There are two types of luck that latches on to people. These two different types of luck aren’t relegated to people. They can dig into an organization or a business, leading them to rely on countless acts of prayer. Understanding that their prayer may be for their profound good fortune or inability to catch a break is the key distinction that must be made to truly see the end result.
Can Amar’e Stoudemire catch a break? We haven’t even gotten the pleasure of watching him play a minute in this fantastically, brilliant Knicks 2012-2013 season but I can already foresee the initial struggles. His 18-foot jump shot caroming off the back iron into the opposing teams hands, or his footwork being a step to slow in making a rotation on defense, inevitably leading to an easy bucket for the opposing team, or coach Mike Woodson’s persistence in attempting to get the “Big 3” to mesh on the court at the same time, causing a succession of losses. All these are distinct possibilities, which are even more probable with the loss of Raymond Felton.
The initial worriment of losing PG Raymond-Dagget from Angry Beavers-Felton for any prolonged period of time was strictly for the limited amount of PG depth that the Knicks have. They actually don’t have to worry too much about their PG depth but it becomes a quandary when they will become forced to give Jason Kidd extended minutes at the point guard position, a position he hasn’t logged many minutes at because of his newfound value at shooting guard. Pablo Prigioni would thus become the backup and would soon find a spike in his average of 13.3 minutes per game.
Finding an adequate replacement for the injured Felton is important in the short-term but what is an even more pressing issue is attempting to make a seamless transition for Stoudemire. The anticipation for Stoudemire’s return has been a question of controversy from reporters trying to find fault in a flawless season. Finding the proper role for Stoudemire will be an important issue for coach Mike Woodson to figure out, finding the players that will mesh best with the star power forward.
Having a point guard with previous success in the pick-and-roll with Stoudemire could have been an immediate jumpstart to his return but with Felton out for an extended period of time that won’t be an option. This puts an emphasis on the play of Prigioni who, has both struggled and played magnificently at times in his first year in the NBA, is going to have to adjust slightly quicker to the NBA speed and the differences each team presents considering he is the best pick and roll guard on the roster, especially when the team places a premium on the play with center Tyson Chandler.
Being the ever optimist I am, I look at the positives but I can’t stop thinking of the luck that Stoudemire has had in a Knicks uniform and where that will lead in the next couple of weeks. Here’s a quick review of his history as a member of the New York Knicks:
-A phenomenal season is marred by a postseason injury due to dunking in warm-ups leading to the Knicks getting swept in the first round.
-Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, and Stoudemire all have trouble playing together due to the NBA lockout, lack of practice time, and coach Mike D’Antoni being unable to find the right system.
-We find out that the back injury that was sustained in the postseason didn’t get the best treatment due to Stoudemire’s inability to work with team doctors in the offseason, which would lead Stoudemire to miss games throughout the season and may have possibly led to the bulging disk in his back in March.
-In February, he suffered the loss of his brother, Hazzel, due to a car accident. Stoudemire credited his brother as being a “guardian angel”.
-The frustrations of the season mounted to a climax when Stoudemire slapped the glass casing of a fire extinguisher as he walked into the locker room after a loss to the Miami Heat.
-Working diligently on meshing with his new teammates during training camp, Stoudemire ended up suffering a “ruptured cyst” in his left knee. The injury has kept him out all season.
I won’t tell you what to expect. I can tell you that Prigioni is a far better pick-and-roll point guard than any other player Stoudemire got to play with last year. I could tell you that Stoudemire will return to his 2010 form and hit the mid-rang jumper with ease. I could say that Woodson will find the perfect role, which will not only play to the strengths of Stoudemire but to the team as a whole. But I can’t do that. Bad luck might just find its way to this Knicks team and I don’t want that responsibility. Just try to remember it isn’t Stoudemire’s either.
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