mrKnickShot wrote:As hilarious as this Headline is, does anyone remember any players who became a good defensive player after being in the league for as long as Amare?

I will settle for OK - but I know that I am probably in dreamland.

Here is another example of Amare saying a lot "stuff" - we need to see it on the court, Amare! Not just to the media in pre-season.

http://theknicksblog.com/uncategorized/stoudemire-on-team-defense-2/

He is right about one thing...he has room to become a much, much, much better defensive player...I never understood why good athletic (Amare, DLee) couldn't get it done on the defensive side of the ball...

smackeddog wrote:He was raised by D'antoni, so it'll be interesting to see if a full season under a different kind of coach will make a difference. I get why people are sceptical, but LJ and Allan Houston were poor defenders until a couple of seasons under JVG- coach and culture do make a difference to a player.

Funny that many other players seem to have been able to play hard on D despite playing for MDA. STAT had years of playing with guys who were very good defensive players. He was the only one that didn't do his job. That's why he and MDA had to have a sit down before STAT signed. MDA and STAT had words over STAT's lack of consistent effort on D.

Updated: July 4, 2010 10:03 PM
By ALAN HAHN

Stoudemire and D'Antoni have had their differences, both privately and publicly. Stoudemire was the lone Suns player to show no disappointment about D'Antoni's departure from Phoenix in 2008; he had bristled at D'Antoni's criticism of his defensive deficiencies, mainly on help defense, which led to troublesome breakdowns. Stoudemire often deflected the blame back on D'Antoni for not putting enough time into coaching defense, which touches a nerve for D'Antoni.

The Suns improved on D when STAT was out of the lineup and KT was in there instead. Just watching the Knicks since STAT came here, it's been clear that he was the source of the problems on D for MDA over the years. Not his other players like Marion, Raja Bell, KT, Hill etc. Here in NY we saw that when you add a DPOY to the middle of your defense it makes all the difference in the world, as opposed to having Amar'e as the last line of defense. Then when MDA played Jared and Tyson along with Shumpert you really saw the kind of D you could expect with defensive talent on the floor.

Amar'e has the talent to be a better defender. He has to make it a priority. Will he do it? Only he knows that. I have a better feeling about it now than before. I think he's in better physical shape and his mental approach has been much better, so we'll see.

holfresh wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:As hilarious as this Headline is, does anyone remember any players who became a good defensive player after being in the league for as long as Amare?

I will settle for OK - but I know that I am probably in dreamland.

Here is another example of Amare saying a lot "stuff" - we need to see it on the court, Amare! Not just to the media in pre-season.

http://theknicksblog.com/uncategorized/stoudemire-on-team-defense-2/

He is right about one thing...he has room to become a much, much, much better defensive player...I never understood why good athletic (Amare, DLee) couldn't get it done on the defensive side of the ball...

callmened wrote:Pierce was noncholant about defense...then doc came along...now hes decent

Pierce was never this bad but not a terrible example. I think that LJ stepped it up in NY on defense.

There are not that many who can just turn it on defensively after having been in the league for 10 years.

I did see him trying much harder for Woody after MDA left though still far from a good defender. Lets see ...

holfresh wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:As hilarious as this Headline is, does anyone remember any players who became a good defensive player after being in the league for as long as Amare?

I will settle for OK - but I know that I am probably in dreamland.

Here is another example of Amare saying a lot "stuff" - we need to see it on the court, Amare! Not just to the media in pre-season.

http://theknicksblog.com/uncategorized/stoudemire-on-team-defense-2/

He is right about one thing...he has room to become a much, much, much better defensive player...I never understood why good athletic (Amare, DLee) couldn't get it done on the defensive side of the ball...

I could tolerate having the baby faced underachiever on this team but his hordes of followers are hard to stomach at times.

Yes.. Melo was amazing in the playoffs. Everyone stands around to watch one guy do it his way. Now lets lavish that guy for his epic efforts.

fishmike wrote:more anti-Amare garbage threads from the nutsack riding Melo groupies to remind us all whos team it is.

I could tolerate having the baby faced underachiever on this team but his hordes of followers are hard to stomach at times.

Yes.. Melo was amazing in the playoffs. Everyone stands around to watch one guy do it his way. Now lets lavish that guy for his epic efforts.

Whose team it is???...Where are u getting all this crap from...I like Amare a lot..But personally I'm tired of hearing all the off season chest thumping he has been doing the last two years...It's time for him to shut the FK up and show up for a full season...Give us a chance to hold Melo accountable in the playoffs...Jesus..U guys pick sides and just ride it into the ground beyond reason...