Amar’e Stoudemire read several leadership books before the season in preparation of captaining the Knicks. Stoudemire lets stuff out for a reason.
Late Wednesday night in the visitor’s locker room at Charlotte, Stoudemire took an unmistakable tweak at coach Mike D’Antoni as a teacher of defense.
The comment was made after their winning streak reached five games. With Stoudemire’s role as team spokesman and his recent slam on the franchise’s losing culture, Stoudemire’s remark must carry a deeper purpose.
After Stoudemire’s ferocious six-block effort in Charlotte, he was asked why he’s never been known as a stout NBA defender.
“I was just never taught it, through high school and I also think in the NBA,” Stoudemire responded. “I think last year I watched a lot of film and took it upon myself to be better. I got to give it to [Suns coach] Alvin Gentry. He implemented some strategies that were helpful for me. I just took it and learned from that and carried it over to this season.”
Stoudemire made a similar statement on Phoenix radio last season that raised eyebrows and was widely viewed as a poke at D’Antoni’s lack of defensive emphasis in the 4 ½ seasons he coached Stoudemire in Phoenix.
Insiders in Phoenix contend, as D’Antoni was headed out the door, Stoudemire backstabbed D’Antoni privately that he didn’t teach defense well and didn’t appreciate D’Antoni’s whispers he wasn’t a good defender.
When Stoudemire signed in July, D’Antoni called for a breakfast meeting in Manhattan to clear the air. Sources said during breakfast, D’Antoni told Stoudemire he didn’t want subsequent comments made in the media to divide them, as inevitably stuff will be said in the heat of the moment.
That Stoudemire revisited the Gentry remark on Thanksgiving Eve after sweeping their home-and-home vs. the Bobcats was surprising. These are heady times, as the Knicks are on their first five-game winning streak in the D’Antoni era and first since 2006. They haven’t won four straight road games since 2001.
The Knicks, who host the Hawks tomorrow in a Garden matinee, have climbed back to .500 at 8-8 — a half-game behind the Heat (8-7).
But Stoudemire may feel the competition during the streak has been subpar and wants D’Antoni to focus more on defensive preparation or they won’t win against better teams.
All their victims during the streak now own a losing record — Sacramento (4-9), the Clippers (2-13), Golden State (7-8) and Charlotte (5-10) twice.
In each game, the opponents have scored easily in the fourth quarter to chop at fourth-quarter deficits and nearly take the game. But the Knicks have scored in the clutch and made the odd late stop to preserve the game.
“It’s a good thing and negative thing but something we can work on,” said Raymond Felton. “We get defensive stops at the end of the game and that’s what’s winning the games for us.”
D’Antoni’s speedball attack is flourishing (106.7 scoring average, fourth in the league), but Stoudemire may want the coaching staff to start emphasizing defense, where they rank 26th in opponents field goal percentage (47.8) and points allowed (107.1).
For sure, Stoudemire, who is averaging 2.2 blocks and 8.1 rebounds, is thinking defense — and even invoked the greatest defensive big man ever late Wednesday night: Bill Russell.
“It’s very important for us,” said Stoudemire, whose two final-minute blocks saved the Charlotte win. “A lot of times when you’re trying to win ballgames, especially down the stretch, defense is what does it. Getting stops, getting rebounds, that’s how you win the game. It’s imperative to me to bring some of that defensive intensity and it’s helping so far.”
The Knicks lead the league in blocked shots after finishing last in 2009-2010.
“I really didn’t think about blocking more shots this year,” Stoudemire said. “It wasn’t a thought of mine. My thought process was to become a better defensive player and better defensive team.”