A Punch in the Gut

It may not be obvious but I am a diehard Knick fan. When the Knicks lose, I feel their pain. When the Knicks win, I emphatically rejoice. Anybody I know can vouch that about me. So when Amar'e Stoudemire injured his hand by punching a fire extinguisher after last night's loss, I felt as if I had lacerated my left hand too. It was a bloody scene, sure, and Stoudemire has been remarkably criticized for his actions by nearly every sports news outlet. And surely he deserves that criticism. While we are still awaiting official word from the Knicks regarding his availability for Thursday night's game 3 at the Garden and the rest of the series, it has all but been confirmed that he will be unavailable for the rest of the series. Clearly, he deserves blame for his actions. First off, he could've punched a pillow or a teddy bear. Instead he choose to punch the most injury prone object in the locker room. Second, he displayed a complete lack of respect for both himself and for the entire Knicks organization with his actions. There is no justifiability for his actions. He simply injured himself and injured his team and it may end any hope that the Knicks had against the Heat in hopes of moving on to the second round.

But there's a rub. As always, there are two sides to the story. It's important to also consider the impact that Stoudemire's actions might have for these Knickerbockers. As everyone in the NBA world has acknowledged multiple times, it has been difficult for Carmelo Anthony and Stoudemire to mesh on the court. In fact, the Knicks are an even 50-50 since the trade for Melo last February where they sacrificed nearly all of their assets. It was a move that Melo wanted and that fans wanted. Since then, with the ups and downs that the Knicks have gone through, many have called for Stat or Melo to be traded. Of course, it is near impossible to trade Stat because of his uninsured knees and now that Melo has finally risen from the dead, his status appears safe. What this essentially means is that whether we like it or not, Melo and Amar'e are here to stay, and for the long haul too. And while it may not seem like it to the naked eye, Stat does care about this team just as much as Melo does. So much so that he took out his frustration on a fire extinguisher. My job now is to convince you that this experience will lift the Knicks to even greater heights.

Everyone remembers the remarkable April that Melo had. He was without a doubt the most effective player in the league, leading his team to a noteworthy 36-30 record while both Stat and Lin rode the sidelines with injury. As if it's not obvious enough, Melo played so well because he is an individual type player. Much like other greats like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. Players like these excel in isolation, have killer jump shots and can go on streaks like no other player in the league. We saw no better evidence of this with Melo than this past month when it seemed like he absolutely controlled the game and made no mistakes. Yet when Stat returned before the end of the season, even though Melo was still putting up similar numbers, the team seemed to be less cohesive than before. Fewer lanes were open, less jump shots were available, and Melo seemed generally uncomfortable with Stat back on the court. It is abundantly clear that Melo simply plays better when he has more room to work. With all that in mind, just hear me out.

Stat punching the fire extinguisher could be the jolt the Knicks need to possibly come back in this series against the Heat. Sure we'll miss Stat but we'll move on without him as best we can because Melo can and will be our savior. Now before you yell out in disagreement, keep in mind the famous quote, "with pain comes strength." I may be in the minority by saying this but I believe the Knicks could utilize this fiasco to overcome their struggles in games 1 and 2 and give the Heat a run for their money. To the public, Amar'e's fiasco will always be called the punch that ended the Knicks season. For me on the other hand, I think it will be called the punch that lifts the Knicks to greater heights and a stunning round 1 victory over the Heat. The Knicks desperately need a punch in the gut and this may just be the spark that they need. Crazy? I know. But it's sports and it's definitely not scripted.