On Tuesday, Celtics’ forward Paul Pierce said there wouldn’t be a Celtics-Knicks rivalry until after he left the NBA.

I suppose that means that we can all expect him to retire at the end of the season.

Prior to Wednesday night’s game between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks, the bulid-up of the matchup was like something that hasn’t been felt in quite some time by Knicks fans.  One of the NBA’s best teams was coming to town, riding a 10-game winning streak.  Certainly that’s happened before. 

But this time, the Knicks were in the midst of their own 8-game winning streak.  That’s what made this different.

The Knicks came into the game with a sense of purpose and confidence.  In a contest that was surrounded by hype, New York showed that its improvement this season has not been a fluke.  They gave Boston every bit of opposition possible, and from the opening tip, looking like a team that felt like they belonged in that moment.

But it’s really time to give credit where credit is due.  During the most anticipated NBA offseason in years, Amar’e Stoudemire was firmly stashed in the second tier of free agent possibilities.  Stoudemire was generally viewed as a healthy equivalent to Carlos Boozer, but easily trailing Chris Bosh.  When Amar’e initially hinted that he wanted to leave Phoenix, we all chuckled under our collective breath.  We just knew that the five-time NBA All-Star has ascended to his level of success solely due to the guidance and creativity of two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash.  There was no way that any franchise in their right mind would sign Stoudemire to a max deal.  And when the Knicks stepped up the making this ill-advised move, we all thought that it was a predictable move by the Knicks.  They seemed to live by the “something is better than nothing” creed, which would explain their previous unfruitful contracts.  And so, we expected New York to live through another unproductive, non-relevant season of NBA basketball.

Funny how low expectations can breed unchartable results, right?  Last year, it was the Milwaukee Bucks who were forecasted to finish dead last in the Eastern Conference and, of course, they were one win away from advancing into the Conference Semifinals.

Throughout the course of this young season, Amar’e has been nothing short of sensational.  He’s been a rock for the Knicks, scoring 17 or more points in 21 of NY’s 23 games this year.  And, of late, he’s been on a ridiculous tear – putting up at least 30 points in each of his last nine games.  Stoudemire has proven to be the inside force that the Knicks have been craving ever since the departure of Patrick Ewing.  While David Lee was capable and productive, he didn’t fit the bill like Amar’e does.  Stoudemire seeks out contact.  He doesn’t try to avoid the physicality of the game or alter his shots around defenders.  He is going to take the contact and finish strong.  He is going to rebound the basketball with animosity toward his foes.

Stoudemire's enthusiasm for the game is punctuated by his rugged, hard-working mentality.

Could it be that we could have everything backwards when it comes to Amar’e?

Look at Phoenix.  They are second in the Pacific Division, but that’s only because the other inhabitants of the division are the Warriors, Kings and Clippers.  The Suns have become a middle-of-the-road team with a .500 (12-12) record.  It’s obvious that Nash has been unable to lead the Suns to success without the presence that Stoudemire provided.

Now look at New York.  We all wondered how Stoudemire was going to receive the ball, and if he was going to get the rock in his best scoring positions.  Well, all of a sudden, Raymond Felton has been playing the best basketball of his NBA career.  The former NCAA champion is posting 19 points and 9 assists per night.  Granted, New York’s tempo is much faster than Charlotte’s has ever been, Felton had topped out at 14 and 7 with the Bobcats.  This year, he’s shooting a career-best 46.4%, including a respectable 37.2% from deep.

Could it be that Stoudemire has been the one who has made his point guards look good all along? 

But let’s not stop there.  Perimeter talent Wilson Chandler is converting 36.6% of his 3-pointers this season…tops in his brief NBA stint.  He’s also averaging two more points per game than he did last year while playing two fewer minutes per night.

Amar’e has also made the burden of transitioning to the NBA much easier for rookies Landry Fields and Toney Douglas.  Both are making valuable contributions to the Knicks, thanks to the interior attention required from Stoudemire’s presence.

News reports have broken that a young stud out in Denver is now chomping at the bit to come to the Garden.  Imagine that…other players gravitating towards Amar’e.

With every passing game, it is looking more and more like the Knicks knew what they were doing.  And that the guy who is currently the Eastern Conference’s top player would be worth every penny of his ridiculous contract…and then some.

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