Contracts are a big part of the NBA and its players.  Everyone wants to make money and support their family, but sometimes it takes more than money to become a winner in this game.  In the West, a lot of teams are coming on strong at the end of the season including Dallas, Pheonix and Utah.

So that being said, will this be the year that the Suns and Jazz play in the Western Conference Finals (pending the seeding it set up for that matchup)?  Do you think I’m crazy for asking that question?  I’m sure, but the reason why I ask is because of the ridiculous play of Amare Stoudemire and Carlos Boozer this year and more specificially once the calendar turned to 2010.

In baseball you see it all the time, a mediocre player is in a contract year and he busts out for 25+ HRs and 100+ RBI which is WELL above his previous 4 year average.  A recent, prime example of that is Gary Matthews Jr.  Just look up his stats, this is a basketball site so I won’t go into details.

But in the NBA you don’t see that as much.  I don’t want to say it doesn’t exist, but it doesn’t happen as much (someone it did recently happen to is Roger Mason Jr.).  Stoudemire and Boozer are both in contract years in which they can opt out after this year.  Much of the NBA’s fans, players and coaches already considers these two guys superstars of the league.  So is it a contract that is motivating these two players and their respected teams to be competing for the 2 seed in the West (Jazz, 3 seed; Suns 4 see) or are they just sick of having high hopes and coming up short?

You hate to think two players who already make big bucks are playing for a contract because let’s face it, they don’t need to.  Stoudemire and Boozer as well as any other potential FA (James, Bosh etc) should just play their asses off to try and win an NBA championship and for once forget about the money.  I believe in the “contract year season” for most players but never for guys with superstar written all over them.

It’s different with these two, I feel they both have hidden agendas.  Stoudemire and Boozer both claim they want to stay with their respected team (despite Stoudemire almost being traded this year), but you mean to tell me they would pass up a max contract from the Knicks or Nets who are both a few years from heading back to the Finals?  Absolutely not.  I think Stoudemire and Boozer are realizing they need to play for not just a contract, but also audtion themselves to the NBA to prove they should earn the big contract.  Neither of these guys have played on teams who have advanced to the finals and that plays a big role in free agency.  The question is always asked, “what guy is going to help us win a championship?”

The answer for these two is neither.  Stoudemire and Boozer are on a mission to prove not only do they put up big numbers but they can get a max contract AND help a team win a championship.  Well talk is cheap and neither player have proven they can win a championship thus far so when Amare Stoudemire is averaging 28 ppg and 10 rpg in March (which would be career highs in a season) and Boozer is averaging 21 ppg and 13 rpg in February followed a 19 ppg and 11 rpg March you know it’s the cash money talking louder than the trophy.

-The Basher