Why Amar'e Stoudemire's Claim to Improve Defense Is Full of Hot Air

There's every reason to believe that Amar'e Stoudemire will have an improved post-game after working with the legendary Hakeem Olajuown this summer.

The notion that he'll also turn into a good defender is another question altogether.

If you ask Stoudemire, though, he's working on that too (via the New York Post's Zach Braziller):

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“Defense is the key to win championships, that’s something I’m dedicated on also, to become a much, much better defensive player,” he said. “It’s going to happen. It’s a matter of preparation and practice and getting that chemistry down on that end of the court.”

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Part of the problem with Stoudemire's thinking is that he seems to believe his problems on the defensive end fundamentally come down to, "preparation and practice and getting that chemistry down on that end of the court."

Those are all good things, and there's no question the New York Knicks will improve as a team in those respects, especially with more time under head coach Mike Woodson, who took over late last season when Mike D'Antoni resigned.

But those are not the principal things on which Stoudemire himself needs to work.

Thankfully, Amar'e won't have to solve the deeper riddles of championship defense. We won't need him to learn complicated strategies and practice them long into the night.

We really just need one, simple, elementary little thing. Something a coach shouldn't have to explain to Amar'e at this juncture.

For the love of all things Kickerbocker, get back on defense!

Just...ya know...try a little bit.

Does Stoudemire really need to practice trying? Maybe that's a stupid question.

Of course, there's some measure of truth behind Stoudemire's comments, but it's the kind of truth that just makes you shake your head and roll your eyes. Yes, the Knicks may very well need a defensive tune-up, but Stoudemire just needs to show some effort.

You really can't blame the guy.

He spent his formative years listening to Mike D'Antoni consistently ignore the defensive end of the floor, and he walked right into that very same culture when the Knicks signed him.

All that money that was spent on Tyson Chandler surely had a lot to do with the fact that New York knew better than to expect dominant defense out of Stoudemire. He needed another big man to take on the tough post assignments and guard the rim.

Perhaps there's something to be said for allowing Amar'e to avoid foul trouble, focus his energies on scoring and letting guys like Chandler (and now Camby) pick up the slack on the defensive end.

That's perfectly reasonable, to an extent anyway.

But, the real problem here is that Stoudemire has interpreted that dynamic as an excuse to jog back in transition situations or otherwise just stand around while guys like Jared Jeffries take all the charges.

And before you get too hopeful, remember that this isn't the first time Stoudemire has vowed to change his defensive ways. In fact, every bad defensive team in the league is stacked with players just like Amar'e, always backing up good intentions with the most disappointing results.

If Stoudemire is a better defender this year, it will be because Mike Woodson holds his guys accountable throughout the year and demands more from them.

His star power forward is certainly capable of the big-time season he's promising. But this has never been about ability.