Will Amar’e Stoudemire have a role on the New York Knicks this season? (Flickr.com photo by Bryan Horowitz)
“The Knicks are back.”
And they were. Amar’e Stoudemire‘s declaration after signing a five-year, $100 million (completely uninsured) contract was bold, but it proved to be accurate as well. After a decade of futility and mismanagement, there was finally light at the end of the tunnel. “Stat” was the first free-agent to sign in the fabled 2010 offseason that forever changed the landscape of the NBA; the first domino to fall.
With the acquisition of Amar’e, the Knicks finally had an identity. A superstar they could build around. In that first season in New York, Stoudemire earned every cent of his $20 million, averaging 24.7 points and eight rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor. The Knickerbockers were back in the postseason and there was a tangible buzz at the Garden that hadn’t been there since Patrick Ewing was unceremoniously sent packing. A year later, New York would swing a trade with Denver and land Carmelo Anthony. The city had two superstars now and Amar’e Stoudemire’s decision to play in New York spearheaded everything.
But there’s a reason why Amar’e Stoudemire’s contract is uninsured. The medical staff of the Phoenix Suns is considered to be the NBA’s best and red flag No. 1 for the Knicks should have been when said medical staff advised their organization against offering Stoudemire, then a 27-year-old considered to be one the best power forwards in the NBA, any sort of competitive long-term contract.
Now here we are, entering year four of the Stoudemire era in New York and at age 31, Amar’e can no longer stay healthy. He’s had multiple mircrofracture surgeries on both knees and missed significant time during the 2012-13 season, the best year the New York Knicks have had since going to the NBA Finals in 1999. The ironic part? New York has proved to be better without Stat’s help; as seen by their 21-9 start with Amar’e sidelined and strong finish when he re-aggravated his injury.
The Knicks had an interesting offseason. They went out and added Andrea Barnani, a stretch 4 who specializes as a perimeter threat with size. Metta World Peace is now in the fold, a player who can defend both forward spots well and hit corner 3-pointers at an above average rate. Factor in the success the Knicks have had with Carmelo Anthony playing power forward and where does that leave Amar’e Stoudemire? Stat doesn’t defend well, never has. So bringing World Peace in to shore up that front line, a major weakness a year ago, makes sense. But the acquisition of Bargnani may mean the end of Stoudemire playing big minutes as a New York Knick.
Bargnani figures to play major minutes with Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler. His ability to stretch the floor will give Melo the proper space he needs to operate in the low post and create sizable lanes for Chandler to run the pick-and-roll with Raymond Felton. Stoudemire hasn’t meshed well with Anthony in New York and Melo and Stoudemire would be nightmare defensively for the Knicks. Metta’s defense will keep him on the floor, particularly in key spots against marquee opponents. Plus with all the trouble Amar’e has had staying healthy, will New York be a little more cautious next season? Maybe sit him on back-to-backs? The more you look at it, the less likely Amar’e Stoudemire fits into the Knicks plans.
Yes, the Knicks are back and they’re back because Amar’e Stoudemire brought them back. Unfortunately, health will rob him from seeing the fruits of all the groundwork he laid. The Knicks will be good next season, maybe even great. But Amar’e won’t be a major factor in 2013-14.
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