NBA Playoffs 2012: The New York Knicks' $60 Million Problem

As the news started to break piece by piece last night in the aftermath of Amar'e Stoudemire's meltdown following Game 2 in Miami, Stoudemire's "life" as a Knick began to flash before my eyes.  After all, when the end is near one can't help but think about the beginning.

Before the whole truth even came out last night, I asked a friend of mine, who is a die-hard a Knick fan, the following question: If this incident could hypothetically nullify the remaining three years and nearly $60 million left on Stoudemire's contract, would he be happy if the Knicks took advantage of that option? 

He paused for a couple of seconds, then replied, "I love Amar'e."

In the summer of 2010, it was Amar'e who declared on the streets of Midtown Manhattan that the Knicks were back.  It was Amar'e, not LeBron James, who stood up and faced the dragon that is basketball in New York City head-on. 

He wanted the pressure and the attention, because Amar'e understood what the payoff would be like if and when he slayed that dragon.  That's why Amar'e inspires that response from Knick fans. 

Had it been Carmelo Anthony who punched a fire extinguisher box in the aftermath of a tough playoff loss, Knick fans would not have the same compassion.  This is what lies at the heart of the Knicks' problem.

It is clear to just about everyone except Spike Lee at this point that a Championship is nowhere on the horizon for the New York Knicks.  They have as much talent as just about any team in the league north of South Beach, yet they haven't come close to realizing their potential. 

The Knicks looked more like one of those toys you would play with as a kid where you have the shapes that can fit into a slot, but the pieces only fit in the slot that is the same shape.  During the Stat and 'Melo era in New York, the Knicks have been trying to fit a circular object into a square hole; it was never going to work.

Although the simple answer would be to trade Amar'e Stoudemire to a team that needs a primary scorer, nothing is ever that simple when the Knicks are involved. 

Amar'e has never gotten a fair shake in his time in New York.  During his first season (2010-2011), he rejuvenated the New York fan base and did everything he could to make his "the Knicks are back" statement stick.  He embraced being an "alpha dog" for the first time in his career and was succeeding in that role.

During a stretch from late November to early December, Amar'e set a franchise record by scoring 30 or more points in nine straight games.  The Knicks went 8-1 with Amar'e averaging 34.4 points on 59% shooting over those games, with the one loss being a memorable 2 point defeat at the Garden to the Boston Celtics in which Amar'e scored 39 and hit a 3 just after the buzzer that would have won the game.

The dirty little secret of that run was the fact that coach Mike D'Antoni was running his fragile superstar into the ground, averaging 42 minutes per game on knees that have been operated on so many times they couldn't be insured.   

Amar'e has never been the same since that streak for a number of reasons, all of which are out of his control.  The Knicks seized an opportunity to acquire another primary scorer at the trade deadline when they swung a deal for Carmelo Anthony. 

They assumed that Amar'e would be happy playing second fiddle and that they were too talented to fail together, despite the fact that no team that went on to win the title had done so with two players averaging over 20 points per game in the regular season since the Los Angeles Lakers did it with Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant in 2002-03.

Factor in 'Melo's involvement in the firing of a coach whose system was tailor-made to Amare's game, the death of his brother earlier in 2012, and the 26 to nine shot discrepancy in yet another loss to the Miami Heat (the team that chose Chris Bosh, not Amar'e, in 2010 when they were putting together their "super team"), and suddenly it becomes shocking that Stoudemire's frustration never boiled over sooner.

So we've come to a fork in the road.  Clearly Amar'e and Carmelo will never win together.  The seemingly obvious move would be to see what's out there in terms of a trade for Amar'e. 

It's a cold truth that Knicks management will have to realize, especially because of how good this team has looked in his time here at various points.

If a Knick fan were given the choice of building a team around Amar'e, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler with Mike D'Antoni at the helm, or a team featuring Amar'e, Tyson Chandler and Jeremy Lin, or a Mike Woodson coached team lead by 'Melo, Chandler and Lin, I don't think there's an obvious choice in that mix of scenarios.  All three groups had varying degrees of success in the last two years.

Going forward there is only one solution. See if you can flip Amar'e for a contract that is as bad as his (Bosh, Elton Brand, Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor, Carlos Boozer) to get a player who is satisfied being 'Melo's sidekick.  Build around Lin, Chandler, Carmelo and Stoudemire's replacement.

Amar'e should be, and will be, fondly remembered by Knick fans if that fire extinguisher is the lasting image of him.  Without Amar'e, 'Melo and Chandler would never have come to New York. 

He was a team player who sacrificed and never lacked motivation or heart.  You could tell that deep down he truly cared about winning, and winning in New York.  The same can't always be said about Carmelo Anthony.

So when the Knicks and Amar'e Stoudemire inevitably part ways, it will be for the best for both parties.  The Garden faithful chanted "MVP! MVP!" when he went to the free throw line during that nine-game stretch in 2010. 

Something tells me they won't soon forget what he meant to this organization if, in fact, he has played his last game as a Knick.