Jan. 9, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) and power forward Amare Stoudemire (1) walk off the court during the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Bobcats at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won, 91-87. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

The question of whether Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire can coexist is multifaceted. When considering if they can you he to consider if they should

The New York Knicks moved to a “small ball” lineup this year playing Carmelo Anthony at the power forward and spacing the floor. This allowed Anthony to have room to work with and also for the ball handler to run pick-and-rolls with Chandler without any extra defenders hanging around in the area.

Most NBA fans know by now that Chandler doesn’t really have a low post game. You can’t lob him the ball with his back to the basket and tell him to go to work. What he is though is a fantastic pick-and roll-player (he also affects the offense in so many ways that aren’t obvious like his great screens rebound tip outs, drawing in defenders, etc.).

Dating back to his days with Chris Paul back in New Orleans, if the offense can get Chandler on a pick-and-roll at the basket it is very likely that offense’s best shot available. Chandler has a career field goal percentage of 58.4 percent, but the last three years has posted numbers of 65.4, 67.9, and 63.8 percent from the floor.

When a starter with no discernible shot creating ability shoots that well it is because he knows what he does best. This is where Stoudemire comes into play.

The days of Stoudemire being a lethal midrange jump shooter are probably gone. This past year, in limited play, he barely took any jump shots at all and last year he was below average, including shooting 9-for-47 (19.15 percent) from around that right elbow area.

This leaves Stoudemire to his other major strength as an offensive player, pick-and-rolls. STAT and Steve Nash destroyed the league on pick-and-rolls for years in Phoenix. Nash’s impeccable passing ability and intelligence mixed with Stoudemire’s overwhelming athleticism and the Phoenix shooters spreading the floor, teams had no real answer when the Suns ran this play.

STAT had good success with Raymond Felton running it before the Anthony trade but since then has become a slightly above average shooter in that restricted area. Since his jump shooting days are likely behind him (his knees are not likely to just get healthy for next year. Doctors warned both the Suns and the Knicks his knees would deteriorate after the third year of this contract or where we are now) Stoudemire needs to be fed the ball in the paint.

It is where he is most effective and where he can draw in defenders allowing the ball handler to dish to an open shooter. Having two players whose offensive strengths are doing basically the same things (I would argue Chandler has a bigger offensive impact than Stoudemire), especially when those things need to be done in or around the paint can be problematic.

When the Knicks play both Stoudemire and Chandler not only do their overlapping skills not mesh well offensively but they also eliminate the ability to space the floor. The majority of the Knicks most successful lineups consist of Chandler, Anthony, and three shooters to give Anthony room to work with.

The Knicks most successful lineup in the regular season, Felton, Kidd, J.R. Smith, Anthony, and Chandler, outscored opponents by 26.9 points per 100 possessions in 269 minutes. Anthony embraced his role as a power forward and was able to torch bigger, slower defenders to get much better shots. As a power forward this year Anthony had a higher PER (24.8 to 21.8), shot better (.508 efg to .492), and the team performed better (+5.9 per 48 minutes to +3.9). This has to be taken into account when considering the potential Chandler-STAT tandem.

What also needs to be taken into account is Stoudemire’s defense.

Knicks fans know by now that at best Stoudemire is a bad defender. He was decent at coming over from the weak side and blocking some shots but he can’t even do that anymore. He has turned even marginal players, such as Tyler Hansbrough, into scoring machines with his total inability to defend.

The Knicks all year were a slightly below average defensive team, finishing 18^th in defensive rating. Chandler has enough on his plate cleaning up the mess that players in front of him (other than Shumpert) create for him defensively and doesn’t need quite possibly the worst defender in the NBA making things worse.

In short I am not opposed for creating a role for Stoudemire. He can be a very valuable bench player. He still has the offensive capabilities to overwhelm most backup centers, which would provide much needed relief for Anthony and Chandler during games.

I do not, however, believe Stoudemire meshes well with the Knicks starting lineup and especially with either Anthony or Chandler.

Luckily he only has two years and about $45 million left on his contract so he won’t be an overpaid bench player or anything.

Amar’e Stoudemire

May 18, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Offense: Amar’e Stoudemire sadly missed time once again due to injury as he didn’t make his season debut until January 1 after requiring knee surgery in training camp. When he did come back, Stoudemire looked very rusty for a while.

But then his timing came back and Stoudemire provided the Knicks with another reliable scoring option off the bench. He only played in 29 games before suffering yet another injury, but his numbers were quite impressive.

STAT finished the regular season with averages of 14.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 57.7 percent from the floor. However that really doesn’t tell the entire story of how effective Stoudemire was as he played just slightly over 23 minutes per game. Looking at his Per 36 minutes averages, Stoudemire averaged 21.8 points and 7.7 rebounds, which more resemble the old Stoudemire. In addition, he finished with a 22.1 PER, which really is impressive for a guy coming off the bench in limited minutes. Too bad it didn’t last. Grade: B+

Defense: Stoudemire made the comment during the season that he has never been taught how to play defense before. Once again it showed. He can’t defend the pick-and-roll and athletic big men just abuse him on a nightly basis. I give him credit for trying, but it’s just hard to have him on the floor in the fourth quarter as opposing teams will continue to attack him.

When he was on the floor, his teammates had to scramble too much to make up for his mistakes. STAT is working on his low-post moves once again this summer with Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon. Maybe he should also make an appointment with a defensive specialist. Grade: D

Overall Grade: It’s hard to consistently grade out Stoudemire because we once again saw so little of him. But while I loved what he did offensively, he still has a long ways to come to even become an adequate defensive player. Overall Grade: C

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But in terms of adding to the current group, I wouldn’t count on anything big.

May 18, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

The salary cap heading into the 2013-14 season won’t be announce until July, but it isn’t expected to be more than it was this season, roughly over $58 million. With the tax line currently at $70.307 million, the Knicks will without a doubt be over that, which will force them to pay a penalty beginning this season under the new CBA.

Here’s how the Knicks current cap situation breaks down.

Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler were brought to the Big Apple to be the Knicks “Big Three” to rival that of the Miami Heat.

Things haven’t worked out that way and they have become just three enormous contracts eating at the Knicks payroll.

The combination of ‘Melo, STAT and Chandler are owed almost as much as the entire salary cap: $57,169,385.

The Knicks have seven other players under contract as well which brings the total on the books right now to an insane $77,582,832.

There aren’t many decisions to make on the current roster.

James White is the only one with a non-guaranteed contract so he is likely gone, but that doesn’t help the Knicks gain cap space.

Both Pablo Prigioni and Chris Copeland are restricted free agents and if they get big pay raises, which is possible, the Knicks will be in a tough spot to match.

The biggest decision though involves J.R. Smith who will opt out of his contract and attempt to re-sign with the team for something in the ballpark of $4-5 million per year. The problem with that scenario though is the fact that a few other teams will be in a position to offer Smith more money and the Knicks can’t go any higher.

So how do the Knicks get in a better financial situation?

They can’t this year. It will take a few years.  Even if they miraculously trade the likes of Stoudemire or Chandler, they will have to take that much money back. That doesn’t help matter much.

The Knicks are expected to have to pay over $10 million in tax penalties this season, which is no big deal for Knicks’ owner James Dolan, but it still doesn’t help add talent to the team.

That number would’ve been far higher if New York had re-signed Jeremy Lin or matched Toronto’s offer sheet to Landry Fields.

The Knicks won’t part with Anthony or Chandler, and can’t seem to unload Stoudemire’s deal due to his injury history and uninsured contract. Marcus Camby’s three-year deal also clogs up New York’s books, as does Jason Kidd’s and Steve Novak’s. Neither contract is tradeable right now so it’s all but impossible that the Knicks can free up salary.

Even if Kidd and Camby retire it only frees up a little bit of money and the Knicks will still be over the cap.

In terms of ability to spend this offseason, quite frankly there is no ability to do so.

