Amar’e Stoudemire never attended college, entering the draft out of high school in Orlando, Fla. But this summer, the Knicks power forward matriculated at Olajuwon University in Houston.
Stoudemire, who returned to practice after a two-day absence with a sore ankle, unfurled yesterday his new repertoire of low-post moves in drills against Kurt Thomas.
No, he didn’t look like Patrick Ewing in his prime, but the 6-foot-11 Stoudemire, with baseline fadeaways, looked armed with new weapons. Get used to it. Having lost some of his speed and explosiveness last season, Stoudemire knew he needed to add a post game to extend his career as an All-Star caliber big man. He will turn 30 next month and has an unpredictable back.
“I’m ready to step into a new era of my career,’’ Stoudemire vowed. “It’s going to benefit my career and I’ll become more of a complete player, having an all-around game.’’
Stoudemire averaged 17.5 points last season — his lowest total in a non-injury year since his rookie campaign. Hence, he spent three weeks at Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon’s Houston ranch after the disappointing season. Knicks coach Mike Woodson watched the tutorial. Woodson, who played with Olajuwon for three seasons in Houston, invited Olajuwon to the Knicks’ Greenburgh, N.Y., practice facility in September for two weeks of more teachings.
Stoudemire is a quick study and can recount Olajuwon’s dance steps as if reciting the periodic table.
Asked if he knows the “Dream Shake,” Stoudemire said: “As Hakeem will tell you, there’s more than one move that consists of the Shake. To be honest with you, there’s about four or five moves. The shake is the fifth move to that because there’s so many counters. The Shake comes on the fourth or fifth move.’’
Stoudemire didn’t know a single move before the summer. He blames it on being attached to former Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni’s speedball game.
“I’m a player who adapted to the system I played in,’’ Stoudemire said. “I’ve been under D’Antoni for seven, eight years. Post-up wasn’t a factor for us. We were such a high-octane, up-tempo team where speed and quickness was to our advantage. I’m now allowed to develop a post game where my speed and quickness will still be used to my advantage but add a lot of [post] skill.’’
Woodson has incorporated low-post sets, D’Antoni be damned.
“Mike was very successful the way he ran his offense,’’ Woodson said. “Players who played for him loved playing for him. I laud Mike for everything he did from an offensive standpoint. I like his stuff and some of Mike’s offense we’ll keep.
“But I have sets I like to run that will utilize guys closer to the bucket and Amar’e’s one of those guys. Guys that are 6-9, 6-11, they should be around the bucket a little bit, posting the basketball.’’
Center Tyson Chandler worked with Olajuwon in Greenburgh, but admitted he won’t have enough time to use much. Stoudemire, meanwhile, has his degree in Hakeem low-post sciences.
“I’m going to look to use everything I learned,’’ Stoudemire said. “It takes a lot to learn different moves. It’s definitely a new phase of my game — the footwork. It’s something I never worked on and really l never needed to until now. To implement it takes a lot of perseverance to get through the beginning struggles.’’
Woodson said Stoudemire has put in the homework.
“You can’t have ‘The Dream’ for the whole summer,’’ Woodson said. “You got to take what you learn and rehearse it yourself. Amar’e worked all summer.’’
* The latest injury update from Camp Del Boca Vista had Raymond Felton’s right hand heavily taped during practice. Woodson said he jammed it Saturday and is undergoing treatment, but is “fine.’’
Camby is still out with a calf strain and Rasheed Wallace hasn’t scrimmaged yet.
Stoudemire said he had rolled his ankle “a little.’’
“It’s always tough to predict health,’’ Stoudemire said. “We have guys upper in age and we want to take precautionary measures with those guys. There’s no rush for Camby or Rasheed to be in top shape right now.’’