Amar’e Stoudemire has been looked at as both a savior and an injury-prone, overpaid superstar who has broken down just as many analysts predicted he would.
Stoudemire has one year remaining on a five-year, $100 million contract he signed in 2010 that will pay him $23 million this season. Theoretically, if STAT were able to play more than 70 games this season, in some crazy world, would general manager Phil Jackson decide to stick with him?
Stoudemire joined the Knicks at a time when superstars were plentiful in free agency, and the team was looking to make a splash after their best player, David Lee, was dealt to Golden State. Stoudemire was coming off a season in which he started all 82 games for the first time in his career. The Knicks, or rather James Dolan, were desperate to shake off a decade mired in bad contracts. Well, you can add Stoudemire’s to the list.
Stoudemire, a freakish athlete, had one spectacular season for New York, doing it virtually all on his own. He was the man. In 2010, the then 28-year-old played out of position at center, where he enjoyed significant mismatches every night. He even made the starters around him better; Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari were on their way to career years before being traded. Stoudemire averaged a career-high in assists in 2010-11, with about three per game.
But then, in a power play by Dolan, the Knicks sent a few draft picks and a suite of players, including Chandler and Gallinari, over to Denver for Carmelo Anthony and additional prospects. Valuable pick and roll point guard Raymond Felton was included in that package. Stoudemire’s game was clearly effected and his field goal percentage dropped a full percentage point from the end of February to the season finale.
Three seasons later, New York has made it out of the first round of the playoffs only once and Stoudemire has missed a total of 105 games. His knee troubles have stayed with him throughout his career. Back issues also surfaced as well.
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He has lost a lot of the explosiveness that once made him one of the most difficult players to guard on the block. Now, after multiple surgeries, and a few coaching changes; the big man has to adapt to a new offense yet again. With Phil Jackson, and his disciple Derek Fisher, instituting the triangle offense this year, Stoudemire will be asked to set more screens, roll to the rim and could even receive open jump shots.
"“It’s been great to finally go through a summer where I can just focus on basketball and maintain the ability and strength, the previous summers I pretty much rehabbed,” said Stoudemire during Knicks media day, adding. “When I finally made it back to New York, I spoke with Kurt Rambis a tad bit on offensive strategies.”"
Stoudemire appears to as dedicated as any of his Knick teammates. The triangle can be fairly complex to learn and is designed to open up the floor, something the Knicks desperately need with the likes of Anthony and Stoudemire on the roster. For Stoudemire’s case, let’s take a look at what former Laker Pau Gasol was able to achieve while playing for Phil Jackson.
Gasol’s aggressiveness, while still drawing more than 150 fouls per season under Jackson, took a hit as his number of dunks declined. Dunk numbers aren’t a big part of Gasol’s game, whom is more of a finesse big man, and can shoot the ball from the corners, posting up and has a little sky hook shot. Gasol attempted more than twice as many jump shots than any other form of scoring during his last season with Jackson.
Whether or not Stoudemire is fully recovered from knee surgery last offseason is uncertain. However, because of Stoudemire’s versatility, it’s very possible he thrives in Fisher’s offense. The main factor in all of this, besides his health, is how he’s utilized on the floor with Anthony. Anthony has never been much of a willing passer, comparable to when Gasol had Bryant–a more willing passer– back in Los Angeles. When STAT and Anthony shared the floor last season, which wasn’t a whole lot, they were outrebounded, outscored and hardly made it to the free-throw line, which is very surprising.
Aside from play on the floor, let’s take a look at the cap situation and those who have been in similar situations, like Stoudemire, as their career’s have winded down.
"“Assuming New York renounces every one of its cap holds, the team will have about $18 million in cap room next summer,” said MattRW for SB Nation. “They could go even further by refusing to extend Shump a qualifying offer, waiving Pablo, and not picking up the Team Options on Larkin and Timmy. This would give the Knicks almost $26.5 million in space.”"
Pelican Debrief
The Knicks have several qualifying offers that they could give to players, team options and non-guaranteed contracts next offseason. A couple of players, like the undrafted Langston Galloway and Travis Wear, could be waived or demoted; while Pablo Prigioni will be another year older. Stoudemire will turn 32 in a little over a month. His head coach is monitoring his progress in training camp.
"“Amare’s on a very specific plan so we’re just managing it the best way we can for him first and foremost,” Fisher told Peter Botte. “But it’s also about our team. If we can have Amar’e available every night this year, we’ll be a lot better off. We’re just trying to be smart with him, as well."
He will be due for a steep paycut, as well as comparable overpaid forward, Carlos Boozer, following this season. If Stoudemire plays more than 70 games and averages near 14-15 points and five to six rebounds per game, than you can maybe justify giving him a two-year contract, worth around $9-10 million. If his season is once again hampered by injuries then we will most likely see a bi-annual exception used on the six-time All-Star. Jackson would be able to award Stoudemire with a mid-level exception of up to $5 million, but most likely $3 million because the team is expected to be under the cap.
Jackson will be reluctant to sign a 32-year-old Stoudemire because of the attractive free agents that will be on the market next offseason including Pistons center Greg Monroe as well as front court mate Andre Drummond, DeAndre Jordan, Omer Asik and early favorite, Marc Gasol.
Stoudemire once joined the Knicks to be the face of a franchise shackled by the grasps of mediocrity and tyranny (Dolan). He has went through the ringer from media scrutiny to injuries. It would be bittersweet to see a bit of the old STAT return in 2014-15. His future in blue and orange depends on it.