It’s going to be another summer filled with guys on minimum contracts to fill up roster spots. They will have an exception to use if Smith isn’t brought back but even so they will likely be only able to add one decent player.

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Feb 24, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

In his 29 games of regular season action, Amar’e Stoudemire played with an altered game. Now 30-years old with a brutal history of knee and back injuries, Stoudemire isn’t the high-flying, devastating finisher in the pick-and-roll anymore. Instead, he took to the post.

This previous summer, Stoudemire spent two weeks in Houston, Texas working out with legendary center Hakeem Olajuwon. By Mike Woodson’s request, the power forward got personal lessons from Olajuwon, practicing post-up moves with a variety of head-fakes and spins in order to accommodate dwindling athleticism. Likewise, putting Stoudemire in the post would also help the spacing issues between he, Tyson Chandler, and Carmelo Anthony, as Stoudemire could become a threat in a smaller space.

According to ESPN’s Jared Zwerling, Stoudemire will return to Olajuwon’s ranch in August to continue to refine his post game. Olajuwon reportedly charges $50,000 per week for private lessons; his students have included Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James, all of whom spent a week with Olajuwon. Stoudemire spent two weeks working with Olajuwon last summer.

Stoudemire’s overall 2012-13 season was a disappointment. When he first returned, he was rusty and muffed up the team’s offense and flow for a bit. Later, after undergoing a second knee surgery in the same season, Stoudemire looked rusty in the playoffs, unable to give the Knicks useful minutes.

But in between those stretches, Stoudemire found a rhythm in late January and February. On the season, he averaged 14.2 points on 57.7% shooting with 5 rebounds per game. In February, his scoring average jumped up to 14.9 points per game, and then in five games in March, when Stoudemire really hit his stride, he put up 16.8 points per game. He notched 20 or more points six times this season and threw in a few games where he shot 100% from the field.

This summer, continuing to work on his post game, remaining healthy, and hopefully establishing a more certain role with Mike Woodson and the Knicks can mean a more productive 2013-14 season for Stoudemire.

However to accomplish what only eight other teams have done previously, come  back from a  3-1 series hole, the Knicks are going to need head coach Mike Woodson at his best, which means shrinking his rotation.

May 16, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson during the game against the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 85-75. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

There are several things that Woodson must do to maximize the Knicks chances to win Game 6 and force a deciding Game 7 at The Garden  and  the first deals with superstar Carmelo Anthony.

The first thing that Woodson must realize is that he has to pull out all stops to come away with a win. There is no tomorrow and if that means playing his best player minutes, then so be it.

Anthony needs to be on the floor as much as possible and if I’m Woodson I have a very hard time taking Anthony out of this game unless the Knicks build a comfortable lead.

The second thing that Woodson must do is play Anthony and Chris Copeland together often.

Copeland is the one Knick that is shooting the ball well and right now is really the only one capable of stretching the floor. If Anthony and Copeland are on the floor with a couple of guards who can penetrate, it opens up so many more options offensively.

Another must for Woodson is to go to the pick-and-roll with Raymond Felton far more often. If Felton is running the P&R with Tyson Chandler or Kenyon Martin, Indiana must respect his mid-range game, which means either Felton is making shots or creating plays for his big men. Either way, Felton is the guy who can put the most pressure on the Pacers’ defense.

But while that’s a lot of things that Woodson should do, there are also a lot of things he shouldn’t do.

The first being not giving J.R. Smith major minutes.

If it seems early on that Smith is about to shoot the Knicks out of the game, it’s almost impossible for Woodson to play him 30+ minutes.  It will be a tough decision, but if it looks as if Smith is going to have another tough night then Woody has to pull the plug.

Next there’s Jason Kidd.

Kidd shouldn’t be on the floor much in Game 6 as he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat right now.  If you are Woodson, you love the intangibles that Kidd brings to the table, but he hasn’t hit a shot in over 202 minutes and it’s getting hard to run him out there right now. This just isn’t the right time to let the future Hall of Famer work out of his shooting slumps.

Finally Woodson needs to use less of Amar’e Stoudemire.

He only gave STAT six minutes of run in Game 5 and it’s hard to make the case that he should get more right now,

Sure the Knicks could use Stoudemire’s low-post scoring, but Stoudemire still hasn’t had enough time to adjust defensively. Copeland, at this point, can offer a bigger impact on that end because he can hold his own inside and out. Copeland proved he can hold his own defensively down low in Game 5. He had two steals in the contest and was aggressive against David West. That’s something that Stoudemire simply can’t do.

With the Knicks season on the line, the pressure is going to be on everyone to perform at a high level, especially Woodson. If he makes the right adjustments and some tough decisions, the Knicks will have a much greater chance of coming home for Game 7.

As expected, the Knicks have announced that power forward Amar’e Stoudemire will return to the lineup on Saturday as the series shifts to Indianapolis.

Mar. 3, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

However fans that are expecting Stoudemire to make a big impact on the series may have to think again as Stoudemire will be limited to between only 10-15 minutes in his return from knee surgery.

“It won’t be very many minutes,” Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said. “I’m thinking somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes, if that.”

Stoudemire hasn’t played since March 7 while recovering from a right knee debridement, but having him out there could be a boost, regardless of the minutes restriction.

He scrimmaged for the second time this week on Thursday. He looked quick and explosive with his low-post moves and was able to take strong contact down low and finish around the rim. That was a big improvement over his first scrimmage on Tuesday when he looked very rusty.

The Knicks have a challenge on their hands facing Indiana’s skilled front court which features Roy Hibbert, David West and Tyler Hansbrough. Adding some more size in Stoudemire gives Woodson some more options as he could play two big men for extended periods of time if necessary.

Who knows exactly what STAT will bring to the table at this point, but before he was injured again, Stoudemire was playing very well. He averaged 14.2 points and 5.0 rebounds on 57.7 percent shooting in 29 games played on the season.

As the Knicks attempt to advance to the Eastern Conference finals, it’s good that Stoudemire will get the opportunity to take part in things as he has earned the opportunity.

Just hide the fire extinguishers.

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As expected, forward Amar’e Stoudemire scrimmaged with his teammates on Monday and is targeting a return to the lineup for Game 3 on Saturday in Indiana.

March 6, 2013; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reported the following:

“The only way I wouldn’t be [available for Game 3] is if I don’t recover well from today and if I don’t recover well from the following practice [Wednesday],” Stoudemire said. “If there is any setback from that, then that ‘ll be difficult to deal with. But hopefully everything goes well.”

Knicks coach Mike Woodson said: “‘If he doesn’t have any setbacks he’ll probably suit up Saturday.”

If Game 1 was any indication, the Knicks definitely could use Stoudemire’s size as Woodson has to play more than one big against the Pacers. Going small isn’t going to work as the Pacers are clearly the bigger and more physical team. Carmelo Anthony can’t keep having to guard David West or this is going to be a  very quick series.

While Stoudemire returning is great news for Knicks fans, how much he helps is another story altogether.

When he returned for the first time this season, Stoudemire was very rusty and it took some time for him to get his timing back.

The Knicks don’t have that much time to wait for him.

There’s also the fact that the Knicks need to  be tougher defensively, which is an area that STAT doesn’t help at all. But having him available could allow Woodson to shift Anthony to the 3 and play Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin together, which on paper could be their best chance to win this series.

As far as the scrimmage, Stoudemire didn’t look so good, which leads me to believe he won’t be of much use this series.

The New York Post’s  Marc Berman reported that Stoudemire looked very rusty and has a ways to go after getting outplayed by third-string center Earl Barron.

“It feels good to finally be on the court (in) competition,’’ Stoudemire told Berman. “I had a tough day today but it felt really good. I had no pain running, cutting slashing – I felt explosive. The one thing is getting my wind back up and go from there.”

Stoudemire hasn’t played since March 7 after undergoing his second knee debridement surgery of the season.

