Now initially I want to say how much I love what Amare Stoudemire has done for not only this team but also this city. He not only has taken on the burden of playing on the world's biggest stage for basketball but also has embraced this and fans of this city. His leadership qualities are nothing short of exemplary and we haven't had a player of his quality since Ewing in the early 90's. With all this said, the catalyst of the New York Knicks is Landry Fields. When he plays well the team always seems to win -- also he manages to play his best against the best teams.
Landry has won Knicks fans over in a very short period of time. One major reason is because we realize whenever there is a big play to be made during the game, somehow Landry is in the middle of it. Whether it be an important offensive rebound, three point shot, steal, or pass he always seems to be in the center of it all and makes the right decision. If you are someone who seldom watches the Knicks, you don't understand what I mean because you look at his statistics and you see ten points and seven rebounds a game, that's nothing special. But when you watch the team you realize you are witnessing a player that has the potential to be very special. Special isn't a term I use lightly when talking about basketball players, but I feel it is justified in this scenario. The most exciting quality of Landry Fields is the level of fearlessness he plays the game with. He has no fear. It doesn't matter whom he is playing against; he plays them with the same intensity and fortitude. The best example of this was against the Miami Heat. I watched that game live in the Garden and it was apparent to me -- and I hope many others -- that he was the player on the court for our team the entire game. One specific play that stands out in my mind was when he went after a missed free throw like he usually does with reckless abandon and got fouled. While some might think this is a meaningless play during a 48-minute game, it wasn't, because he changed the whole momentum of the first half with that one play.
While I told you that it's not about the statistics for Landry, his statistics when you actually delve into them a little deeper are pretty impressive. First of all he leads all guards in the NBA in rebounding. I can't remember a rookie second round pick ever leading all NBA guards in rebounding not only that but he is second on the Knicks team in rebounding behind just Amare. Along with this he is the only two-guard in the NBA with over ten double doubles this season and is third on the Knicks team in double doubles behind just Amare and Felton. These two things coupled with the fact that he shoots over fifty percent from the field and close to forty percent from three-point range.
I don't know what NBA executives were thinking letting this guy be taken so late during the draft. But their poor choice turned out to be the Knicks' good fortune. Landry led the Pac 10 in scoring and rebounding during his final year at Stanford but still received no recognition from NBA scouts- but the Knicks guys knew what they were getting. It's about time the Knicks had some good fortune after over a decade of misery of having to watch players such as Stephon Marbury. Landry is the anti-Mtarbury, plays the game the right way and is a consummate professional on and off the court. As you can probably tell, I myself love Landry Fields and think he will turn into a player who could be one of these third options on a championship caliber team.
These reasons plus many more are why Landry is the catalyst for the Knicks and their continued success. I would be greatly disappointed if any package to get Carmelo Anthony included Landry Fields and I personally think the Knicks should fight to keep him in his new home with the fans that love his game.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S2sLe8VuMo