Tag Archives: Amare Stoudemire

Injury Analysis: Stoudemire’s Latest Knee Surgery

Rotowire injury guru Jeff Stotts breaks down exactly what’s going on with STAT’s knee:

The former All-Star will undergo a right knee debridement to clean up the effected joint. Reports suggest Stoudemire had developed a Baker’s cyst in his knee, the same condition that required surgery on his left knee prior to the start of the season and ultimately cost him 30 games.

This wouldn’t be the first time Stoudemire has dealt with a Baker’s cyst in his right knee, undergoing the procedure in the 2005-2006 season. He has since had an additional right knee debridement, making this latest surgery his third right knee surgery in the last eight seasons.

via Rotowire.com – Injury Analysis: Rose and Irving, STAT and ‘Melo.

Can the Knicks Beat Miami in a Playoff Series?

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Can the Knicks beat Miami in a playoff series? Chris Perkins of Sheridan Hoops thinks so… if New York’s guards continue to protect the ball.

The Knicks, however, don’t have that turnover problem. They take care of the ball. They have guards Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd, a pair of veterans who don’t get rattled, as their main ballhandlers and decision-makers. They’re in good hands.

The other guys who put the ball on the floor frequently – forward Carmelo Anthony and guard J.R. Smith – also know how to maintain possession. They won’t give the Heat a lot of cheap scoring opportunities.

via New York Knicks could beat Miami Heat if they take care of the ball..

It’s a good point… but I think Perkins misses a key part of the equation. If New York is going to give Miami trouble in a playoff series, they’ll also need to find ways to score when Shane Battier and LeBron take Carmelo Anthony out of his comfort zone and force the offense to look elsewhere.

So who is that Plan B? Ideally, Amar’e Stoudemire will step into that role. And in the last week or so, STAT seems to be thriving in that role.

Of course, the Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings have very little in common with Team LeBron.

Waiver Wire: Injury Inquiry

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At this point, it’s best to read official injury reports with the same skepticism you’d reserve for a story in The National Enquirer.

Or the New York Post.

I submit as Exhibit A the headlines out of Salt Lake concerning Mo Williams’ thumb injury. Initial reports listed Williams as "day to day," which quickly turned into "out indefinitely." Then came the dreaded "seeking a second opinion," finally leading to "surgery needed, out 6-8 weeks."

That progression is eerily similar to what we got from the Knicks after Raymond Felton hurt his hand.

New York was similarly vague when discussing Amar’e Stoudemire’s season debut. The rumor mill was abuzz that STAT would rejoin the team at the Staples Center on Christmas Day … before Stoudemire himself stepped up to say that wasn’t happening. He finally did return a week later, but he has said that he’s only about 80 percent healthy. Stoudemire may have pushed for an early return to help compensate for the losses of Felton and Rasheed Wallace (foot).

What’s a fantasy owner to do?

Getting an understanding of common basketball injuries and the associated recovery times is a great first step – Jeff Stotts’ weekly column here at RotoWire is required reading. Jeff’s explanations will enable you to look at some of the press releases with a more critical eye. Of course, that assumes that the information in said press release has some basis in reality, and that isn’t always the case.

You’ll also want to keep an eye on the waiver wire – just to see what sort of players might be available should the need arise. That will be a big factor when dealing with injuries; in a shallow league, it makes little sense to hang on to a Williams or Felton through a two-month absence when a Jamaal Tinsley or Jason Kidd is there for the taking. In a deeper league, it might make more sense to try and get by with your bench until those starters are available again.

via Waiver Wire: Injury Inquiry – RotoWire.com.

Knicks Upgrade Roster, but Do the Pieces Fit?

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Let’s start with the obvious part…

The combination of Jeremy Lin and Jason Kidd is a massive upgrade over the Toney Douglas/Baron Davis point guard tandem in place at the start of last season. J.R. Smith, for all his faults, is better than Landry Fields. And Marcus Camby will give the Knicks a lot more than they got from the surprisingly-effective Josh Harrellson. Glen Grunwald still has some work to do, but assuming he is able to add a couple more pieces – maybe Jared Jeffries, a wing shooter/defender to fill in until Shump is healthy and a third point guard – the Knicks will enter the 2012-13 season with a roster far superior to last year’s.

But does the roster make sense?

For the most part, yes. The Knicks’ biggest problem is creating an offense in which both Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire can thrive. Kidd’s presence will be a big factor in that effort, as a steadying presence to aid in Lin’s development and veteran voice in the locker room. And Camby will help the Knicks maintain their defensive intensity and give the team a real rebounding presence when Chandler is on the bench, without being a total liability on the offensive end (in other words, a better version of Jeffries).

But here’s my concern: Anthony’s best position seems to be power forward. And Stoudemire’s… on offense, anyway… is probably center. Chandler’s arrival meant STAT would log fewer minutes at the five, and I believe that was one of the reasons he had trouble getting on track last year. With Camby added to the mix, Stoudemire will see even less time at center. Which means he’s not playing his ideal position. And whenever Stoudemire is in the game, neither is Anthony.

One of the most obvious ways to get Stoudmire going on offense might have been to sub him out early in games and then bring him back as the featured player in the second unit, while Anthony and Chandler are on the bench. That’s still an option now, but STAT and Camby will face the same “fit” issues as STAT and Chandler. Playing Stoudemire at center with Novak at power forward – camped out in the corner ready to pop a three – might make more sense.

Of course, this all raises another important question. Does the acquisition of Camby position the Knicks to trade Stoudemire for a wing player? Yes, his health, spotty play in 2012 and enormous contract make any trade a long shot… but many of the league’s worst deals have changed hands in recent years; nothing is impossible.

In Defense of Amar’e

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Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire @copy; Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Amar’e Stoudemire is having a really bad week. Or maybe it’s simply the continuation of an impossibly bad season.

Let’s review:

He spent much of the offseason rehabbing from last summer’s back surgery, and as such, wasn’t really able to prepare for the year.
He’s best suited to playing the two-man game with a pick-and-roll point guard… but Knick management decided to start the season with Toney Douglas at the point. Douglas struggled, which led Mike D’Antoni to put the ball in Carmelo Anthony’s hands more often… and ‘Melo has yet to show the ability (or is it the inclination) to really get Stoudemire involved in the offense.
In early February, the Knicks finally found a point guard in Jeremy Lin. But just as Lin was becoming the biggest story in the NBA, Stoudemire’s brother Hazell was killed in a car accident.
After the break, the Knicks struggled to re-integrate Anthony into the offense, which led to Mike D’Antoni’s departure as coach. Stoudemire and D’Antoni weren’t always on the same page, but there was certainly a comfort level in the relationship, given all their years together in Phoenix and New York.
Just as the team was starting to play well under Woodson, he suffered another back injury and was sidelined again.
While he was on the mend, the team became increasingly ‘Melo-centric. And Anthony stepped up in a big way, winning Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors.

By the time he was completely healthy, the Knicks had, in may ways, returned to the “Anthony as point forward” model on offense, though that was masked by their much-improved defense.

None of this excuses Monday night’s assault on a perfectly innocent fire extinguisher. But shouldn’t the circumstances factor in a little bit before we decide:

that Stoudemire is no longer capable of playing at an all-star level?
that Stoudemire can’t co-exist with Anthony and/or Tyson Chandler?
that the Knicks should look to trade him?

Or is that a level of rationality that the Internet and the New York sports media simply can’t manage?