Some More of the Same

The pieces are beginning to fall in the NBA. The Heat are the big winners thus far, as they re-signed Dwyane Wade and added Chris Bosh. Dallas and Atlanta kept their stars in Dirk Nowitzki and Joe Johnson, respectively, so while they didn't improve, they didn't get worse either. And on Thursday night, LeBron James will announce where he's headed. With the amount of coverage it's going to get you would think the president, pope, and Jesus would be there. That will essentially determine the future of many NBA teams. There is the potential that Cleveland becomes a bottom-feeder once again, that New Jersey continues to be a bad team, that Miami could go on superstar overload, or that Chicago could become the best team in the league.

And then there are the Knicks. Oh, the Knicks. For two years they cleared cap space, got rid of talent, did everything short of scoring points for the other team (though Nate Robinson tried his best in that department), all in an effort to get the King. Now with each day I find it harder and harder to believe James will sign with New York, and times are getting desperate. They have $33 million in cap space for this season, and they plan on spending it whether the player is deserving of the money or not. Enter Amar'e Stoudemire, who signed a 5-year, $100 million contract on Sunday. In response to his signing, Stoudemire told reporters "The Knicks are back." Back to what? Sucking? Because this move did absolutely nothing to improve their team. It had to be done because if they didn't land a big-name free agent, there's a 99% chance no one would show up to Madison Square Garden next season, except for Spike Lee, of course. But in terms of basketball, this is just another desperate move that will end in more futility. Does this seem a little familiar?

There's no questioning that Stoudemire is an offensive force to be reckoned with. He has been called one of the most ferocious dunkers in the league. He averaged 23 points last year, and for his career averages 21. But the Knickerbockers don't need an improvement on offense. They were tenth in the league in scoring. Plus, his 23 points isn't that much of an improvement over the 20 points David Lee averaged. To go along with those 20 points, Lee grabbed nearly 12 rebounds a game. His 52 double-doubles were fourth in the league, behind only Dwight Howard, Zach Randolph, and Carlos Boozer. Stoudemire, meanwhile, had only 31 double-doubles, and in the postseason averaged only 6.6 boards a game. He reached double digits in rebounds only three times, and in Games 5 and 6 of the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers he grabbed four boards. That's a pathetic number for a 6-10 power forward. He might occasionally go off for 40 points, and 20 points are pretty guaranteed every night, but then again, Lee is one of the most consistent centers in the league, and a double-double is all but assured. That consistency may not be sexy, but it's still pretty darn good. And look at how Stoudemire got a lot of those points. He would set a screen for 2-time MVP Steve Nash, roll to the basket, get a nice no-look pass, and have an easy dunk. He had the luxury of playing with a Top-3 point guard who averaged 10 assists a game. The Knicks' leading assist man was the now-departed Chris Duhon, who had a mere 5.6 dimes per game. Stoudemire is downgrading by monumental amounts in terms of the skill around him, and now has no one to get the ball from. Hmmm...

Then there is the whole defensive debacle. Stoudemire plays none. Had he played even a little defense, he would have been on the floor when Ron Artest hit his game-winner in Game 5 of the Conference Finals, instead of on the bench. That's right, a proclaimed superstar player in a superstar moment in the team's biggest game of the season, and he's sitting on the bench because he is a defensive liability. New York gave up 106 points a game last year, good for third-worst in the league.

So let's recap: He's not improving their defense (though Lee is just as bad a defender as him, but at least he rebounds), and he's not really improving the offense. For those of you keeping score at home, Stoudemire and Lee are about the same offensively and defensively, and Lee rebounds much better. And I didn't even mention that Lee is a better free throw shooter (81% to Amar'e's 77%), and has a better assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6 compared to Stoudemire's 0.4). Oh, and he did all this without another offensive force or decent point guard. Amar'e had Nash to give him the ball all the time. Now there is no one who is even mediocre, let alone talented, to give him the basketball. How will he score? He's on pace to become just another overpaid player, and replacing David Lee in favor of him seems pretty stupid from a basketball standpoint. It's not as bad as some of the other overpaid players president James Dolan has allowed to come in (like Eddy Curry, Steve Francis, Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway, Malik Rose, Jalen Rose, Jerome Williams, and Renaldo Balkman, to name a few), but I foresee more criticism in the coming years as the Knicks do not return to their former glory of the early '70s, or even the semi-success of the Patrick Ewing Era. The team with a winning percentage of .378 since 2003 seems much more likely.

I just spent three paragraphs explaining why David Lee is a better fit for the Knicks than Amar'e. That being said, I can understand why the Knicks needed to sign him. LeBron has been the goal for over two years. That seems more and more like a mere fantasy now, though they are still in the running. Plan B was to get Stoudemire along with Joe Johnson. Well Johnson is no longer available either. That doesn't leave many superstars to go after. Reports say that they are in talks with Carlos Boozer, but that could be quite possibly the dumbest move ever. Having two power forwards, neither big enough to play center, both demanding the ball? That would be a horrible competition, worse than the Redskins signing Brian Westbrook, Larry Johnson, and Willie Parker at running back, worse than the Broncos having Kyle Orton, trading for Brady Quinn, and drafting Tim Tebow at quarterback. I cannot see any conceivable way as to how that would work out for the better in the long run. If they had a Nash or a Chris Paul running the point it would be different, but right now the best New York has is Eddie House, who is a role player at best. That would be detrimental.

It's desperation time in New York. They've been telling fans to suffer through these hard times, because there is a bright future. THE LeBron James is coming! Well the time has finally come, and it looks as though King James could be going elsewhere. If I were a Knick fan I would be irate after putting up with lackluster basketball, then not getting James. Stoudemire at least provides some star power, and next year they can go whole-hog after Carmelo Anthony. But that is only a temporary solution. Eventually results will be expected, and when they don't come, problems will arise that will remind Dolan of the Isiah Thomas ordeal. If this isn't the end of James Dolan, it could at least be the beginning of the end for general manager Donnie Walsh. Everything is riding on James' announcement Thursday night. For someone who thinks there's no chance he signs with New York, I say RIP to the next 5 years in the Big Apple. But by now fans have got to be used to it. And for those who are nostalgic, here you go. I hope you enjoy.