PHOENIX -- Amare Stoudemire expects to be in the lineup when the Phoenix Suns open the season against the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 31.
Not only that, he expects to be as dominant as he was before knee surgery sidelined him for all but three games last season.
"That's what I'm striving for," Stoudemire said Friday. "So far, so good. The past few weeks, it's been improvement, so if it can just keep improving, keep getting stronger, I should be 100 percent, no doubt about it, by the first game of the season."
The 24-year-old Stoudemire had microfracture surgery on his left knee last October, shortly after he signed a five-year, $73 million contract. He returned for three games in March but quickly abandoned the comeback. Wear and tear forced surgery on his right knee, and the forward spent the offseason rehabilitating.
Stoudemire's health dominated the talk at the team's annual media day, which marked the start of two long journeys.
The first began Friday. Immediately after their media session, the Suns left for Italy, where they will begin a 14-day trip that includes a preseason game in Rome and two more in Cologne, Germany.
The second journey begins Oct. 31, and the Suns hope it won't end until the NBA Finals.
Coach Mike D'Antoni said Stoudemire's prediction that he'll play in the opener is "realistic." But D'Antoni also believes the team will be deeper with the return of defense-oriented forward Kurt Thomas, who missed 29 games and nearly all the playoffs with a stress fracture in his right foot, and with newcomers Marcus Banks and Jumaine Jones.
"We're a better team in every way that you want to put it," said D'Antoni, himself recovering from offseason knee surgery.
Even without Stoudemire, the Suns breezed to the Pacific Division title last season and advanced to the Western Conference finals for the second consecutive time.
"There's no use lying," D'Antoni said. "We think we're one of the top four teams, and we should play for a title, and that should be our goal whether we get there or not. Obviously, what is this, 38 years and we haven't gotten one here, so it's not going to be easy.
"We're going to need some luck down the stretch and everybody kind of fit together. We've got to get Amare over the hump of coming back. He's got until Oct. 31 for the first test, and then after that we'll see."
If Stoudemire returns at full strength, he could be the piece the Suns need to end their season with a victory parade down Central Avenue.
BUCKCARDFAN 
