It was initially thought that after his major injury he would still have near All-Star stats of around 20 points and 7 rebounds per game.
However, two weeks into the season, Stoudemire averaged only 14 points and 6 rebounds, with a shooting percentage of 57%, but was essentially finishing easy baskets, lacking any ability to play one-on-one, and his mid-range shot had also degenerated.
After observing for two weeks, Coach Lu could not tell the difference between Stoudemire and Carl Landry off the court.
In the third week, Stoudemire entered a slump, continuously facing suppression from his counterparts, with stats and shooting percentages beginning to drop, only managing to score 20 points and grab 10 rebounds against weaker teams to pad his stats.
Less than a month into the new season, the SuperSonics were already sure that the trade for Durant for the second pick plus Stoudemire was at least a failure in regard to Stoudemire.
