Dear Amar'e Stoudemire

This time last year, the New York Knicks were 8-16, and in the midst of yet another season ready for the toilet. D'Antoni's defensive deficiencies were killing the team and there really didn't seem to be a leader in the locker room. David Lee was having another All-Star season, Al Harrington was still underwhelming and Tracy McGrady was the most expensive bench rider in the league. Needless to say, the Knickerbockers were in dire straits, with their sights focused more on the summer of 2010 and the LeBron-athon more than the Playoffs. We all know what happened. LeBron took his talents to the Miami Wades with Chris Bosh, and your name was next up. I think you always knew you wanted to be in a big market like New York. That LeBron eschewed the opportunity opened the door for you to be the wrecking ball you are right now.

Amar'e, when you announced that the New York Knicks would be signing you, I secretly prayed that it was a 2-for-1 deal and that Steve Nash was coming too. Your talent's always been a bright spot, but your attitude and ability to be 'the Man' have always come into question. The past two games against the Celtics and Heat brought those issues right back to the forefront.

My beef with you, STAT, is that with all of that athletic ability, you've made no strides on the defensive side of the ball since you've gotten to the league. Yes, you block shots and get a steal here and there. But at the end of the game, when the team needs a stop, much like the game with Boston, you can't be counted on. And I'm not talking about the last possession either. There were times that you let Kevin Garnett, and (in the Heat game) Chris Bosh make you look worse than LeBron's hairline. Your footwork sucks, you don't make good rotations and rarely do you crash the boards like you should on defense. It makes your game incomplete. As a matter of fact, I think if we fused you and Dwight Howard (Dragon Ball Z-style) I think we'd have the greatest big man ever on our hands. That just goes to show you how offensively gifted you've gotten.

Defensive mishaps are sooooo much worse in slow motion...


Amar'e, I won't lie, you've injected a hell of a lot of energy in to the Garden this season. For the first time in years, I think people are interested in Knicks basketball without it being a punchline to a joke. Your play is a big part of that, but won't mean anything in the long run if you don't round your game out. Maybe D'antoni is to blame for your lack of defense. Maybe you sincerely have tried to become a better defender. scoring 30 points per game doesn't mean a damn thing if you give up 31 and the game in the process...

Dear Dwight Howard & Amar'e Stoudemire

If these are the best that the league has to offer, the big man might be extinct in 20 years...

NOTE FROM EDITOR:This week is a sad, yet exciting week for any basketball junkie.. including myself. With the NBA Finals beginning on Thursday, we've got to recap the playoffs and what we've seen so far. Here's a tribute to the mythical species of skilled big men...

It's a huge honor being called the best big men of this era, but what happens when the title is undeserved? What happens when the dire lack of traditional centers and power forwards places the premium on size, strength and athleticism rather than knowledge of the game, skill and intangibles? What happens when basketball's two best big men.. aren't?

First off, let's get at you Dwight. Yes, I've been your biggest critic since you've gotten to the NBA. But, in all honesty, it's warranted. Dog, you haven't gotten any better since 2004!! It's been 6 years.. 6 seasons in the NBA, and you're still virtually the same player you were when you entered. You still are a dunk and layup machine and can erase damn near every shot thrown at you, yet there are points at which I wonder about your testicular fortitude. Dwight, you can be completely erased from a game, given the proper personnel guarding you. Kendrick Perkins proved it this year. Pau Gasol & Andrew Bynum proved it last year. Rasheed Wallace proved it the year before that AND this year.

You don't look too happy there, Dwight.. Shaq looks the same as he always does: dominant...


Dwight, if someone is rougher than you, you fold. The Playoffs exposed how your team falters when you get taken out of the paint. And you call yourself Superman... Shaq ought to slap the S right off your chest. No, he still can't shoot free throws, but the man has the best post moves I've ever seen. If Shaq is anywhere within 15 feet of the basket, there's little chance of stopping him. I don't think I'll ever be able to say that about you. What makes matters worse is that you have Patrick Ewing on your sideline. Quick history lesson: Patrick Ewing is one of the greatest centers of all time. Had he not (ironically, because he used to live in the paint) missed a layup, we'd probably be talking about him and a Finals ring. Even so, how has none of the man's teaching not rubbed off on you? You don't have a jumpshot, drop step or face-up move to speak of. It's mind-boggling how easy your athleticism could be used with some skill, dude. Seriously, before next season, call Kevin McHale, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and Bill Walton, and ask them for some help, because your post game is SAD.

Now, on to you, Amar'e. I've always liked you. You had a fiery demeanor and a 'don't look at me that way, n*gga!' swagger since you were drafted out of high school. At first, you had the Dwight Howard syndrome, with not a move to speak of. Then, I guess playing with Steve Nash rubbed off on you and you developed a nice mid-range jump shot. Kudos. Also, kudos on getting by all of those injuries. There were a good 3 years that I thought your career might be over. That said, you need some coaching on defense. I mean, damn! When your team can't count on you to get a rebound, much less defend their best post player, what really is your purpose for being on the court? You can't be a one-way player as a big man. Maybe it works as a combo guard (see: Jamal Crawford), but as an elite big man, you shouldn't be struggling against mediocre centers.

Nene's good.. But not that good.... Guess he's good enough to make a poster out of you...


I got another bone to pick with you too, Amar'e. What's with you playing the background all the time on your squad? Is Steve Nash that good of a leader or are you just waiting until he retires to take hold of that team? I hate to break it to you, but Steve's only got one hand's worth (at most 5 years) left in the league. He won't be making everything easy for you by tossing the ball exactly where it needs to be for you to score anymore. Things are going to get harder. It would behoove you to grow a pair and start taking over games when necessary. Not as big a beef as Dwight, but think, you probably would have been at Game 7 with the Lakers had you gotten the rebound off Kobe's airball.

To both of you, this letter is a harrowing reminder of what happens when you don't hone your craft as a big man. Guards can get away with specialization, but not franchise-caliber centers. You two are heralded as the best of this generation, but when held up against prior ones, you guys just pale. Shaq, Olajuwon, Ewing and whatever other 90s big men you want to bring up would have dumped on you two in their heydays. That's not to say the two of you won't get better; it's just an observation from a week and a half of watching the two of you play inconsistently. Sigh... Maybe next year...