Empty the Bench

In the wake of Amare Stoudemire’s 16-19 FG performance against the Dallas Mavericks, Henry Abbott over at True Hoop went crazy. Abbott took the time to painstakingly analyze each and every one of Stoudemire’s possessions, attempting to find out whether Amare is really that good, or if it’s simply a product of playing with Steve Nash. The whole article is a great read, but here’s his final conclusion:

Last night Amare Stoudemire was an unbelievable finisher when he caught the ball on the move in scoring position. He does that very well, and that’s what makes him a perfect fit for this Phoenix team, which, thanks largely to Steve Nash, creates an unreal number of those opportunities. Would someone else do more with those same opportunities? On some nights, certainly, but probably not last night.

Now, does this mean you could stick Amare Stoudemire on the Knicks and expect him to shoot 16-19? I don’t think it would ever happen. It really seems to be, based on one night at least, that Stoudemire’s unique offensive skill–to make the most of a good scoring opportunity–is perfectly matched to playing with Steve Nash. It’s symbiosis.

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