Amare Stoudemire is not the answer in the Eastern Conference
Several teams are in a bidding war to pull Amare Stoudemire from Phoenix in a deadline trade, most notably the Heat and Cavaliers. Both teams have two very important goals in mind: first, to help make a run at a championship this season, but also to try and give their star players a reason to stay in town.
It’s no secret by now that Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are both hitting the free agent market this summer, and their respective teams are going to do whatever they can to resign them. Neither player has much of a supporting cast around them, so it’s clear the front offices in Miami and Cleveland are trying to give them a sidekick with star power.
Stoudemire is a poor choice to help make a run to the Finals, however. His lack of commitment on the defensive end makes him unreliable against Dwight Howard of the Magic. Howard is the wrench that twists everything in the East a different direction with his unmatched size, strength, and athleticism. There simply is not another big man in the conference that can contain him.
Stoudemire’s chances of giving him trouble are questionable. If he ends up in Miami, it really might not make them much better of a team. If he goes to Cleveland, it will make them better, but not any more dominant than they are already, especially considering what the Cavaliers might have to give up to get him (J.J. Hickson, Anderson Varejao).
Both teams should just stay put. Seriously, do the Cavaliers, in the midst of a 13-game winning streak, really need to shake up their roster? They risk blowing a shot at a title with such a bold move, and if that were to happen, LeBron would be gone. For the Heat, they would be better served to wait until this summer and try to bring Chris Bosh to South Beach to pair with Wade.
