and we're done

[losalmighty]

Schmeelk: Knicks’ Stoudemire Should Be Embarrassed By Own Statement

By John Schmeelk

This is what Amar’e Stoudemire said on Wednesday:

“I think having a defensive coach for the first time in my career is going to help. I’ve never been taught defense in my whole career. So to now have a coach who actually teaches defense and teaches strategies and knows positioning and posture and how to guard different plays, it’s going to be helpful.”

Huh? Are you serious?

Am I really going to believe that at every level, from AAU to high school to the NBA, not one person has taught Stoudemire basic individual- and team-defensive fundamentals? It’s a joke if anyone takes that statement at face value without raising an eyebrow.

There’s absolutely no way it could possibly be true. It’s pure fantasy.

First of all, Mike Woodson was Stoudemire’s assistant coach assigned to defense last year. Did he not try to teach Stoudemire defense? Moving beyond Woodson, to even fathom Mike D’Antoni never dedicated one drill or practice to defense just doesn’t pass the sanity test.

Allow me to disprove a commonly held thought that Mike D’Antoni’s teams don’t play any defense. The Suns’ defensive rankings while he was there:

2004-2005: 20th

2005-2006: 19th

2006-2007: 16th

2007-20008: 18th

Are those 90s Knicks numbers? No, but they are respectable. Once the Knicks got some decent players in 2010, they ranked 21st. In 2011 under D’Antoni, the Knicks were ranked No. 10. This year under the new regime of the defensive-oriented Mike Woodson, the Knicks are 18th. The point here is that every NBA team, even ones coached by D’Antoni, have defensive principles that are taught every day during film sessions on the floor. If anyone really thinks D’Antoni never coached or taught defense, they are living in a fantasy world of their own creation.

No one could coach on the NBA level without teaching defense.

Whether it was intentional or not, Stoudemire threw his former coach under the bus. What he really needs to do is look in the mirror. If he really had never been taught to play defense, why didn’t he seek out help on that end of the floor on his own? If all he ever really wanted to do was win, why not pull an excellent defender like Shawn Marion aside and ask him to teach him some defense? Tyson Chandler didn’t try to teach him defense last year either? How about all the years Jared Jeffries was here? Any assistant coach would be willing to do more work after practice to help Stoudemire play better defense. The entire premise is absolute nonsense.

In truth, Stoudemire should be embarrassed and ashamed of himself for having the gall to say something like that with a straight face. He has had the athletic and physical ability to play defense his entire career and has not done it well. It’s certainly possible that he simply lacks the basketball IQ and instincts to be a great defender — and that’s fine. But a little more focus and effort could make him adequate, which is all anyone is asking. There’s no reason he should be the equivalent of a matador.

It’s great that he’s finally receptive to defensive coaching, but his excuse for being a poor defender his entire career is just that: an excuse. It doesn’t pass the smell test. Hopefully Woodson will reach him, and get him to a point where he is not such a liability. Of course, the way the rest of the team is playing defense these days, it might not happen.

At least both Woodson and Stoudemire both understand that STAT needs to make an impact not just on offense, but on defense as well.





OUCH

what does the team rank have to do with individual defense? Amar'e played with people that played defense. Marion, Bell, Kurt Thomas, Wilson Chandler*, Tyson Chandler, Joe Johnson*. His short comings were masked.

 

[Hahahaha]

-We need to get our defense back to how we started the season. We're almost looking like a D'Antoni team.
-Amar'e's comments are fine with me. D'Antoni was his coach for majority of his NBA career and in high school, you don't really give a **** about defense.
-We need Felton, he's just gotta stop throwing up so many shots.
-Novak is a bum, can't stand seeing him out there
-Camby needs more time
-Brewer was hitting shots earlier, don't know what's happened to him but his defense is still better than Novak and White.

 

[sean c0mbs]

I say that Amar'e should be stop being a female dog and man up

 

[ballinsam23]

yo we better ******g win tonight

 

[harlemtothebronx]

Camby starting.

 

[ballinsam23]

Replace Brewer with Shumpert and I'm in love with this lineup

 

[harlemtothebronx]

Agreed.

 

[alleniversonfan01]

Im mad I gotta stream this **** again. Shoulda been on TNT tonight. Getting real tired of Comcast not carrying MSG in CT

 

[mez 0ne]

tough game.

 

[sean c0mbs]

I need a gif of Pop's reaction

 

[duba169]

This dude made a sub after one possession and got scolded in public

Oh man how can you hate on that? Haha

 

[Mister Meaner]

I've noticed this before but at how slim Duncan is looking.

edit: my post count....

 

[pr0phecy718]

gif of Popovich facial reaction is needed...he was looking very grumpy lol

 

[8pm at msg]

He did get out of the way, but good call anyway ref.

 

[harlemtothebronx]

Offense looking horrible.

 

[pr0phecy718]

I still don't see Hakeem

 

[duba169]

Didn't see how jas got hurt

The defense is much better today. Frenchy just hitting tough shots

 

[ballinsam23]

this dude needs to stop setting so many damn picks

 

[harlemtothebronx]

Amar'e does look like he's actually trying on defense, though.

 

[harlemtothebronx]

this dude needs to stop setting so many damn picks

Dude is constantly there trying to set a pick. I thought I was buggin.

 

[lver of jordan]

I still don't see Hakeem

THIS!

 

[Mister Meaner]

this dude needs to stop setting so many damn "screens"

Word, I already see him in the way of so many plays.

IMO, it feels like he's rushing to become the #2 guy & wants to be a part of every damn play.

 

[Mister Meaner]

this dude needs to stop setting so many damn "screens"

Word, I already see him in the way of so many plays.

IMO, it feels like he's rushing to become the #2 guy & wants to be a part of every damn play.

 

[8pm at msg]

Did a fan just pull a Bruce Bowen out there?

 

[harlemtothebronx]

I still don't see Hakeem

THIS!

It's been 1.25 games.

But I never really expected dude to be dream shaking all over the court. Amar'e just isn't that kind of player.

Look at Amar'e playing defense.