He scrimmaged alongside Marcus Camby and James White facing the trio of Barron, Chris Copeland and Quentin Richardson. When it ended, he reportedly laid on the court and looked exhausted.

Stoudemire will rest Tuesday and hopes to scrimmage Wednesday and Friday. The Knicks had the good fortune of having three days off between Games 2 and 3, which should hopefully give his knee enough extra time to get ready for what promises to be a  very physical series the rest of the way.

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After working over the summer with Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, Stoudemire has improved his low-post game in order to fit in better with ‘Melo on the court. In the games he played this season, we rarely saw STAT taking his patented mid-range jumper or rolling to the basket. Instead, while coming off the bench, Stoudemire put himself in the position to score from the post, which allowed ‘Melo the room he needs to score from the elbows and isolate.

His improved post game, as well as his willingness to sacrifice playing time for the sake of the team, allowed him to have one of his most efficient seasons in his career. STAT averaged 14.2 ppg and 5.0 rpg, while shooting 58% from the field and 81% from the free throw line, in only 23.5 minutes. He played in just 29 games due to a knee debridement prior to the start of the season and another knee debridement 29 games into his return.

New York Knicks’ Amare Stoudemire (1) shoots over Oklahoma City Thunder’s Serge Ibaka (9) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 7, 2013, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Stoudemire may be able to bring a boost to the Knicks against the Pacers, especially if he can reproduce his success from earlier this season. The Pacers are a big, defensive minded team that rebound the ball well and grind out wins. Adding a low post player like STAT to our offense will help to add an additional layer to the game plan, as well as force the Pacers to think twice before doubling ‘Melo. Additionally, Stoudemire’s height will allow the team to match up better against the bigger front court the Pacers have and give the Knicks another guy who can rebound the ball.

One big question mark that remains is where STAT’s minutes will come from. Coach Mike Woodson has said that Kenyon Martin’s minutes will not be affected by Stoudemire’s return, so who will be the odd man out? My money is on Steve Novak (who has been struggling with his shot and back spasms) and Chris Copeland being forced out of playing time. If STAT truly performs, he may even get some minutes from ‘Melo, who is currently playing a team-high 41 minutes per game and could use a small rest here and there.

Mike Woodson told the media yesterday that he is ruling out STAT for games one and two of the second round, but that he is hopeful to have him play in game 3 after getting practice time. The Knicks need to win their two games at home, and if Stoudemire can come back healthy and playing at the level he was earlier this season, then they may be able to steal a crucial game in Indiana.

STAT has dealt with injuries his entire career. He has been told countless times by the media that he won’t be the same, that he can’t return and be effective, that he screws up the chemistry of the team, etc. Each time he works hard to come back and prove them wrong, and don’t expect this time to be any different. Amar’e Stoudemire is determined and ready to make his impact on the 2013 NBA Playoffs, and hopefully he can help the Knicks beat the Pacers and brace themselves for the sizzling Miami Heat, who they are bound to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Fresh off of their first playoff series win in 13 years, the Knicks could add another weapon off of their bench as injured forward Amar’e Stoudemire is likely to make his return to the lineup against the Indiana Pacers.

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Stoudemire has been ruled out for the first two games of the series, but with a long layoff between Game 2 and 3, that could benefit STAT as the Knicks are targeting a Game 3 return for him.

The plan is for him to scrimmage on Thursday and if his knee responds well to that, he will scrimmage on Friday as well.

If there are no setbacks, Stoudemire will likely make his return for Game 3 on Saturday.

“If he feels fine after Friday, then I think we will play him Saturday,” Knicks head coach Mike Woodson told ESPN’s Ian Begley.

Stoudemire’s return could benefit the Knicks against the Pacers, who have a distinct size advantage over the Knicks.

Right now it is unknown exactly how Stoudemire will be used, but Woodson also noted that his return wouldn’t effect the minutes given to Kenyon Martin, as K-Mart has become the first big man off the bench and a key contributor to Woodson’s rotation.

In all likelihood, Stoudemire coming back will affect the minutes given to Steve Novak the most.

There are also chemistry concerns as the Knicks played their best basketball of the season once Stoudemire left the lineup, finishing the regular season 17-6 and winning their first round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.

But despite the concerns, you have to think the Knicks would be better with STAT a part of the regular rotation.

He was playing pretty well before he was injured. In 29 games, Stoudemire averaged 14.2 points and made 57 percent of his field goals. If they can get that type of production off the bench from him, the Knicks will be pretty dangerous.

In addition, having the extra big body could allow Woodson to play two bigs at once against the Pacers. That’s something he hasn’t had the luxury of being able to do.

Stoudemire has been sidelined since March 7 with a right knee injury and underwent a procedure to clean out debris in the knee on March 11. The original timetable was four to six weeks, which has long passed.

But even though it took a lot longer to get STAT back into the mix, his potential return will be a welcome sight to Knicks fans.

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If they defeat the Boston Celtics in Game 5 on Wednesday the Knicks won’t only advance to the next round, but could have some company doing so.

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

After much speculation, Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said that if forward Amar’e Stoudemire is healthy, he will play in the second round.

Al Iannazzone of Newsday wrote the following:

“Amar’e Stoudemire, who had knee surgery March 11, said he could be ready in the second round. If he is, Mike Woodson said he “absolutely” will play. Woodson said he’s not worried about a disruption of the chemistry the Knicks have built in winning 19 of 21. “Not at all,” he said. “You guys worry about that. I don’t. I really don’t. He’s a big piece to our puzzle.”

Stoudemire’s original timetable of four to six weeks has long passed, but if he sticks close to an eight week recovery timetable, he would be back closer to the end of a second round series than the beginning.

But the Knicks could certainly use the frontcourt depth, so whenever he is ready, Woodson won’t hesitate to use him.

The Knicks have been forced to go to smaller lineups due to the constraints of the roster. There may come a time, especially against the Indiana Pacers (if they are the Knicks second round opponent) that going bigger may make more sense.

Right now, only Kenyon Martin has been a legitimate big man option for New York off the bench.

Stoudemire averaged 14.2 points and five rebounds, while playing 23.5 minutes per game in 29 appearances for the Knicks this season.

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Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Knicks’ forward Amar’e Stoudemire is about to start running full speed by the end of the week and if his surgically repaired knee responds well to that, STAT will continue his rehab and as long as  there are no setbacks, Stoudemire is hoping to return by the second round of the playoffs.

“If everything goes great [with rehabilitation], then I’m willing to play,” Stoudemire told ESPN’s Ian Begley. “Sooner than later, hopefully, if everything continues to improve.”

“Everything’s on schedule for the most part. I’ve got to continue to get stronger, got to get back on the court, start moving around at full speed,” Stoudemire said. “And if I can handle that, then we go up a notch, that’s great. Then I’m looking [forward to] hopefully playing soon. We’ll see.”

Stoudemire underwent surgery March 11 to clean up debris in his right knee. He last played on a game March 7 and at the time of his surgery the Knicks said he would miss four to six weeks. That time table has long passed, but the news on STAT is encouraging.

Knicks head coach Mike Woodson held his stance on Stoudemire’s status with the team, saying that he would be a regular part of the Knicks rotation when he returns.

In his absence the Knicks have played their best basketball, finishing the regular season 17-6 and starting the postseason by winning their first two games.

But even though the Knicks have thrived without STAT in the lineup, he didn’t play bad when he was on the floor even though the wins weren’t there on a frequent basis. In 29 games, Stoudemire averaged 14.2 points and five rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game, making 57 percent of his field goals.

It will be good to see Stoudemire a part of the Knicks playoff charge if and when he returns, however Woodson will have to be careful not to mess with the chemistry of this team.

What the Knicks have done defensively in the postseason has been remarkable and that’s an area that STAT simply does not help in.

