| 24 May 2010
It's hard to find a player whose reputation fluctuates as widely as that of Amar'e Carsares Stoudemire (yes, his middle name is 'Carsares'). One day fans and the media are vilifying him; the next he is treated like a deity. One moment the Suns are looking to trade him; the next they are offering him a contract extension. While Stoudemire can be a maddening, flawed star, he is also the sole post player in the League capable of putting 42 & 11 on the defending NBA Champions in the playoffs.
But the Amar'e Stoudemire we saw last night versus the Lakers wasn't really much of a revelation - it was just Amar'e being Amar'e. We are talking about the premier low post offensive player in the NBA, now that Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan are on the slippery slope that exists on the other side of 30 years of age. Stoudemire is good to get you 20 any night, and when properly motivated like he was last night, special things can happen. But the most promising STAT stat from last night had to be his 11 rebounds, an aspect of his game that is not consistent enough for a big time NBA big man. I've long felt like there is no reason why Stoudemire shouldn't be averaging 20 & 10 every season, yet he's never even done it once.
Not surprisingly, with such a polarizing player like Stoudemire, there were also some red flags last night for those paying attention. He only snared one board in the fourth quarter, when the outcome of the game was still in question. And, despite people mentioning the big charge he drew late in the game, he still let Pau Gasol duck inside on him without much effort or concern. So, for the Suns to continue to make this into a series, they need Robin Lopez to continue his strong play to help offset Stoudemire's weaknesses. Which is a fact that, hopefully, prospective Stoudemire free agent shoppers and the Suns realize. Stoudemire isn't a max contract guy - he isn't going to lead you to a title being your key piece. However, team him up with a center that can play defense and rebound, and a point guard capable in the pick and roll, and look out - he'll stand tall and talented for you.
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