STAT made a day for 2 kids from the Knicks’ Garden of Dreams Foundation at the NBA store, SLAM interviewed him while there...
SLAM: You had great chemistry with Steve Nash in Phoenix. What can you do to forge a similar chemistry with Raymond Felton?
Amar’e Stoudemire: Practice. It’s just that simple, just practicing. If you work out as hard as we do, the chemistry is going to come. It’s not hard to play a screen-and-roll game in this League. You have a good passer and good finishers, it’s gonna be successful.
SLAM: You’ve played against Anthony Randolph from being in the Pacific Division. What does he bring to the table?
AS: Yeah, I think Randolph is great. He’s versatile, he’s young, he’s athletic, he can shoot the ball pretty well. And he’s eager to learn more. So, it’s gonna be great for us. He’s a great addition to the team and he’s gonna help us a lot. He’s really going to do well.
SLAM: Is there a part of D’Antoni’s way of coaching that you understand now which you may not have understood when you were with him in Phoenix?
AS: Nah, it’s pretty much the same with D’Antoni. Obviously he’s one of the best offensive coaches in the NBA. So, that’s going to be great for us. Defense is something I’ve gotten better at the past few years so that’s obviously something that’s going to help us as a team.
SLAM: Are you becoming a teacher of D’Antoni’s system to your teammates?
AS: Yeah, absolutely. Anytime you bring in new players to a system like that it takes a learning process to get to know the situation. That’s what this is all about. Training camp is when it really gets down to hard work and execution. Right now, we’re going to get a feel of his offense and get better in training camp.
SLAM: Even with his offense, the Eastern Conference and the Knicks still have a connotation with rough, rugged play. Do you feel pressure to play that way?
AS: Nah, basketball is a matter of will, skill and determination. That’s all we gotta focus on. As long as we play the way we are and so far, this off-season, we keep building and keep improving then we’re gonna be in good shape.
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