Amare Stoudemire may not be LeBron James, but his addition to the New York Knicks has certainly boosted the team to playoff contender status.
As Spring began, many New Jersey Nets and New York Knick fans were hopeful their team could lure LeBron James into the New York area and usher in a new era of basketball for either team. The hope turned to anger and disappointment when James choose Miami over the metropolitan area. The Knicks made the only big splash, landing Amare Stoudemire, soon after they learned that “The King” wasn’t heading to their court. The Nets’ most exciting move was the first round pick of power-forward Derrick Favors. An embarrassing season last year couldn’t land them either of the first two picks, forcing them to miss out on big-time players John Wall and Evan Turner.
The season started off well for both teams; the Nets beat the Pistons to start the year, and the Knicks won up in Toronto with the help of a Stoudemire double-double. Though neither team will catch up to the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division, positive strides have been made. The Knicks have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs as the seventh or eighth seed. The Eastern Conference is dominated by Boston, Orlando, Atlanta and the ruckus that is Miami, but the bottom half of the playoff spots are open to anyone, the Knicks can pull off an even .500 record or maybe a little less and still make the playoffs.
It took 18 less games than last season for the Nets to win their first game, so there is definitely immediate improvement. They even stood atop the Eastern Conference with 2-0 mark before slipping and falling below the Knicks to (currently) third, though third shouldn’t get fans thinking playoffs just yet. They have twice as many losses as wins and can fall into fourth at any point. If they want any shot at making the playoffs the Nets are going to need a lot of stellar performances and better luck than they had in the draft lottery.
Stoudemire automatically makes the Knicks better. Not only with his own athleticism, but by taking the concentration off his teammates. He allows them more space and draws more defenders than David Lee did before he was traded, then overpaid, by the Golden State Warriors.
Though the Knicks and Nets couldn’t land James, there was plenty of talk and rumors that Carmelo Anthony would land on either of the teams. The chances of this happening were similar to the chances the teams had to sign James; that may be why neither team got him. The reason the trade wasn’t made was because, allegedly, the Denver Nuggets were asking too much in return for Anthony. Frankly, both these teams need a makeover, and if that meant dumping the entire team and their contracts then it should have been done in the blink of an eye.
The Knicks could have had Stoudemire and Anthony on the court at the same time, assuming both stay healthy or aren’t suspended. Instantly that makes them a playoff lock. The Nets would probably have had to give up Favors, but if I were given the third pick in the draft to select either Carmelo Anthony in his prime or an unproven Derrick Favors, I would have made the most financially, commercially and overall best choice in Anthony.
If the Nets owner, trillionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, continues to provide the endless cash flow he’s willing to give up for free agents, and if the Knicks don’t bring back Isiah Thomas, these teams should be close to being strong contenders, the Knicks closer than the Nets by a year. With only a few pieces missing from the Knicks puzzle, in another year they could pose as a threat, the Nets may need more time to develop and will most likely take an extra year to do so, but at least there’s a sense that things are going in the right direction.
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