Stoudemire Dominates in His Knicks Garden Debut
Oct 13 2010 11:40PM
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Amar'e Stoudemire dropped 30 points in his Knicks Garden Debut.
MSG Photos
Amar’e Stoudemire was doing abdominal exercises in the locker room before the Knicks took the court for their preseason opener at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. He went on to dominate against the Boston Celtics while playing 27 minutes in his New York coming out party.
Anyone who has watched 6-foot-10 forward in action knows he is in top physical condition, but there may not be a more prepared player heading into the grueling 82-game NBA season. Stoudemire could easily start the regular season tomorrow if he needed to, which will make it easier for Head Coach Mike D’Antoni to rest his go-to guy throughout the remaining five preseason games. D’Antoni says there will be nights that he completely takes off and others when he plays just a quarter or two.
“He’s in great shape and we’re just trying to be cautious,” D’Antoni said.
Stoudemire played extended minutes in the first three preseason games, but with six games during a 10-day stretch, D’Antoni believes it could be best for him to take a seat on the bench to avoid injuries and be fresh for opening day on Oct. 27 in Toronto. While a majority of his teammates are still learning the Knicks’ system, it helps that Stoudemire is already well versed having played for D’Antoni in the past.
Playing Stoudemire limited minutes on some nights will also allow some of the younger players who are fighting for a spot in the rotation to get more playing time. D’Antoni has yet to determine a rotation this season and hopes to find the right combinations over the next two weeks.
“That’s what makes the preseason interesting,” D’Antoni said. “It’s fun and competitive. They’re a very competitive team and they play hard. They can all make a case of why they deserve minutes.”
The Knicks have a ton of depth this season after adding 11 players before training camp. It appears that only Stoudemire, point guard Raymond Felton and small forward Danilo Gallinari have secure spots in the starting lineup. The rest of the rotation, which could be anywhere from eight to 10 players deep, is up for grabs.
The competition for playing time was tight during the team’s European trip, but it picked up even more in the Knicks’ 104-101 loss to the Celtics. As Stoudemire paced the Knicks with a game-high 30 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the field and 12-for-15 from the line in three quarters, several of his teammates ended up making noise of their own in a balanced effort.
Bill Walker knocked down three 3-pointers for 11 points before leaving the game late with a sprained ankle and Anthony Randolph had nine points and six rebounds. Rookies Timofey Mozgov, who started the game, and Landry Fields, who started the second half, also had their moments.
“I thought we got a little bit better than the last time we played,” D’Antoni said. “We were just trying different combinations and just looking at it. And we’ll keep doing that the next few games.”
The reserves played down the stretch against a Boston lineup that featured Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. D’Antoni could have countered the Celtics’ attack by putting Stoudemire back in the game, but stuck with his game plan and kept him on the sideline since the outcome of the exhibition didn’t matter.
“You always want to play and be competitive,” Stoudemire said. “When you see those guys out there playing in the fourth quarter you definitely want to play with the best, but again it is the preseason. You definitely want to be cautious and get your rest. We will see them again.”
Anyone who has watched 6-foot-10 forward in action knows he is in top physical condition, but there may not be a more prepared player heading into the grueling 82-game NBA season. Stoudemire could easily start the regular season tomorrow if he needed to, which will make it easier for Head Coach Mike D’Antoni to rest his go-to guy throughout the remaining five preseason games. D’Antoni says there will be nights that he completely takes off and others when he plays just a quarter or two.
“He’s in great shape and we’re just trying to be cautious,” D’Antoni said.
Stoudemire played extended minutes in the first three preseason games, but with six games during a 10-day stretch, D’Antoni believes it could be best for him to take a seat on the bench to avoid injuries and be fresh for opening day on Oct. 27 in Toronto. While a majority of his teammates are still learning the Knicks’ system, it helps that Stoudemire is already well versed having played for D’Antoni in the past.
Playing Stoudemire limited minutes on some nights will also allow some of the younger players who are fighting for a spot in the rotation to get more playing time. D’Antoni has yet to determine a rotation this season and hopes to find the right combinations over the next two weeks.
“That’s what makes the preseason interesting,” D’Antoni said. “It’s fun and competitive. They’re a very competitive team and they play hard. They can all make a case of why they deserve minutes.”
The Knicks have a ton of depth this season after adding 11 players before training camp. It appears that only Stoudemire, point guard Raymond Felton and small forward Danilo Gallinari have secure spots in the starting lineup. The rest of the rotation, which could be anywhere from eight to 10 players deep, is up for grabs.
The competition for playing time was tight during the team’s European trip, but it picked up even more in the Knicks’ 104-101 loss to the Celtics. As Stoudemire paced the Knicks with a game-high 30 points on 9-for-13 shooting from the field and 12-for-15 from the line in three quarters, several of his teammates ended up making noise of their own in a balanced effort.
Bill Walker knocked down three 3-pointers for 11 points before leaving the game late with a sprained ankle and Anthony Randolph had nine points and six rebounds. Rookies Timofey Mozgov, who started the game, and Landry Fields, who started the second half, also had their moments.
“I thought we got a little bit better than the last time we played,” D’Antoni said. “We were just trying different combinations and just looking at it. And we’ll keep doing that the next few games.”
The reserves played down the stretch against a Boston lineup that featured Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. D’Antoni could have countered the Celtics’ attack by putting Stoudemire back in the game, but stuck with his game plan and kept him on the sideline since the outcome of the exhibition didn’t matter.
“You always want to play and be competitive,” Stoudemire said. “When you see those guys out there playing in the fourth quarter you definitely want to play with the best, but again it is the preseason. You definitely want to be cautious and get your rest. We will see them again.”
