Since Amar'e Stoudemire arrived in New York in the summer of 2010, on a max contract, he hasn't lived up to that $100 million due to injuries. I really try to side with this once-dominant big man, because it was never a lack of effort or talent that brought the New York Knicks to underachieve. His back and knees caused the collapse of this franchise.
Stoudemire will be looking to prove his critics wrong this season, by showing them that he's not washed-up. He even says that "he feels like his dominant old self". For Knicks fans that's great news to hear from STAT.
Fans have been waiting for his resurgence for years now, as he's entering his final year of a five-year contract with the New York Knicks.
Newly first-year head coach Derek Fisher has big plans and hopes for his big man. Fisher wants to play Amar'e 80 or more games this season. I think that Stoudemire can play about 70 games when healthy, and that will determine if the Knicks will go to the playoffs or not.
If STAT is healthy and can put up 18 points per game, the Knicks will make the playoffs and can make some noise in the Eastern Conference, while giving them fits.
Maybe the New York Knicks might try to trade Stoudemire throughout the season, but there might not be many suitors looking to take on a $23 million expiring contract.
I wouldn't just count out Stoudemire just yet. With Carmelo Anthony leading the offense, Stoudemire can be a plus as the defense will be looking to double Anthony. This can free up everyone else to make some strong contributions to the team. We all know that Amar'e Stoudemire has that scoring potential.
The 2014-2015 NBA season is almost underway, so we'll be watching to see if Stoudemire can stay on the court for a full season, and stay healthy. I'm really excited to see what the New York Knicks can do under Derek Fisher and Phil Jackson. Many are counting this team out to have any type of success this season, and are just waiting for the 2015 free agency period to arrive.
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