Mavericks realize Amar’e Stoudemire is special

The excitement level from Amar’e Stoudemire’s debut with the Dallas Mavericks has gone through the roof.

When Stoudemire entered the NBA in 2002 as the ninth overall pick by the Phoenix Suns, trying to guard the prep-to-pro star was akin to trying to drive on icy roads.

Fast-forward 13 years, and the veteran continued to show signs of that domination Sunday night. He collected 14 points and three rebounds in just 11 minutes during the Mavericks’ 92-81 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

It was as if the 32-year-old took a sip from the fountain of youth before he came off the bench and started plowing through the Hornets.

“I was just being aggressive and wanted to establish myself and give us something off the bench that we needed,” the 6-foot-10, 245-pound Stoudemire said. “[But] it’s a lot of room to grow.

“There’s so many offensive plays that I have to still study night in and night out to figure it out. Defensively, there are a few strategies that I’ve got to figure out as well, so it’ll take time. But I think this is a great starting point.”

Stoudemire’s starting point was so solid that the Mavericks finally believe they’ve found the perfect backup to starting center Tyson Chandler. They had been trying to fill that void since they traded Brandan Wright to Boston in the Rajon Rondo trade on Dec. 18.

The fans also believe the Mavs have found someone special — giving Stoudemire a standing ovation when he entered Sunday’s game for the first time.

“He’s a very different player than we’ve had here,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s a [center] that can play [power forward], he can shoot with range, he’s a terrific free throw shooter, he can post up, he can pick-and-pop and he can drive the ball.

“He knows how to play out of double teams, because he’s one of these guys that’s been that [high] level of player which teams really have to game-plan for.”

Even before he agreed to a buyout with the New York Knicks on Feb. 16, Stoudemire had already targeted Dallas as the place he wanted to finish this season.

“I was very, very familiar with the organization from playing against them so many times when I was in Phoenix,” Stoudemire said. “I knew about the training staff here that was a really good training staff, which is a positive for me to prolong my health.”

And his new teammates and coach?

“The players are guys who are ready to win, and obviously Coach Carlisle is a phenomenal coach and is a champion as well,” Stoudemire said. “He’s been here for a long time — one of the longest-tenured coaches with one team in the NBA.”

Dirk Nowitzki is glad he and Chandler have another quality front-line player — Stoudemire is a six-time All-Star — who the Mavericks can depend on in crucial situations.

In summing up Stoudemire’s first game, Nowitzki said: “Sometimes it’s not easy. You don’t know the full playbook yet, you don’t know all the calls on defense.

“But he just went out and played hard and played smart and kept the game easy. We kept the play calls easy for him, and I think it’s just going to get better and better as we get adjusted more to him.”

The adjustment period continues tonight at 7:30 when the Mavericks (38-20) host the Toronto Raptors (37-18) at American Airlines Center.

But if his first game was any indication, Stoudemire could turn out to be of the biggest steals of the season.

“I thought for the first game with a new team — 14 points in 11 minutes — that’s pretty strong,” Carlisle said. “I see his minutes increasing; I don’t see him as an 11-minute-a-game player.”

Stoudemire knows he has to accept a lesser role with the Mavericks than the 24 minutes he averaged in 36 contests with the Knicks this season.

He also admits that thoughts of a championship played a major role in signing with the Mavericks.

“The league knows my pedigree, they know what I bring to the table,” Stoudemire said. “This is my 13th year in this league, but whatever we need as a team to win, I’m here to help.

“We’ve got all the right personnel, a great coaching staff and trainers here. It’s an organization that wants to win, so I think all the intangibles are here.”

This story was originally published February 23, 2015 at 6:44 PM with the headline "Mavericks realize Amar’e Stoudemire is special."