Amundson making new strides in his game

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Last season was a breakthrough for Louis Amundson as it was his first chance to get regular playing time and showcase his abilities, but he isn't satisfied.

"I'm looking forward to doing it again this year," Amundson said after practice on Thursday.

Amundson was one of the few bright spots in the Suns' season last year. He consistently provided a spark off the bench providing defense and rebounding. He ended up playing in 76 games and nearly averaging 14 minutes a game. Amundson's individual stats of 3.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game don't accurately measure his worth to the team because of the energy he brought to the Suns every game.

This year, Amundson hopes to bring some scoring to the table to go along with his energy. The Suns hired a shooting coach to help Amundson with his shot and the organization is already seeing some improvement.

"His shot looks 100 times better," said Suns GM Steve Kerr after practice on Thursday.

Coach Alvin Gentry is also impressed with Amundson's newfound shooting ability and sees a potential for an increased role for him.

"If he can step out on the floor and make a 18-20 foot shot, with the way he plays for us and the energy he brings, that probably will get him more playing time," Gentry said.

Gentry said that Amundson's improved shooting has also helped him to improve on his major weakness: free-throw shooting. Amundson shot a dreadful 44 percent from the foul line last season.

"He has a lot more confidence shooting the ball out on the floor and when you do that usually your free throw shooting improves. I think he'll shoot them much better this year," said Gentry.

Amundson described his poor foul shooting as more of a mental block.

"It's a different type of shot than when you're in the flow of the game. Everybody's stopped and kind of looking at you. It can get in your head a little bit," Amundson said.

He has focused this summer on coming up with a routine that will hopefully lead to more consistency in his shooting.

"I've worked really hard this summer on my shot," said Amundson.

He is also among those excited to see the Suns revert back to their fast break style of play.

"It kind of feeds into how I like to play, real up-tempo and up and down," said Amundson.

Still, Kerr wants Amundson to bring the same components on the basketball floor as he did last season.

"We love his energy. We love his defense. My expectation for Lou this year is to improve his foul shooting and to remember what got him this far," Kerr said.

In addition, Kerr believes that Amundson is in the beginning process of reaching new levels in his game.

"Over the course of his career, he's going to make gradual improvements to the point he'll be able to expand his game," he said.

Sports 620 KTAR's Johny Villarreal contributed to this report