By Michael Lyle, Jr.
Amar’e Stoudemire is ready for the season to start and feels he has enough energy to return to his dominant ways.
Such intensity was on display Wednesday night in Hartford as the Knicks took on the Celtics in their preseason opener at the XL Center. Stoudemire played with both the first and second units in the second half as he learns to adapt to the Triangle Offense under new head coach Derek Fisher.
Indeed, the 12-year All-Star forward showed some power and finesse that should help the Knicks in the front court this season. He finished with six points in 14 minutes.
“We had some sequences that looked really good,” said Fisher. “We got any shot we wanted when we ran it a certain way. We’re also still trying to learn to play together. When you have 28 turnovers and still have 20 assists, it shows guys are trying to pass the ball. Regardless of the score, we want to show guys are willing to share the ball.’’
Fisher intends to lean on Amare and his cast of veterans this season. Stoudemire himself said last month that he’s feeling dominant again and hopes to prove his doubters wrong by excelling this season. “Last year was a difficult year,” Stoudemire said. “This year is a different story. I feel so much better than I did last year. I’m healthy. I feel strong. It’s a different situation.”
He certainly looked strong on Wednesday night and is hoping to make a huge impact on both sides of the ball this season. That, alone, is essential in the Knicks executing the Triangle Offense with perfection. “I feel my body is feeling so much stronger. I feel dominant,” said Stoudemire. “We’ll see what the coaches do.”