Even when he is healthy you would have to imagine that Kenyon Martin would still be the first big man off the bench. It’s unclear how the rotation will work out, but Martin’s minutes can’t be effected by a Stoudemire return. He makes too much of an impact defensively.

That means the likes of Chris Copeland and possibly Steve Novak could pretty much fall out of the rotation all together.

Of course that’s just speculation at this point. Stoudemire has to make it back healthy first.

Like him or hate him STAT has earned the right to be a part of this.

Hopefully he can fit in to what the Knicks are doing and not disrupt things.

I guess we will find out the answer to that sooner rather than later.

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However it may not be for long.

The question has never been if Stoudemire will return for the postseason, but what role STAT would have when he does return?

Feb. 27, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Like so many times during the past couple of seasons, the Knicks are having success without Stoudemire on the floor. But don’t worry, Knicks head coach Mike Woodson has reassured that STAT would be a big part of the Knicks rotation when he does return to action,  which is a big change from when Woodson said a couple of weeks ago that he would try and give STAT 10 or so minutes per game when healthy.

“If he’s able to make it back he will be back in the rotation, ready to play,” Woodson said on a conference call with reporters (per ESPN’s Ian Begley). “I’m expecting him to do what he was doing before he left because he played some pretty good, positive minutes for our ball club before he got hurt.”

It’s unclear how Stoudemire’s potential return would impact Kenyon Martin, as K-Mart has been providing some very productive minutes off the bench since being signed.

But Stoudemire’s return is very bad news for Chris Copeland, who is likely to completely fall out of Woodson’s rotation.

Stoudemire’s return likely won’t happen until the second round of the playoffs as Woodson has all but ruled him out of the Celtics series, but you never know.

He had knee surgery on March 7 and the original timetable called for Stoudemire to miss four to six weeks, which has now passed.

The Knicks have thrived with Stoudemire out, finishing the regular season 17-6 in their last 23 games and winning the Atlantic Division title for the first time in 19 years, plus winning Sunday’s Game 1 vs. the Celtics. There is a concern among some that Stoudemire’s return could impact the team’s chemistry, so it will be very interesting to see where exactly he fits in.

However before the injury Stoudemire was playing very well. In 29 games, Stoudemire averaged 14.2 points and five rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game, making 57 percent of his field goal  attempts.

The main concern with Stoudemire is rust  as it took him some time to really get back into the swing of things as his timing was way off at both ends of the floor.

In a playoff series, it is  debatable whether or not  the Knicks  can afford to run him out there if  he is rusty.

But hopefully that  rust wears off very quickly as it is apparent  that Stoudemire will get the opportunity to play a major role in what hopefully is a lengthy Knicks playoff run.

When that will be is still the remaining question left to be answered.

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Other than the sprained ankle  that point guard Pablo Prigioni suffered on Wednesday night, Knicks head coach Mike Woodson should have a full complement of players at his disposal, as the likes of Tyson Chandler, Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby should all be ready to go.

March 6, 2013; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

One name that won’t though is Amar’e Stoudemire; as the coach has all but ruled the power forward out for the Celtics series.

“I think he’s going to be out,” Woodson told ESPN’s Ian Begley on Thursday. “That’s my gut.”

The veteran power forward underwent surgery March 11 to clean up debris in his right knee. He was on the floor for practice, but Stoudemire hasn’t begun running yet.

The original timetable for Stoudemire after the surgery was four to six weeks, which would put him back on April 22, the day before Game 2. But Stoudemire still appears a long-shot at best.

“I’m doing everything I can to get back out there and be extremely strong and healthy so, hopefully, I’ll be out there soon,” Stoudemire told Begley.

However it may be a blessing to not disrupt what has become great chemistry at the moment as the Knicks have gone 17-6 since he left the lineup.

Even though he won’t be available, it didn’t stop STAT from offering up his thoughts on the Celtics series, predicting a series victory.

“We’re going to win that first round for sure,” he told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling during a screening of his upcoming EPIX documentary, “Amar’e Stoudemire: In The Moment,” which premieres on April 19. “Obviously, as we all know, with the Celtics, you can never underestimate those guys. We’ve got to definitely come to play every game, and bring that focus and determination every single night. I have high confidence in what we can do.”

Prigioni is listed as questionable, but other than that, Woodson should have the deepest bench available to him in quite some time for Game 1, which begins Saturday afternoon.

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Just three days after officially signing him, the Knicks have waived Jones, the team announced today.

Apr 14, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Solomon Jones (54) and Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert (55) tip off for the game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The move opens up a roster spot for the Knicks, as they are now carrying 14 players, and that alone brings up a lot of unanswered questions.

Rasheed Wallace will likely play tonight in Charlotte and while Kenyon Martin, Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony will all miss the game,  they all will be ready when the playoffs begin. That’s not likely until April 20, but the question is who will fill the final roster spot before then?

But is the extra roster spot signaling a return for Amar’e Stoudemire?

Did James Singleton get his contract situation in China resolved?

Those could all be options, but the realistic thing would be to target a perimeter player now that the Knicks appear to be getting back to health. Who that will be is anyone’s guess right now, but Delonte West’s name was often mentioned a few weeks ago.

Jones appeared in two games for the Knicks, playing 26 total minutes. He was fairly ineffective in his limited time, racking up as many fouls and turnovers as rebounds (three each). He also didn’t score a single point in either contest.

If a perimeter player isn’t in the cards, I would keep my eye on the Singleton situation, as he originally came to terms with the Knicks before it fell through due to complications relating to his letter of clearance from China.

If the Knicks sign a free agent like Singleton he would be eligible for the postseason.

One thing of note is they can’t go out and sign a guy like Stephen Jackson, who was released by the Spurs today, as he wouldn’t be eligible for the postseason roster.

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Currently, the Knicks are without Amar’e Stoudemire, Rasheed Wallace, Tyson Chandler, Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin, who are all out with different injuries. Thomas is expected to be officially released to make room for James Singleton, but the main question to ask as the Knicks head to the playoffs is where does Stoudemire fit in Mike Woodson’s rotation if the Knicks are completely healthy for the playoffs?

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

The unfortunate answer to that question is he doesn’t fit at all.

The most important thing is the fact that the Knicks have been winning, something they don’t do a lot of when Stoudemire is in the lineup with Carmelo Anthony and Chandler.

You can’t blame all of that on STAT, but the numbers speak for themselves.

With Stoudemire on the floor the past two seasons, the Knicks are only a 37-40 team, which includes going only 16-12 this season, which isn’t exactly a sign of dominance. Without him you ask? The Knicks have gone 50-17.

With the goal here winning a championship, that’s something that can’t be ignored.

Then there is the fact that the Knicks have become a much better defensive team without him in the lineup. During their winning streak they have allowed only 92.7 points per game, which is down from the 95.9 allowed on the season. With Stoudemire in the lineup, the Knicks have allowed 99.7. Also keep in mind that a majority of the Knicks winning streak came without Chandler and Martin in the lineup together, so just imagine how much better the Knicks defense would have been.

If the Knicks win in the playoffs it will be because they are great defensively and Stoudemire doesn’t help them there.

The time came long ago that this has become Carmelo Anthony’s team and with the likes of Anthony, J.R. Smith and others, the Knicks will have enough scoring to win in the postseason.

Kenyon Martin has to be the first big man off the bench in the playoffs and Anthony has to remain at the 4, where he torches the opposition. That alone limits where Stoudemire can be used.

Then consider the fact that Wallace could be back soon and Camby could be used a little more. Woodson will play those two veterans a little in the playoffs simply because they are solid defensively.

Finally, if more offense is needed off the bench, a guy like Chris Copeland has earned postseason minutes with his play down the stretch.

Add all of that up and Stoudemire unfortunately doesn’t fit into the rotation come playoff time.

It’s sad to say because everyone wants to see him on the floor when healthy.

I could see Woodson giving him maybe 10 minutes per game, but not at the expense of the guys that can get the job done defensively.

