Amare Makes Plea for Nash in NYC

“Everyone knows that Steve loves New York and that New York loves Steve,” Stoudemire told The Daily News. “I love Steve. It would be great to have him here next year.” (via)

Amare Stoudemire is likely salivating at the thought of once again working the pick and roll with the magician Steve Nash. Not to mention the fact that Steve Nash every year finds a way to not only make his teammates better, but to keep all the scorers on his team happy and getting enough touches. If there was one major complaint about the Knicks for the past two seasons, it was that they lacked chemistry and the proper balance between scorers.

Will NYC be an easy sell for Steve Nash?

You’d think not, now that they ousted his old buddy and former Suns Head Coach Mike D’Antoni, but don’t be too quick to assume. Yes, Nash wants to go to a contender. But New York has enough pieces with Stoudemire, Melo, Chandler, Shumpert, Fields, Novak, etc. to get the job done. Nash might just be that missing ingredient that pulls it all together.

Also, don’t forget Nash has an offseason home in NYC and spends the better part of his summers there playing in a soccer league. So he can’t hate the city that much, right?

What about Jeremy Lin? Well, obviously if the two-time former MVP comes to town, Lin would have to take a seat on the bench for the foreseeable future. But don’t think that means Lin would get his burn. As Nash has aged he has taken a liking to his regular rest periods during games, and he’s a big believer in mentoring his backup. That would be good news “now” and in the “future” for the Knicks if they are investing in Jeremy Lin.

When asked about playing for the Knicks, Nash is playing it cool. He told a source close to him that “he isn’t “ruling out anybody at this point.” Many still believe he will choose the Heat as his best shot for a title, but its not over till it’s over.