As if the arrival of the frozen, white stuff wasn’t reason to be excited on a Monday morning, DFW sports are also being treated to Amar’e Stoudemire.
His impact on the Mavs? Pretty simple. In 36 games this season backing up center Tyson Chandler, Greg Smith scored a total of only 75 points. In just 11 minutes in his Sunday night debut, Stoudemire scored 14.
Yeah, you get the picture.
In his trademark goggles and gaudy Leopard-print sneakers, Stoudemire immediately paid dividends and served notice that he will indeed boost the Mavs’ chances down the stretch of the regular season and beyond.
Stoudemire, signed as a low-risk, high-reward free agent after he was cut by the Knicks last week, slammed home three dunks and grabbed three rebounds in Dallas’ victory over Charlotte. He’s a legit low-post offensive option. And, yes, he’s a significant upgrade to every player head coach Rick Carlisle has thrown out since the trading away of Brandan Wright in the Rajon Rondo deal.
“The fans were joyful tonight, they gave me a lot of energy,” Stoudemire said in the post-game locker room. “I was ready to get going and set the tone from the start.”
He ran the court. He scored off the pick-and-roll. He attacked the rim.
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And even during a short opening act, he proved he’ll make the Mavericks a better team.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