Winning is the only thing that matters and unfortunately for STAT, if he is healthy, his role for the rest of the season could be simply as cheerleader.

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Apr 7, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) dunks the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Nick Collison (4) and Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) during the second half at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

It’s almost hard to believe that a player with such talent and star power holds the worst individual postseason record at 17-38 over the past couple decades. Obviously, as a team game, it’s never all his fault and some bad luck with injury struck his teammates last season, but we still can expect more out of him than being the worst. It doesn’t help that the 1-2 punch the Knicks imagined with Amar’e Stoudemire and Melo has been a failure for a variety of reasons, but the Knicks record shows that they are better without Amar’e in the lineup anyway. This is clearly Melo’s team and there’s no Knick that even comes close to exuding the confidence most fans have in Melo with the ball in his hands.

The current pressure on Melo to lead the Knicks is only partially because of his poor postseason career and that pressure is solely personal for him. Knick fans couldn’t care less about his postseason failures all of those seasons in Denver and all that matters is how he leads this current team. This season is a much different story from last season as well.

Last season, although more was expected, a playoff loss was easier to cope with as the Knicks ran into a Miami Heat team that was dominant and really had no business losing to anyone in the NBA with the way they were playing.

This year, as it stands today, the Knicks boast their best winning percentage since the 1996-97 season and are on pace for their first Atlantic Division title since 1993-94.  Those accolades also bring immense pressure to the team to win in the playoffs, and a first round victory is almost required for this team.

If everything works out in the best way for Melo and the Knicks, the team will be a number two seed and division winner while having the NBA leading scorer as their star player. Even if it doesn’t, this is still a great Knick team that already hit the 50-win plateau. The mood of this team is a change from last year and the record shows that they are a top team. The pressure and expectations continue to rise with every win and most of that pressure will fall on directly Carmelo Anthony to break his bad playoff streak and do some adequate damage in the playoffs.

But while STAT had the time  to go on television and tell the world that his rehab is going fine, he also appears to have drawn the ire of Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson in the process.

Mar. 20, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson talks with New York Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire (1) on the sidelines during the first half against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Stoudemire has made a couple of TV appearances in the last couple of days in which he said his rehab is going well, including on ESPN.

“It’s going well,’’ Stoudemire said on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “It’s two weeks in now, so I’ve been able to really recover [and] feel the improvement daily, and I just hope that continues to be the case.”

That apparently was news to Woodson.

When asked about his power forward, Woody seemed rather shocked and displeased with the fact that STAT was going on television to begin with.

“He’s been on TV?,’’ Woodson told the New York Post’s Marc Berman. “News to me. I need to tell him to stay off the TV and talk to the coach. I really don’t know. I don’t know what the timetable is on Amar’e. If he’s telling you the rehab is going well, it’s a good sign. How close to playing, I don’t know.’’

Woodson also added that if STAT does return, he likely will be limited to only 10-12 minutes per game, as he said he has to plan on not having Stoudemire back.

“I can’t get him on the court and going to play him 25, 30 minutes,’’ Woodson also told Berman. “It’s just getting him back comfortable, if it’s 12, 10 minutes, and feel good and comfortable about it.’’

Stoudemire also held a press call on Friday to promote a documentary of his life: “Amar’e Stoudemire: In the Moment.’’

The Knicks are usually very tight lipped on injuries, which made Stoudemire’s recent promotional tour rather odd, especially given the fact that he didn’t communicate things with his coach first.

As for Stoudemire coming back for  the playoffs? Who knows, but stay tuned to the television as I am sure STAT will find the time to promote his return.

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This is nothing new for Woodson as he hasn’t had a full complement of players all season long. But while it is expected that Kenyon Martin will have a much bigger role in Stoudemire’s absence, someone else should as well.

January 30, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Chris Copeland (14) passes while defended by Orlando Magic forward DeQuan Jones (20) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Journeyman forward Chris Copeland should become a big part of Woodson’s rotation the rest of the regular season, if for any reason to help replace Stoudemire’s scoring that they counted on during the course of the past couple of months.

The rookie is averaging only 6.6 points on the season, but he has been much more impressive than that and is one guy that has seemed to take advantage of his limited minutes this season.

Copeland’s per 36 minutes average is quite impressive at 20.6 points during that span and he’s shooting 49.1 percent from the floor on the season. He’s also a guy that can score from both the inside and outside, shooting 36.4 percent from behind the arc on the season. During Saturday’s blowout win over the Utah Jazz, Copeland showed that scoring ability, finishing with 12 points in just seven fourth quarter minutes.

With Stoudemire out and Carmelo Anthony still listed as questionable for Monday night’s game in Golden State, Woodson knows that Copeland needs to be given more minutes.

“Cope can score the basketball,” the coach said to ESPN’s Jared Zwerling and Ian Begley. “On our bench, I need guys that can score. I’m not going to hesitate to throw Cope in because I know he can do that. He does it very well. I’ve just got to get him committed on the other end. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I just let him go one way. Tonight, I thought he proved a little bit that he deserves to be on the floor.”

Of course the problem with playing Copeland more is the fact that he doesn’t offer much except scoring,

To say that Copeland isn’t a very good defensive player would be kind and he doesn’t rebound well for a 6’9″ forward.

But the kid can score the ball and the Woodson needs to take some pressure off of Anthony (when he returns) and J.R. Smith as Copeland can help add some energy and scoring punch to the second unit.

When you look at how the Knicks will replace the loss of Stoudemire, Woodson might not have to look very far as Copeland could end up being the right guy for the job.

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From the face of the franchise to the face of the bench. Stoudemire has battled through injuries for a sizable amount of his time in New York. He has had back problems, a self-inflicted hand laceration, and more recently his surgically repaired and uninsured knees have been bothering him. He had been playing terrific as of late, and seemed to be in top form.  He accepted his role on the bench after returning from injury, and impressed many with his poise and play.

He’s averaging 14.2 PPG and 5.0 RPG, and his shooting percentage is the 2nd highest of his career at 57.7%. These are impressive numbers when you consider he plays just under 24 minutes a game. When you look at his stats per 40 minutes, he is averaging 24 points and 9 rebounds, which would make people think twice about calling him past his prime and a non-elite player.

Amar’e's play has given a huge boost to the bench, and allowed for Coach Woodson to have a player to run his offense through when ‘Melo is resting. The bench has recently been playing a factor in wins due to the increased strength of its play. J.R Smith, Steve Novak, Pablo Prigioni, newly signed Kenyon Martin, and newly benched Jason Kidd have played extremely well while the team went 6-2 in the last eight games.

With Amar’e gone, the bench will need to continue their improved production, especially while ‘Melo is still out with his knee injury. That means that players like Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby need to step up their game and anchor down the front court. Last night against the Jazz, they did exactly what they were needed to do. K-Mart had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Camby did a little bit of everything recording an assist, steals, a block, and a rebound.

Steve Novak and J.R. Smith also had big games last night. Smith finished with a game-high 24 points, 6 rebound, and 3 assists. Novak, who has had an up and down season while struggling to get open looks, scored 20 points while hitting 5 3-pointers. Pablo Prigioni continued his excellent play as possibly one of the league’s best third-string point guards, as he had 5 assists and 5 rebounds.

If the Knicks want to maintain their second seed ranking in the East, then they are going to need continued production from the bench as they close out the season and wait for STAT to return. The offense had grown stagnant, and opposing defenses were easily figuring out that the Knicks’ offense was a one man show. If the bench and other role players can play well, then it puts increased pressure on the other teams and allows for the Knicks to have improved ball movement and execution.

Amar’e Stoudemire will be missed on this team. We lose our main low-post presence, and a vocal leader on the floor. Hopefully, the team can unite, and return to how they played earlier this season without him when they were one of the top teams in the league.

Mar. 3, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Stoudemire has only played in 29 games this season. He hasn’t been the same $100 million player the Knicks signed him for in 2010, but he was efficient scoring 14 points a game with a field goal percentage of 57 percent.

