Amar’e Stoudemire and Kendrick Perkins rage against the dying of the light, take to the bench
NBA observers have more or less come to the conclusion that there are no untradeable contracts. They’ll point to deals involving Rashard Lewis and Gilbert Arenas and sign off on the idea that although their yearly rates of pay are onerous and not in line with their production, teams will still find reasons to deal for contracts like these for reasons that extend past what happens on the court.
With that idea in place, Amar’e Stoudemire has yet to be traded from the New York Knicks. There is still time, the trade deadline is just under four months away, but all indications are pointing toward the Knicks keeping Stoudemire until his five year, nearly $100 million deal runs out this July. New York will point to its lacking front court depth as part of the reason, but the main roadblock is the fact that Amar’e will make over $23.4 million this season, and teams aren’t lining up to deal for that.
Stoudemire, to his everlasting credit, has absolutely worked his tail off as a member of the New York Knicks. His knees are shot, his back woes come and go, and his once-explosive offensive game has dimmed in the years since he left Phoenix, but one can’t fault Stoudemire for either his work ethic, or agreeing to the contract that the Knicks happily gave him in 2010 after Phoenix declined to compete for a big man that they couldn’t even get insurance for.
Entering 2014-15 and working for his third coach as a member of the Knicks, it appears as if Stoudemire is set to come off of New York’s bench. Rookie coach Derek Fisher will platoon Quincy Acy and Jason Smith at big forward alongside starting center Samuel Dalembert, and in talking with reporters on Monday, Stoudemire seemed professional about what could be perceived as a demotion:
“I take my game very serious whether I’m starting or coming off the bench,”
Stoudemire said. “Whatever’s best for the team — if we’re winning then so be it. If not, then we’ll figure something out.”
Stoudemire then dropped a little hubris on the assembled media, as quoted by Ian Begley of ESPN:
“My teammates … know I’m one of the main guys on the team. That’s not a secret. I’m sure other teams know that as well,” Stoudemire said. “They’re going to be geared up for us. Whether I’m starting or not, I think teams are going to respect the fact that I’m a lethal threat out there on the basketball court. I want to keep that respect going.”
“Lethal threat.” I can dig it.
This doesn’t mean, however, that Stoudemire is totally cool or even totally caught up in regards to Fisher’s decision. From Marc Berman at the New York Post:
Did Fisher want to keep Stoudemire away from starting center Samuel Dalembert or small forward Carmelo Anthony?
“I’m not sure,’’ Stoudemire said. “I need to find out as well as you are.’’
That’s not exactly a dig, but after a month’s worth of training camp and unending and pointless exhibition games, you’d still like to have your coach and potentially “lethal” sixth man on the same page before they chat it up with the media.
Fisher, when asked, pointed out that Stoudemire’s bench work doesn’t have anything to do with his potential pairing with Dalembert up front, but that has to be it. Dalembert has his moments defensively and on the boards and when he is engaged he can still be a very good contributor on both ends … but he’s daffy. Stoudemire, despite his efforts, is just plain bad defensively. At best. When Andrea Bargnani returns from injury, a Dalembert/Bargs/Carmelo Anthony frontcourt may rank as one of the worst defensive frontcourts in basketball. Stoudemire’s addition to that lineup as either Dalembert or Bargs’ replacement would make it even worse.
The difference, despite Amar’e’s decline, is that Stoudemire can still act as both a helpful scorer and (most importantly to Fisher) the apex man at the point of the triangle offense off the bench. Bargnani won’t provide nearly as much impact, and the Knicks are just hoping the movement (and, if we’re honest, abject lack of planning and overthinking) of the triangle offense will help Bargs find some way to contribute offensively. Especially if he can figure out whatever the heck happened to his three-point stroke.
This was always going to be a lost year for New York, even if the team can cobble together a playoff berth. The year is bent on clearing cap space, teaching Carmelo Anthony how to flourish in the triangle, and making the team a prized destination for free agents – something that was the case in 2010, when New York closed its eyes and signed Stoudemire. Though rookies dot the roster, this isn’t an 82-game training camp along the lines of what we’re seeing in Philadelphia, but it’s not far off. And for Stoudemire (who started only 21 games last season, and just one in the exhibition season – at center), it’ll serve as one more chance to overcome his balky knees and get it right.
