New York Knicks: Amar'e Stoudemire's Possible Return Won't Save Knicks

After lacerating his left hand after Game 2 against the Miami Heat on Monday, Amar'e Stoudemire has come out and said there's a "great chance" he'll be available for Game 4 on Sunday, according to Jonathan Abrams.

The problem is, Stoudemire's return won't change the fact that the Knicks will lose their series against the Heat.

The Knicks predictably lost the first two games of the series in Miami, and Stoudemire was at least part of the problem. Despite scoring 18 points on Monday, Stoudemire's poor defense and lack of rebounding hurt the Knicks against the Heat. Then again, that was no surprise; Stoudemire has never been a good defender or rebounder for his size.

The Knicks shot 49 percent on Monday, but the Heat shot 52 percent. Even with Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler manning the interior, it still wasn't enough to stop the explosive Heat.

Perhaps that's why Stoudemire was so frustrated and swung back in anger, smashing his hand into the wall and a fire extinguisher case in the locker room afterwards. He knew that despite a relatively strong night from the Knicks, they still lost by 10 points to the Heat—after losing by 33 points to them the game before.

Even if Jeremy Lin returns from arthroscopic surgery in Game 4, it's hard to imagine the Knicks somehow rebounding against a far superior team in the Heat. It begs the question, what happens to the Knicks after they are inevitably knocked out of the playoffs? They grabbed Chandler in hopes of a brighter horizon, but even Chandler can't change their fate.

The reality is, Stoudemire, injured or not, was never the superstar he was tabbed to be. Sure, he can score, but he also needs to rebound and play defense, and he's been relatively non-existent in these categories for the majority of his career, including when he was with the Phoenix Suns. For a player as explosive as he is, you'd expect better.

There's also the fact that Stoudemire will begin declining before long. He may only be 29 years old, but he's already shown signs of receding.

Will the Knicks be able to trade Stoudemire? Hey, anything's possible. Gilbert Arenas was traded despite all his baggage, after all.

But is it probable? No, it is not, especially after his tirade in the locker room. It's hard to like an overpaid player who takes himself out of the most critical point of the season.

It would certainly make things more interesting in the playoffs if the Knicks were capable of overthrowing a giant like the Heat, especially with their home-court advantage at Madison Square Garden, but, despite their additions the past two years, they are further from being a legitimate title contender than they previously thought.

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