Amar’e gave the Knicks a down low post presence they needed. With Stoudemire out, players like Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby are going have to really step it up from role players off the bench to key contributors down the stretch and into the postseason.

Where does this leave the Knicks for the future? Stoudemire is owed $45 million over the next two seasons. With the condition of both his knees, it’s very hard to imagine STAT being a productive player with that price tag or even on the court at this point. Carmelo Anthony is great, but it’s very hard to ask a superstar to win all by himself. Kobe Bryant had Shaq and Pau Gasol, Dwyane Wade had Shaq, LeBron had Wade and Chris Bosh, and etc.

No one is going to trade for Amar’e. With the money he is owed and his health, trading him is straight out unrealistic. I think Knicks’ owner James Dolan needs to swallow the contract and buy out Amar’e. It’s going to burn on both sides: Amar’e loves New York and was the first one to come here and the Knicks obviously envisioned him as a huge piece to a championship puzzle, but it just isn’t working on anymore.

That leaves the Knicks to dive back into the free agent market. The obvious name that will come up is Josh Smith. Smith is extremely athletic and hasn’t had major health problems. I can see him and Chandler working well next to each other and dominating the paint on defense. Another great big man available might be Paul Millsap, who is as underrated as they come when it comes to big men. David West may also be available, who is playing well in Indiana and can spread the floor with this shooting ability.

Two huge names who have expiring contracts this offseason are Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Paul did not sign an extension, but it is widely believed he did too to get the biggest contract he could with the Los Angeles Clippers after the season. Paul has been linked to the Knicks for a while because of his close friendship with Anthony.

If CP3 hits the open market and the Knicks have the room, you go after him. No question about it. Howard on the other hand, I would not give a max deal too. He and Tyson Chandler would not work well together and Howard has just been a big baby these last two and a half years. He’s just doesn’t have the winning attitude for a big man, especially in New York.

The Amar’e situation sucks in general. It hurts the fan base, the team, and the entire organization. The job for Knicks management is to build a winner now and for the future. With Stoudemire’s health and contract, it is going to be very hard and interesting to see what they do.

Now they have a bigger problem to deal with.

It is being reported by ESPN’s Ian Begley that Knicks’ forward Amar’e Stoudemire will miss at least the next six weeks following right knee surgery.

Amar’e Stoudemire is scheduled to have a right knee debridement this coming week. He is expected to miss approximately 6 week, per #Knicks

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 9, 2013

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Similar to Anthony, Stoudemire has recently been dealing with soreness in his right knee and has elected to undergo surgery.

The six week timetable means that at the earliest, STAT could return for the first round of the playoffs if it is six weeks exactly, but the likely scenario would be that the Knicks would have to advance through at least one round in order to see Stoudemire back on the floor.

This is as bad as news as the Knicks could receive right now as STAT was playing his best basketball in over a year, averaging 14.2 points and five rebounds while shooting close to 58 percent from the floor. But during the months of February and March Stoudemire has been sensational and his production can’t be replaced.

It’s a sad story as Stoudemire has done everything possible in order to stay healthy, but it hasn’t happened as his two-plus seasons in a Knicks uniform has been marred by injury after injury.

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Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

What seemed to be a great revitalization by New York Knicks PF Amare Stoudemire, has turned into yet another stint on the Injured Reserve.  Stoudemire will miss around 6 weeks with right knee injury that will require surgery.  The injury specifically is for him to have right knee debridemnent: this is the medical removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing of the remaining healthy tissue in his knee.  This is the same surgery Stoudemire went through before the season started which ended up causing him to miss 30 games of the regular season.

In the 29 games Stoudemire has played in this season, he has averaged 14.2 PTS, 5.0 REB, with 58% FG, in only 23.5 minutes of playing time.  That’s what you call being efficient.

The regular season ends April 17, so if Stoudemire would come back at the 6 week mark, that would mean he would return to action either late first round, or early second round.  Wow this is such a blow to a player that was playing so well.

Mar 4, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

The Knicks now will have no Stoudemire or Carmelo against the Jazz tonight, who has missed 2 games with a sore right knee (injured against the Cavaliers on Monday).  This leaves the Knicks very thin offensively and will now have to be even more reliant on JR Smith to put up 30 shots a game.  We will see increased minutes from Kenyon Martin at the 4 position and see more action from Marcus Camby who just came off of a foot injury.

Hopefully Stoudemire can see some playing time during the playoffs and be able to come back and play at a high level and be as efficient as he was before this current injury.  We definitely need his scoring if we want to go far in the playoffs.

The Knicks once again had problems defending the oppositions point guard, as Russell Westbrook scored 15 first quarter points to eventually give OKC and 11-point lead before Smith got hot by dropping 18 second-quarter points to pull the Knicks within three at 59-56.

A 1-for-14 beginning to the third quarter could have hurt, but the Knicks defended as well as they have all season and only trailed by five before Smith started carrying the team again and eventually got the Knicks a six-point lead.

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook (0) shoots over New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

But the Knicks couldn’t hold it despite one of their best efforts of the season.

New York shot only 40.7 percent from the floor on the night, while allowing OKC to shoot 44.3 percent. In addition the Knicks were outrebounded 42-38 and they dished out only 10 assists on the night which shows how little the ball moved.

With that being said, here’s a look at how each Knicks player graded out in this tough loss.

Raymond Felton (16 points, 6-of-16 shooting, 3 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 4 turnovers)

Felton wasn’t nearly as efficient as he was Wednesday night against Detroit. Twelve of his points came in the first half, but the he missed eight of his next nine shots and ended up just 1-of-8 from three-point range. The turnovers are starting to pile up for Felton and his last one was costly with the Knicks trailing by just one with 90 seconds left. In addition, opposing point guards continue to torch him as the combination of Westbrook and Reggie Jackson combined for 29 points. Grade: C

Iman Shumpert (2 points, 1-of-7 shooting, 1 rebound, 1 steal)

Shump looked slow on the second day of a back-to-back and shot the ball poorly. He also did very little to impact the game and once again had the Knicks worst plus-minus rating of minus-11. Grade: D

James White (6 points, 2-of-5 shooting)

White came into the night having started all four games in March, but has averaged just 7.5 minutes and 0.5 points in those contests. I will take a pair of three’s and some decent defense in 12 minutes. Grade: C+

Kurt Thomas (2 points, 1-of-2 shooting, 2 rebounds)

Thomas again started but played only five minutes, but he made a jumper and grabbed a pair of rebounds in that short span. He can’t be asked to do much more in only a couple minutes of playing time. Grade: C

Tyson Chandler (9 points, 3-of-4 shooting, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 4 turnovers)

Chandler had a very slow first half with only just five points and three rebounds, but he was much better in the second half looking like the usual active Chandler. With the way he finishes around the rim, the Knicks have to find a way to get him a more than four shot attempts. I would like to see that number somewhere between seven and eight per night. But other than that it was a productive night from Chandler except his rare four turnovers were costly.  Grade: B

Amar’e Stoudemire (16 points, 5-of-16 shooting, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks)

STAT wasn’t nearly as efficient as he has been during the past few weeks, but still finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Playing 29 minutes in the second game of a back-to-back could have had something to do with that. But he was active at both ends of the floor. Stoudemire was caught sleeping a few times defensively but also made some hustle plays, including a big block of Derek Fisher on a breakaway layup. Grade: B+

J.R. Smith (36 points, 14-of-29 shooting, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals)

That was more like it for Smith. He did force a few shots, including the final one, but for the most part he played under control. Smith had to create some for himself but a lot of the time he took shots within the flow of the offense, even though the ball was primarily in his hands. He did miss the game winner, but his coach could have done a much better job to put him in a better position to get a better shot. Hopefully Smith can play this way going forward instead of reverting back to his freelancing ways. Grade: A+

