“You big dummy!” – Fred Sanford
That’s what everyone in the world is thinking after Amar’e Stoudemire stupidly punched glass and cut his left hand after last night’s 104-94 loss to the Miami Heat.
After the game, Stoudemire refused to speak with the media, but then hit up twitter and had this to say to his followers and fans:
Sorry guys? This to shall pass?
Whateva man.
Stoudemire’s behavior is so irreparable, there’s nothing he could ever say to absolve him of his selfish behavior. I get it, what’s done is done, but he just seems so passive about the whole situation. The people suffering most from Stoudemire’s sudden rush and poorly timed act of aggression are his teammates and Knicks fans.
Could yesterday’s emotional rage be fueled by more than the loss? Sure. There’s a possibility he’s still mourning his brother’s death. Maybe returning to Florida, where his brother died in car accident back in February, allowed old memories to emerge. Perhaps the frustration he demonstrated was a result of losing both the game and his brother. And if that’s the case, I understand that mourning the loss of a loved one and trying to function on the job is a tough balancing act. Ask Lamar Odom. The smallest thing can cause a slew of unresolved emotions to surface.
HOWEVER(!!!), when your hands are your moneymaker, you can’t go around punching glass. It simply cannot happen. I don’t care what you’re experiencing in life, especially when you’re supposed to be an integral part of the team. With Amar’e, the Knicks lacked the depth and talent to take on the Heat. Having lost its best perimeter defender in Iman Shumpert for 6-8 months, and making do with an old, overweight, and hurt Baron Davis at point guard, an injury ridden Jared Jeffries, and an unproductive trio of players in Landry Fields, Toney Douglas, and Mike Bibby, the Knicks were already shorthanded. And without him, they definitely don’t stand a chance.
As a result of last night’s loss, the Knicks tied the league record for most consecutive playoff losses at 12. They’re one loss away from setting a new record, and two losses away from being swept out of the first round…for the second year in a row. And might I add that Amar’e has taken himself out of the playoffs…for the second year in a row.
Any hope that the Knicks and its fans have of avoiding the same fate as last season falls on Carmelo Anthony. Though some argue the team is better off without Stoudemire’s suspect rebounding, defending, and free throw attempts, Melo doesn’t have a good enough supporting cast to help him take on the Heat. With all of the injuries, the Knicks’ biggest advantage, the bench, has become a non-factor. Steve Novak is ineffective because of the Heat’s superb defense and JR Smith’s erratic shooting has been a detriment to the team. When If the Knicks are swept again, Mike Woodson will be shown the door. Not even one week ago, I gave Woodson a ringing endorsement. But based on how the playoffs have unfolded, there’s no way he returns if the Knicks don’t stage some type of epic comeback. And while Glen Grunwald is hard at work trying to replace Woodson, he should also devise a masterful plan to ship Amar’e, the $100 million man, out of New York. Between his poor performance on the court, and dumb decisions off — cornrows and punching glass…he’s gotta go, too.
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lol @ “…dumb decisions off — cornrows and punching glass…”
@hellodanita- somehow i’m just seeing this comment! glad i made you chuckle.