Heat Vs. Knicks: Amar’e Stoudemire Ought To Be Afraid Of LeBron James, Miami

Amar'e Stoudemire, on occasion of the Miami Heat's Thursday visit to the New York Knicks (8 PM ET, TNT), to the media that he nor anybody is afraid of South Beach's superteam. Defiance is courageous; there's a reason that Goliath's defeater is legend. Unfortunately, most Goliaths win; a David is a rare thing, and despite Stoudemire's kosher offseason, the Heat have proven twice this season (by a combined 30 points) that Amar'e and Co. are no match.

Of course, those Miami wins came with Chris Bosh manning the pivot, or at least a spot on the floor about 15 feet from the post. Bosh remains out thanks to Omer Asik's complete lack of regard for the health and wellness of his fellow man hustle, which means that LeBron James will play power forward against the Knicks.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he'll use the current reliance on Power Forward LeBron as the development of a smallball lineup that could be used once Bosh is healthy. That may not come in handy against East titans Boston and Orlando, who have centers Bosh can't handle and, in the case of the Celtics, a Hall-of-Fame power forward likely a bit too much for the two-time MVP. But at certain points, a smallball Heat unit could come in handy.

That's certainly the case against the Knicks, where Mike D'Antoni still cannot decide whether to leave Amar'e at power forward or center. The fact that neither of New York's center options -- Timofey Mozgov and Ronny Turiaf -- fit the Knicks' run and gun style (or at least haven't been given a proper opportunity to show that they fit) has helped limit D'Antoni's options. Stoudemire rode solo up front in the Knicks' last game. Doing so again with the Heat in town would likely leave LeBron matching up with a player who should be a small forward in Wilson Chandler anyway.