Steve Novak (3 points, 1-of-2 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 steal)

Novak hit a three and tallied a steal in the first half, but the lowlight was his attempt to draw a foul by jumping into the defender, but changed his mind mid-air and try a pass that was stolen. Novak did not attempt a shot in the second half as the Knicks needed some more from him in his 13 minutes on the floor. Grade: C-

Mar. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Kevin Martin (23) drives past New York Knicks power forward Kenyon Martin (3) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Thunder won 95-94. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Kidd (0 points, 0-of-2 shooting, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block)

If Kidd finds a way to get into the scoring column, the Knicks likely win the game as the future Hall of Famer did not attempt a shot in the first half. But he did grab 10 rebounds and contributed in other areas in usual Kidd fashion. Grade: B-

Kenyon Martin (4 points, 2-of-3 shooting, 1 rebound, 1 steal)

In only Martin’s second appearance in a Knicks uniform, he left an impression in his 17 minutes.  K-Mart was very energetic and played solid defense, at times matched against scoring leader Kevin Durant. Martin showed that he could contribute offensively as well as his putback slam late in the second quarter pulled the Knicks within four points, and then tied the game with an alley-oop layup shortly thereafter. Grade: B

Pablo Prigioni: DNP (Coach’s Decision)

Marcus Camby: DNP (Coach’s Decision)

Chris Copeland: DNP (Coach’s Decision)

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The Knicks turned the ball over 11 times in the first quarter alone, en route to 20 on the night. But the Knicks shot the ball very well early on and led by as many as 15 points in the second quarter, although that lead was trimmed to just six at the half.

Ultimately it turned out to be an 87-77 victory, although Detroit’s Greg Monroe was also out of the lineup, otherwise this could have been a different story.

March 6, 2013; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) moves the ball on Detroit Pistons center Viacheslav Kravtsov (55) in the second quarter at The Palace. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks eventually cooled off from the floor and shot only 41.3 percent from the floor on the night (31-for-75), including a 37.1 percent (13-for-35) performance from behind the arc. Without Monroe though, the Knicks held a 48-36 rebounding edge, including pulling down 14 offensive rebounds, which played a big role in the win.

With that being said, let’s take a look at how each Knicks player graded out in the victory.

Raymond Felton (26 points, 10-of-15 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 7 turnovers)

Felton had an up-and-down night. He scored 26 points, including 12 in the third quarter, which the Knicks needed badly. But he also took very poor care of the basketball, turning it over seven times through three quarters, which simply can’t happen. In addition, he had almost twice as many miscues as assists. But he knocked down some big shots and the Knicks wouldn’t have won without him. Grade: B

Iman Shumpert (9 points, 3-of-6 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 assists)

Shump got off to a good start for the second consecutive game, knocking down a trio of three-pointers to score nine of the Knicks first 12 points, and grabbed six rebounds in the first half. But he was unheard from in the second half and finished with a team-worst minus-10 rating. Grade: C+

James White (0 points, 0 shot attempts, 3 assists)

White played only eight minutes, which makes you wonder why he starts, but did dish out three dimes in that span. Otherwise, as usual, the Knicks starting lineup didn’t have much impact. Grade: C-

Kurt Thomas (0 points, 0-of-1  shooting, 2 rebounds)

Thomas got the starting nod and played a total of four minutes. He grabbed two rebounds in that span, but also turned the ball over twice. Grade: D

Tyson Chandler (2 points, 1-of-3 shooting, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks)

Chandler scored only two points and got only three shot attempts, which is unacceptable against a smaller Pistons’ frontcourt. But was productive on the glass  and despite both Jason Maxiell and Jonas Jerebko scoring in double figures, Chandler was good on the interior, especially with some great help defense late in the game. Grade: B

Amar’e Stoudemire (22 points, 8-of-12 shooting, 9 rebounds)

Stoudemire was outstanding once again and came out of the gates on fire, scoring 17 first half points. I would have liked to see him get more looks in the second half, but it was another outstanding and more importantly another very efficient game for STAT. Grade: A+

J.R. Smith (20 points, 7-of-22 shooting, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals)

This is getting old, watching Smith throw up a ton of bricks, mostly because of questionable shot selection. But he knocked down three big triples in the fourth quarter and filled up the stat sheet in other areas. But shooting 31.8 percent for the  game can’t be excused, especially considering the  amount of bad shot attempts that Smith forced up. Grade: B-

March 6, 2013; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) passes the ball on Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Knight (7) in the second quarter at The Palace. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Novak (o points, 0-of-5 shooting, 2 rebounds)

Novak, who knocked down some big shots Monday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, did not Wednesday night against the Pistons. Novak missed on all five of his attempts and that can’t happen. Grade: F

Jason Kidd (6 points, 2-of-7 shooting, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals)

Kidd scored only six points and didn’t shoot well, but he dished out six dimes, grabbed five rebounds and recorded three steals in 32 minutes off the bench. He also finished with a team-high plus-24 rating. Grade: B+

Marcus Camby (2 points, 0-of-1 shooting, 1 rebound)

Camby played only six minutes and didn’t do much, but he seemed active and didn’t do anything to cost the team when he was on the floor. Grade: C

Pablo Prigioni (0 points, 0-of-3 shooting, 3  assists, 2 rebounds)

Prigioni seems to always alternate good game then not-so-good game. He was good against Cleveland, which means he wasn’t great in 17 minutes against the Pistons. He didn’t do much, but did dish out a few assists and played decent defense. Grade: C

Kenyon Martin: DNP (Coach’s Decision)

Chris Copeland: DNP (Coach’s Decision)

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Raymond Felton

The shooting wasn’t really there tonight, but his 10 assists led the Knicks as he proved to be a valuable contributor tonight. He was an important factor in the Knicks comeback from the early deficit and was able to move the ball once Carmelo went down.

Grade: B

Mar 4, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) makes a three-point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Kidd

Kidd is showing signs of life again after being in a terrible shooting slump that cost him a starting spot. He’s getting the stroke back from downtown, going 3-5 tonight, and also added 8 boards and 3 steals to his line. The Knicks are a much better team when the outside shots are falling, something the team on a whole will have to do more consistently.

Grade: B+

J.R. Smith

At points in the game, Smith looked like he started to shift towards driving the lane rather than taking ridiculous outside shots, which was working for him on layups and getting to the free throw line. At many other points, it was the same old J.R. who saw his pretty poor shooting continue with a 6-17 night (1-7 from 3PT).  His 18-7-7 line was good and overall he did a solid job filling for Carmelo Anthony for the bulk of this game, but his perimeter shot selection has been absolutely terrible and will probably cost the Knicks a few points in some games.

Grade: B

Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo wasn’t looking too great with a 1-5 start from the field, but Carmelo gets the benefit of the doubt that his knee issues put a damper his performance until he had to leave the game.

Grade: N/A

Mar 4, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Amar’e Stoudemire

Much of the talk about Amar’e playing much better without Carmelo on the floor will probably be revisited, but his performance was encouraging nonetheless, regardless of who else was playing.  He was 10-15 shooting for 22 points and was looking very active in both creating his own shots and finishing easy looks. Amar’e reached the 30 minute mark for the first time since returning and once Mike Woodson is willing to use him to that extent nightly (compared to the 22 MPG average this season), it would be no surprise to see the big man perform at a high level once again.

Grade: A

Tyson Chandler

Chandler was efficient tonight and his defensive presence was felt more than his modest 8-point, 9-rebound night. Though Marreese Speights started hot, the frontcourt for the Cavs quieted a bit in the second half as the Knicks started to make their run, with Chandler being a big part of that.

