New York Knicks 2010: The Summer of Amar'e Stoudemire?

With the Summer of LeBron officially over, the Knicks enjoyed the summer of Amar'e instead. And while all of the free agent pieces haven't yet fallen into place, the large pieces of the puzzle are set.

With Dwyane Wade, LeBron, and Chris Bosh colluding to create a dynasty in Miami, it seems like the Knicks plans to build a champion fizzled out.

But this may not be so.

Amar'e vs. David Lee

In signing Amar'e, the Knicks gained something they haven't had since Latrell Sprewell—a dynamic, vocal presence that attracts attention. For all the stat crunching and comparisons between Amar'e and Lee, there are some things that can't be measured.

David Lee was a tough inside presence for the Knicks, a reliable 20-10 guy who played with energy and never quit. He improved every year, working on his shooting and his defense. His Knicks tenure will always be viewed in a positive light, although the team itself was something worth forgetting.

Amar'e, on the other hand, will bring something different. He's a large, physical presence with certain intangibles that Lee lacks.

Amar'e is big. He demands attention. He has the ability to go for 40 points on any given night and he is a dominant presence. Stoudemire also provides the Knicks with someone to lead them vocally, something that hadn't been happened the past few years.

He's a veteran who's gone far in the playoffs, and has faced off against the NBA's top teams his whole career.

His skill and experience alone will raise the Knicks level of play, and take some of the pressure off others where scoring is concerned.

The David Lee Trade

David Lee's move to Golden State gave the Knicks a few solid, potentially good pieces in return.

Anthony Randolph is a young, 6'10" forward with hops. He has potential. And when you're the Knicks, potential isn't such a bad thing.

Ronny Turiaf and Kelenna Azibuike are two solid players who will help fill out the Knicks bench, which consisted of mid-year signings for parts of last season.

The Rest of the Bunch

Somehow, it's easy to forget the Knicks have a few great young pieces on board.

Danilo Gallinari is one of the top three point shooters in the NBA, and also has some versatility to his game, with the ability to drive the lane and use his left hand. His amazing leap from his injury-plagued first year to his productive second year only bodes well for what he'll be able to do in the upcoming season.

Wilson Chandler is a great mix of athleticism and defense. Should he continue to improve, as he has every year since he was drafted, he could end up improving his scoring and rebounding once again, as he has done in each of his three NBA seasons.

Both of these players, aside from the expected improvement that comes with experience, will also have more floor to work with, as Amar'e will clog up the middle and demand doubles.

Eddy Curry and 2011

No one knows what to expect from Eddy Curry, the once almost All-Star of the New York Knicks. In his tenure with the team, apart from his one good season, Curry has been overweight, injured, or in some sort of legal trouble.

He could potentially come back in great shape, and play side-by-side with Amar'e, but that hope seems to be consistently dashed.

At best, Eddy is $11 million-plus waiting to drop off the books for 2011, and a run at another free agent class that includes Carmelo Anthony.

But before the summer of 2011 becomes the hot topic of conversation, the 2010 Knicks should be given a chance. They have their superstar and their coach, and they might add another player or two before the season ends.

The Knicks could very well be in the playoffs and may have the talent to go far in the postseason in the suddenly depleted East.

At the very least, this is the first time in quite a while that Knicks fans can cheer for the current iteration of the team, not the team that may be in years to come.