New York Knicks: Issues with Amar’e Stoudemire

Nov 23, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

What do you think of when you hear the name, Amar’e Stoudemire? Terrible defense? Awesome pick and rolls with Steve Nash when they played in Phoenix? Washed up big man? 10 minutes per game? Twenty-one million dollars a year?

If you are a NBA expert or even just a casual observer, you should be thinking all of those things, especially the historically terrible defense part.

In nine games this season, the New York Knicks power forward has averaged 13.8 minutes per game and drops a whopping 5.2 points per game to go along with 2.9 rebounds.

The former Pheonix Suns star is obviously frustrated with his minutes and role off of the bench, saying, said Amar’e in a recent report by Ian Begley of ESPN.

“It’s making me look like my game is gone or that I don’t have game anymore because when you play five minutes, it’s just tough to really get into a rhythm.”

It’s possible that his reasoning for his just awful play is valid, but we have stats to prove it’s really not. Is scoring average per 48 minutes, is 15.4 points. That basically means that if he played the whole game, he would average 15 points. Now that doesn’t sound too bad, but look at the other players right around him that have that same 15 points per 48 minutes….

• Mareessee Speights
• Jason Thompson
• Josh McRoberts
• Darrell Arthur
• Matt Bonner

So that proves that Stoudemire is far from elite-status, even if he was playing a ton of minutes like he wants to. Amar’e has dealt with various knee and back injuries over the course of his career and right now, he seems to be giving up on ever playing again at a high level.

He’s so over the hill in this point of his career, the Boston Celtics have basically offered Gerald Wallace for him and both sides are considering it very seriously. Amar’e is in his 11th season in the NBA and has been virtually injured every year he has been in the association. Here is the injury history:

• 2008: Partially torn iris
• 2009: Detached retina
• 2011: Pulled back muscle
• 2012: Bulging disc in back
• 2012: Left knee debridement
• 2012: Right knee debridement
• 2005: Knee cartilage damage
• 2011: Sprained left ankle
• 2003: Sprained left ankle
• 2011: Sprained left ankle (not a typo. he did it twice in 2011)
• 2011: Sprained big toe

As you can see, that’s a very long list that consists of injuries mostly from the last few years. Amar’e has been plagued by injuries ever since he has stepped foot into the league in 2003. After all those injuries, he has eroded into a player incapable of doing practically anything he used to be able to do. He doesn’t run pick and rolls effectively, he doesn’t block shots anymore, he doesn’t throw down dunks like he used to, and he definitely doesn’t have that nice mid-range touch.

Stoudemire is averaging 13.8 minutes per game and the Knicks need to keep it that way. He has the most disgusting contract in the league (He’s due $21 million this year and $23 million next year), so the Knicks just need to wait it out.

At any chance they can get, they should pounce on the opportunity to ship him off to Boston or wherever they can to get rid of his contract and terrible attitude. When he’s in the game, he wants the ball and he still thinks of himself like a star. He begs his coach for more minutes and for the offense to run through him.

If Amar’e decided that he didn’t really need the money, it would be wise for him to just straight retire. All he’s doing right now by continuing to attempt to play is hurting his legacy and his reputation of himself as a player.

He has no chance at making it into the Hall of Fame anymore and he’s not going to win a title in the next two years as a Knick.