Miami Heat: Revitalized Amar’e Stoudemire Key To Success

Can you measure the impact of happiness?

That’s the question that the Miami Heat are hoping will be answered soon by free agent acquisition Amar’e Stoudemire. A low-key signing during the offseason, many looked at Stoudemire’s injury-plagued career and considered it a solid but underwhelming addition. But he looks … well, happy, since joining the Heat and that could make all the difference for the team this season.

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Shortly after the signing, I broke down what Stoudemire could potentially contribute to the team. That analysis might still be valid but you also can’t discount how a revitalized sense of purpose might make him a more productive player.

In Miami, Stoudemire’s personality seems to mesh well with other superstars, particularly Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. They share interests off the court, a love of fashion and film and the bright lights of stardom.

Stoudemire, a Florida native, has had a home in Southwest Ranches for the past eight years, living just blocks away from new teammate Udonis Haslem. As he told the Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman, “I’m home now.”

We tend to dismiss how a player’s level of contentment can make a difference. Too often, we see the over-sized gladiators and think only of how they play, not considering how they might actually feel. But feeling at ease — or possibly at “home” — might help Stoudemire’s renewal.

He seems to know his place at this point in his career, acknowledging that the past year-and-a-half have been a “roller coaster ride,” one that saw him bought out by the New York Knicks during an abysmal season and then join the Dallas Mavericks for a failed playoff run.

But Stoudemire told Winderman that he’s “enthused and excited” and confirmed that he plans to contribute to Miami’s quest for a championship, which he explained to the New York Post as a realistic goal:

"“We can be a really good team. No one thought that the Golden State Warriors would be champions this time last year. We knew theyâ€™d be a really good team, but no one thought theyâ€™d be world champions. With us, we know weâ€™re a really good team. No one thinks we can be world champions, but you never know.”"

Stoudemire has been an active presence in workouts, even before the team begins training camp next week. He seems to have a good grasp of the team’s culture, a key to his transition this season:

"“From playing against Miami, the thing that you learn is that they always have a competitive spirit. There’€™s an aura around here that everyone works hard, that you have to be in top shape, which is great because I want to be in the best shape of my life going into this season. I want to surprise the world and have a very, very productive year.”"

The weight of his huge contract in New York was too much for his balky knees to handle; every missed game was a painful reminder that the Knicks had made a poor long-term investment. With the Mavericks, he played a complementary role but the team fell apart as the season progressed, through no fault of Stoudemire’s, who simply just didn’t have enough time to fit in.

That doesn’t appear to be the case now, as both player and team have mutually embraced the other. For all that fans sometimes loathe about free agency — the mercenary attitude, the perceived lack of “loyalty” — it’s a welcome sight to see such a seamless fit.

Stoudemire likely won’t go return to his All-Star form with the Heat, but he could wind up making a huge impact off the bench. And playing alongside Goran Dragic, a former Suns’ point guard who contributed to Stoudemire’s best seasons in Phoenix, could lead to some fabulous pick-and-roll dunks, a sense of deja vu that translates physically.

It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see Stoudemire provide additional scoring and rebounding from the power forward or center position this season, all with a big smile across his face.

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