on Friday.