The Knicks are off to an impressive 8-2 start, their offense is clicking at the highest level in the league (111.7 points per 100 possessions), yet there is a big question looming over New York’s season — can Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire play well together?
Stoudemire has been out all season following knee surgery, but he is coming back next month. The Knicks offense is on fire with ‘Melo playing the four but when Stoudemire comes back and moves him to the three spot, will it work? The number certainly say it hasn’t yet — the Knicks were considerably worse on offense last season when Anthony, Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler were on the court together.
Coach Mike Woodson isn’t worried — he notes that combo was 8-2 under him last season.
And Jeremy Lin agrees with him that it can work, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post (via Sulia).
Call me Missouri, but the Knicks are going to have to show me this can work over time. Not saying it can’t, saying it really hasn’t over a stretch of time. The numbers were ugly. And I’m one of those crazy people who thinks past performance can be indicative of future results.
But this has seemed a different ‘Melo this year, a guy who left is Olympic experience with Kobe and LeBron with a seeming different team attitude. Maybe Stoudemire would agree to coming off the bench. Maybe a lot of things.
The Knicks are just going to have to show me, and all of us.