Should the Knicks trade Amar’e Stoudemine?

Jesse: I’ve been back-and-forth with this one. Amar’e has had times where he has been great in New York, and then he’s had times where he’s been completely out of it (a la punching a fire extinguisher). There have been instances where he can be on the court at the same time as Carmelo, and the Knicks flourish. There have also been times where both look inept and completely out of sync, as both players seem to play better when they are the primary ball handlers.

If I were running the Knicks, I’d keep Amar’e. Having two superstars on one team is beneficial more often than not. What the team really needs is a point guard. There isn’t enough evidence that Lin is that player, and Baron Davis and Mike Bibby are no longer the players they were. Throw Steve Nash on that roster (he’ll be a free agent next season), and you have a player that loves to distribute to players that love to score (‘Melo and Amar’e). Not to mention Amar’e and Nash were deadly in Phoenix.

To me, adding a top point guard makes more sense than trading away a top power forward.

Alex: The New York Knicks have been trying to get rid of Amar’e Stoudemire. The problem is, nobody wants to pick up his contract. Stoudemire has three years left on his contract for which he will be paid $64 million.

Do I think anybody will pick up Amar’e and all of his baggage? No.

I do think, however, the Knicks will try really hard to get rid of the five-time NBA All-Star.

His health has been questioned throughout the season, and most recently his judgment has been scrutinized after he took out his playoff frustrations on a glass enclosure of a fire extinguisher.

I’m not a big fan of Stoudemire. He is inconsistent and hasn’t seemed to come to grips with the fact that he is not the face of the franchise. Carmelo Anthony is.

Melo is the Knicks’ Batman, and Amar’e is Robin. That is how it is, and that is how it always will be as long as both of them are on the same team.

Who is the league MVP?

Jesse: You can make a case for LeBron. You can make an even better case for Tony Parker.

However, I have to go with the Maryland product himself: the Durantula.

Kevin Durant is the best scorer in the game. He’s won the past three scoring titles.

He shot 49.6 percent from the field in the regular season, and helped the Thunder sweep the defending-Champion Mavericks.

LeBron had an incredible season, yes. Maybe his best overall season yet.

However, the Heat also have Dwayne Wade, who has won Finals MVP and the scoring title before. Chris Bosh can also record 20 and 10 any night.

The Spurs are a veteran team who also have the leadership of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and arguably the best coach in the league, Gregg Popovich. They are also one of the deepest teams in the league.

Take Durant away from the Thunder, and you’re left with two true scorers: Westbrook and Harden.

Two scorers are not enough to be considered title contenders in the NBA, a label the Thunder have comfortably accepted with the Durantula leading the way.

Alex: One word: Durantula

I don’t want to hear anything about LeBron James until he wins an NBA title. He can drop 101 points in a game, and it wouldn’t matter to me unless it was in the Finals.

I don’t want to see LeBron get any individual accolades until he gets not two … not three … not four … not five … just one championship.

Kevin Durant has had a phenomenal season and is the 2012 scoring champion. He led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a four-game sweep of the 2011 Champion Dallas Mavericks.

He averages 28 points per game and is considered to be the future of the NBA.

I just do not see how you can give the MVP award to a guy who put himself on a team with two other superstars.

Yes, the Heat seems to be clicking this season. But this isn’t a team award – it’s individual.

There is also a rumor that Dwayne Wade sat out for a couple of games to enhance James’ performance and better his chances of getting the MVP crown.

Put aside all of the game-winning shots LeBron has missed and Durant has made. Durant deserves the MVP. It’s not because the Thunder are a better team than the Heat. It’s because this season, Durant was a better player than LeBron.