The star power forward who has seen a rapid decline in his numbers since Carmelo Anthony made his way to the Big Apple, seems confident that he can put things right once he returns on the court from a left knee injury ….
When the 2012-13 season started, there weren’t many people, who tipped the New York Knicks to be leading the top heavy Eastern Conference by the quarter mark. That has become a reality though. The Knicks have been ruthless so far
this season, and have achieved their success with a crucial component in Amar’e Stoudemire.
The power forward, who went through an arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Nov.1, is on the verge of making a comeback. However as he returns, the debate of chemistry issues between him and Melo have started to surface again.
Stoudemire however thinks that it will not be an issue;
“Without a doubt. I have no doubt in my mind about that,” Stoudemire said on Tuesday, when he did on court practice for the first time since his surgery.
Stoudemire might be a star power forward, but unlike conventional number 4’s, he likes to play in the mid post and work his way through there. That is the same place from which Melo likes to operate, and ever since the small forward
arrived at New York, Stoudemire has been quite ineffective. The Knicks are so far 30-33 in regular season games when the duo has played together. A part of it had to do with the absence of a quality point guard in the lineup, something which is no longer an
issue now with Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni present. Also Stoudemire worked out with Hakeem Olajuwon in the off season to improve his low post skills.
Mike Woodson, under whom the Knicks are 8-2 in Carmelo-Stoudemire games, also does not believe that the return of his power forward will have a disruptive effect;
“Our team was pretty good last season and we’ve been pretty good this season, so I don’t see Amar’e being a problem and disrupting what we do,” Woodson said. “It just makes us a deeper team. That’s kind of how I look at it.”
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