In today's "Works" (a worthy staple of your basketblog diet), Tom Ziller smushes the idea of Amar'e Stoudemire as the Knicks' starting center.
D'Antoni likes Chandler at power forward, and Beck mentions Marion as D'Antoni's successful undersized power forward in a previous life. But Chandler is nothing like Marion on paper or on the court.
Stoudemire survived at center in Phoenix because of Marion. The Matrix rebounded as well as Amar'e (despite the size difference); instead of a center-power forward tandem, the Suns essentially played two power forwards. That left some deficit on defense and the glass, but the otherworldly offense, led by Nash and Stoudemire, outweighed the bad year after year.
But there's a reason Alvin Gentry stuck Amar'e at power forward last year in Phoenix: there's no Marion any more. Without the versatile hole-filler, Amar'e just becomes an overmatched center with a high points-per-game average.
While I'm a little more enamored than Ziller is with Wilson Chandler's ability to play (and particularly defend) big, I mostly agree that Amar'e should play alongside a real 7-footer for defensive and rebounding purposes. With Timofey Mozgov and Ronny Turiaf both willing and able to play the 5 and Anthony Randolph also occupying some fleeting position in the rotation, I don't see any need to force Amar'e up a position. Not only is Wilson Chandler no Shawn Marion, but Turiaf and Mozgov are no Jake Voskuhl. In a good way.
[Leaves computer for 4 hours, returns to a short, unfinished post.]
So...uh...yeah. Do you want Amar'e to play center or power forward or what? Comment!