Very little has gone right for Kendrick Perkins since his own knee injury, suffered during the 2010 NBA Finals. Perkins was never a big scorer or rebounder, but his screening prowess and defensive presence made him a valuable member of the Boston Celtics and a coveted asset when the Oklahoma City Thunder dealt for him in 2011 following his return from an ACL tear.
Thunder fans – hell, NBA fans – have been begging Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks to bench or at least limit Perkins’ minutes for years, especially since his first full (ish, there was a lockout) season in OKC, when it became apparent that his game had been completely wiped out by the injury. With second-year big man Steven Adams having supplanted Nick Collison as the replacement of choice, Perkins can see the writing on the wall. He’s not mad, but he’s not too keen.
From Anthony Slater at the Oklahoman:
“Ain’t gonna lie, I’m nervous,” Perkins admitted. “I don’t know what it’s gonna be, what the playing time gonna be, whether I’m starting or whether I’m coming off the bench.”
[…]
“To me, it really don’t even matter,” Perkins said of the impending decision. “I just want an opportunity to play, that’s it. Since I’ve been here, the only thing I’ve been trying to embrace on the whole organization and the young guys is just how to win. Since I’ve been here, that’s all I’ve been doing.”
[…]
“Like I told y’all at Media Day, I started all the games last year that I played in and didn’t play in nearly enough of the fourth quarters that I wanted to play in,” he said. “So that really was my goal coming into this year. I wanted to give Coach a reason he should have me in in the fourth. I started last year and a lot of games I was unhappy because I didn’t play in the fourth quarter, probably because I didn’t deserve it. So I want to give him a reason to have me out there in the fourth.”
Perkins, like Stoudemire, has been the consummate professional as he works through the comeback from that career-altering injury. Perk was never a big minute guy in either Boston or Oklahoma City, but his minutes did shoot down to just 19.5 a game last season despite the fact that he started all 62 of the games he appeared in. He’s been a regular starter since 2005, and he’s started 461 of the last 466 NBA games he’s laced up for – only coming off the pine five times for the Celtics in 2011 as he rehabbed from that knee injury.
Perkins has turned in single-digit Player Efficiency Ratings for the last five seasons (all since the knee injury), and his 6.3 mark from last year is shockingly low for even an 11th man, much less a starter on a championship contender. It’s true that Perkins’ contributions can’t always be picked up by box score or advanced stats, but his attributes (low post defense, little else) just aren’t as coveted in the modern era. Even in a conference that will see the Thunder play Dwight Howard four times this season.
The problem with Perkins’ demotion is the idea that once he’s assigned a bench role, he’s just about be gone for good. Kendrick didn’t play in the exhibition season while nursing a quad injury, Adams shined (12.7 points on 68 percent shooting, 6.9 rebounds in 26 minutes a contest), and there’s no real call for a player with Kendrick Perkins’ skillset to come rushing off the bench to save the day.
With Adams playing well, Serge Ibaka primed for yet another breakout year, the perpetually-underrated Nick Collison still around and youngsters Perry Jones and Mitch McGary ready to contribute, the frontcourt is pretty well stocked. That’s even before Kevin Durant returns, giving Scott Brooks the option to go small and run KD as a stretch power forward. Perk might be resigned to playing out the last year of his at $9.4 million this year, reminding Thunder fans that the team’s ownership refused to pay the luxury tax or pay Kendrick Perkins not to play basketball by waiving him, cheaply messing over their best chance at a championship, losing James Harden along the way.
Stoudemire and Perkins are two smart, savvy dudes that would seem to deserve better, but these are how knees go sometimes. We’re about as advanced as eras get when it comes to returning from major injuries, but that doesn’t mean a promising career can’t still be shot to bits by wheels that just won’t turn.
– – – – – – –
Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops
