Amar'e Stoudemire Comments on Heat, Playing Time and More

Miami Heat forward Amar'e Stoudemire was disappointed with more than his team's 116-89 season-ending loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, as the veteran did not see the floor in Game 7.

Stoudemire reflected on his season after the game Sunday, per the Miami Herald's Ethan J. Skolnick.

"For me personally, I showed great health, showed resilience and consistency of playing," he said. "Would love to have played more but, for the most part, it was a successful year from a health standpoint. Great chemistry. I enjoyed the guys. I had the best time of my life with my teammates this season."

With the absence of Hassan Whiteside (knee), Miami primarily went with a small lineup that included 6'7" rookie Justise Winslow at center in Games 6 and 7.

However, Stoudemire noted the game still requires an inside presence.

"Dr. (James) Naismith created the game to be an inside-out game," Stoudemire said, per Skolnick. "It's going to always matter. It's how the game has always been played."

Stoudemire averaged 14.7 minutes per game in the regular season, but his playing time dropped to 9.1 minutes per game in the playoffs. This was not what he expected when he signed with the Heat during the offseason, according to Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post:

With his contract with Miami set to end in the summer, one must wonder if Stoudemire still has a place in the NBA. At 33 years old and with a history of injuries, Stoudemire is not close to the player who routinely averaged more than 20 points per game for the Phoenix Suns.

Stoudemire has averaged around five rebounds per game over the past few seasons, so he still has some value as a reserve who can contribute solid minutes. Yet if Stoudemire is banking on finding a bigger role elsewhere next season, he could be unemployed for a long time this summer.

All statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.