Stoudemire Did More Than Most with His Gifts, but Still Left Us Wanting More

The fond farewells are out there, as always when someone of any significance retires.

It’s not even oversaturated with saccharine sentiment in this case. Amar’e Stoudemire did a heck of a lot with his career and was truly a likable and congenial presence in the league. You could even make an argument that he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. 

But he is also a classic example of someone who could have done more, someone who forces us to wrestle with what might have been.

That may seem unduly critical considering how much better at his job he was than so many who’ve tried. Yet it’s an irresistible debate to slip into whenever we consider the career of a great athlete who also fits the category of “natural talent.”

Stoudemire didn’t even play basketball until he was 14.

By 20, he was the NBA Rookie of the Year.   

In between was an array of high schools, inconsistent playing time and a revolving door’s worth of coaches.

Drafted ninth overall in 2002, an onrushing Stoudemire scared NBA veterans more than the experience and size of top pick Yao Ming when both entered the league in the 2002-03 season.  

Stoudemire’s original explosiveness was like what DeAndre Jordan currently possesses, elevating immediately and easily—except Stoudemire also could handle the ball and quickly developed a diverse set of offensive moves. 

He averaged at least 20 points and eight rebounds in seven of his first nine seasons in the NBA. By his second postseason, he was averaging 30 points over 15 games. At the end of the 2015-16 season he ranked seventh in field-goal shooting among all active players and 29th all time.

Natural as his basketball athleticism was, Stoudemire was at his best when he made the game look effortless…but that often was too good to be true.

What Stoudemire certainly didn’t have was a commitment to defend—or even the willingness to make a token effort in many cases. He blocked his share of shots because of his size and athleticism, but he was woefully …

continue reading in source www.bleacherreport.com