Amare Stoudemire to the Knicks
I haven’t posted much about the NBA in the past, but there this recent turn of events has given me something to say. I’m not a huge fan of the NBA - I guess I watch the occasional regular season game (although I do keep track on a daily basis), and I like to tune in during the post season. I’m not really a Knicks fan, but I guess I am now by default. After jumping around a few times to follow my favorite stars (Penny Hardaway to the Magic, T-Mac to the Rockets), I figured I might as well just call myself a Knicks “fan”. I always cheer for the hometown team (unless they were playing against a team I considered my favorite) so I guess the Knicks just made sense for me to follow.
Anyway, after about a decade of terrible basketball, the New York Knicks turned to Donnie Walsh to fix their roster. In an effort to clear up cap space to get LeBron James, Walsh gave us 2 seasons of sub-par (although on par with the previous seasons with Isaiah Thomas at the helm) basketball. And then on Monday, July 5th, the Knicks have agreed to terms with Amare Stoudemire - the new face of the franchise. In response, the only thing I have to say is… “WHAT THE HECK!?” Let me get this right… after 2 years of waiting, the Knicks are going to settle for Amare Stoudemire as the face of the franchise? Are you kidding me!?
Let us do a comparison:
Player A: 82 Games, 34.6 Minutes/Game, 56% FG%, 77% FT%, 23.1 Points/Game, 8.9 Rebounds/Game, 1 Assists/Game, 0.6 Steals/Game, 1.0 Blocks/Game, 2.6 Turnovers/Game
Player B: 81 Games, 37.3 Minutes/Game, 55% FG%, 81% FT%, 20.2 Points/Game, 11.7 Rebounds/Game, 3.6 Assists/Game, 1 Steals/Game, 0.5 Blocks/Game, 2.3 Turnovers/Game
Well, when comparing the 2 players, it looks as if the two players have similar scoring abilities, with Player A being a little better. Player B is obviously the better rebounder, and neither seem to be great defensive players. It certainly doesn’t seem like Player A is really better than Player B. Based on statistics alone, it seems as if Player A and Player B are comparable.
Well, let us add in the fact that Player A (Stoudemire) has had microfracture surgery on his knee before and has had a serious eye injury as well. Let us also add in the fact that Player A also had a 2-time MVP as his point guard with other players on his team that could help stretch the floor while Player B (David Lee) had some talent, but nowhere comparable to that of Player A’s cast. For argument’s sake, let’s just assume that playing in an up-tempo style will give Player B a statistical boost comparable to Player A’s statistical boost from playing on a good team.
Basically, the Knicks have passed on David Lee to sign someone statistically comparable. So you’ve signed David Lee with a knee and eye problem. So how are the Knicks any better off than they were before?
Okay, so you could argue that stats don’t tell the whole story. Let’s take a look at the player-types. Amare is an offensive monster. He has a nice mid-range jumper and is an excellent pick-and-roll player. His athletic and physical ability make him an excellent down low player as well. Stoudemire also doesn’t care about playing defense. His athleticism and physical gifts make him an excellent big man, perhaps one of the best in the league. On the other hand, Lee is a rebounding machine. He’s improved his mid-range jumper considerably. He is also a very good pick-and-roll player, although not as good as Amare. His work ethic and fundamentals allow him to beat opponents on the boards consistently. His low post moves are also probably not as good as Stoudemire’s either. On top of that, Lee struggles defensively and does not block many shots. Still, he will give an effort defensively. As opposed to Amare, even when his athletic and physical ability decline, Lee’s work ethic will allow him to remain a force to be reckoned with.
To me, the Knicks should have just re-signed Lee and obtained other pieces. Amare’s health problems scare me. His lack of effort on the defensive end scares me even more. After 2 years of promises, is this the best that the Knicks management can offer?