Grade: B

Role Players

Steve Novak was on tonight, hitting 4-7 3-pointers, which is a major plus because when he’s a valuable contributor of any sort on a given night, the Knicks generally have more success. Even though Amar’e and J.R. aren’t really role players since starters like Shumpert and White logged far less minutes, they can be included again as part of the Knicks great bench performance in this case. With Carmelo going down in the middle of a pretty big deficit, everyone needed to add something and the Knicks looked great without him, moving the ball well and getting plenty of good opportunities. The defensive effort on a whole was much, much better in the second half as well.

Grade: A

But just watching the Knicks’ offense fall apart Sunday in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat begs the question of if Mike Woodson should use STAT more down the stretch in close games.

The reasons Stoudemire doesn’t see many fourth quarter minutes are understandable.

Mar. 3, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

First of all is his lack of ability at the defensive end. Stoudemire often looked like he was taking notes to write a book on Sunday as the Heat beat him back door to the rim on numerous occasions while he stood flat footed and watched. It’s hard to have those types of defensive breakdowns on the floor late in close games.

Then there is the fact that we have seen times over the course of the past two seasons where Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony have their issues playing together and spacing the floor properly.

Again, in close games it is hard to afford potential breakdowns at either end of the floor.

But the Knicks missed 11-of-17 shots in the fourth quarter — including seven of their final nine — as the Heat turned a four-point deficit into a six-point win.

Maybe STAT helps in that department.

Stoudemire has been playing well. He has been efficient at the offensive end and has added a spark to a sometimes dormant Knicks offense.

Often in the fourth quarter Anthony turns into the Knicks only scoring option, outside of some bad forced shots from J.R. Smith.

It makes sense to have other scoring options on the floor. Sometimes it is better for a coach to not overthink things and simply put your best players on the floor.

On Sunday STAT played just 21 minutes, with just four coming in the fourth quarter, and scored 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting. In a close game that the Knicks should have won, Stoudemire could have made a difference.

But he can’t help the team win sitting on the bench with his warmups on.

Of the 165 fourth-quarter minutes he’s played, just 24 of those are in the last five minutes of games with the Knicks ahead or behind by five points.

Give Stoudemire credit for not complaining about not playing meaningful minutes down the stretch of close games, as he simply told the New York Daily News’ Frank Isola “Coach’s Decision.”

But for the Knicks to have greater success down the stretch, especially in tight games against good teams, that number needs to increase.

It’s hard to watch the Knicks lose games they should win when their best players are sitting on the bench.

You never want to go down with bullets left in your gun and that is exactly what Woodson continues to do.

If the Knicks lose by using their top guns then fine, but continuing to lose games by not playing their best players when they should be on the floor is beginning to turn into a problem.

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To sum it up briefly, they are the third most used five man combination that head coach Mike Woodson has used this season, but the fifth worst five-man unit in terms of net points per 100 possessions as the current Knicks starting lineup gets outscored by 10 points per every 100 possessions.

Feb 24, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) advances the ball during the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won 99-93. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

More importantly, the Knicks are only 7-6 with this starting lineup.

Felton, Anthony and Chandler must be in the starting lineup, but Shumpert and Kidd playing together isn’t exactly working out.

Take the past two games for example.

In the win against the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, Shump and Kidd combined to score only seven points in 39 minutes by making only 2-of-12 shot attempts. They also combined to grab 11 rebounds and dish out only three assists. Then in Wednesday’s thrilling victory over the Golden State Warriors, the duo combined to score only two points in 41 minutes, making only 1-of-10 shots, while grabbing only two rebounds and dishing out only three assists.

The bottom line is that the Knicks can’t keep skating by without production from two players in their starting lineup, especially given the fact that they spend so much time on the floor together.

So what changes should Woodson make?

Starting Amar’e Stoudemire is the most popular opinion, but the numbers suggest that won’t be the answer.

There are basically two reasons why STAT should keep coming off the bench. The first is that Anthony is more productive at the 4, posting a PER of 23.8 compared to only 21.0 while playing the 3. Then there is the fact that Stoudemire has been much more productive playing center than power forward. STAT is putting up a PER of 22.6 at the 5, much better than the 20.9 he has put up playing the 4.

Then there is the fact that the Knicks are better when Anthony’s, Stoudemire’s and Chandler’s minutes are staggered more instead of having all three on the floor at the same time.

But that brings me back to what is the best starting lineup by the numbers.

The easiest change would be for Woodson to insert J.R. Smith in for Shumpert.

The numbers back that up as well as the Felton-Kidd-Smith-Anthony-Chandler unit is the Knicks second most effective five-man unit, outscoring the opposition by 47 points per 100 possessions. And it’s not like they are never on the floor together as this is one of Woodson’s more frequently used units. Their production together can’t be ignored.

Starting Smith also accomplishes two things that could improve the Knicks second unit.

For one, STAT moves from seventh man to sixth man. It doesn’t seem like much of an improvement, but Stoudemire has a 30 minutes per night limit and he is currently averaging only 22.7. Making this change could get him a few more minutes per game while getting Anthony and Chandler some additional rest per night in order to keep their legs fresh for the playoffs.

Feb 22, 2013; Toronto, ON, Canada; New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith (8) with the ball against the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Knicks 100-98. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

However the biggest improvement to the Knicks bench would be the fact that Shump could come off of it and return to his natural shooting guard position.

Stoudemire becomes the go-to guy offensively for the Knicks second unit, while Shump becomes the defensive stopper that they need, because the Knicks bench has been awful defensively.

The numbers that this proposed unit puts up can’t be overlooked and starting them would likely prevent the slow starts that the Knicks are notorious for.

Another option would be to insert Smith for Kidd, which is the one I would prefer to see.

The Felton-Shumpert-Smith-Anthony-Chandler combination isn’t as productive as the previously mentioned change, but it is productive nonetheless, outscoring the opposition by 14.7 points per 100 possessions.

This combination is Woodson’s ninth most used five-man unit and eighth most productive.

I like keeping Shump out there for his defensive presence (six steals Wednesday night) and moving him to the 2 could help get him going hopefully.

Shump is certainly struggling, shooting a horrific 29.8 percent from the floor on the season, but Kidd has been worse lately, by shooting only 19.6 percent from the floor in February and 15.6 percent from behind the arc.

Moving Kidd to the bench will save his legs for the playoffs and bring his intangibles to the second unit and in the process hopefully allow him to find his shot.

The thing that’s clear is that having Kidd and Shumpert on the floor together is hurting the Knicks.

There are changes that can be made that makes sense, Woodson has to show some willingness to change though, which is something that seems unlikely to happen.

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However games aren’t played on paper and apparently the Knicks second unit doesn’t get much respect around the league.

One sign that the Knicks aren’t as deep as we may have originally thought is the fact that Knicks head coach Mike Woodson has shortened his rotation from 12 earlier in the season to only nine now.

February 1, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Steve Novak (16) reacts to making a three-point shot against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first quarter of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Another is the fact an NBA scout recently explained to ESPN’s Jared Zwerling that the Knicks second unit doesn’t strike fear in anyone around the NBA.

“Their second unit scares no one,” a veteran NBA scout told Zwerling. ”I’m not sure why they didn’t make a trade.”

What the anonymous scout says does have some merit.

Look at the fact that Tyson Chandler played 42 minutes Wednesday against the Warriors. Woodson simply couldn’t afford to take him out and all of the Knicks older players are playing more minutes than they probably should.

Coming into the season, it was felt that Woodson would be able to manage the minutes of the Knicks vets, but that hasn’t been the case.

The same scout also adds that Woodson’s stubbornness and unwillingness to manage minutes could have his job in jeopardy.

“He is stubborn, and that could get him the ax,” the scout also said to Zwerling. “He definitely needs to play more guys. It would be beneficial to them. It can’t hurt.”

What is Woodson to do though?

Their second unit has problems stopping other teams.

Even when Marcus Camby and Kenyon Martin can contribute, will it help?

Guys like Paul George, Rudy Gay and Evan Turner have torched the Knicks second unit lately. Also look at the second quarter against the Warriors when Stephen Curry scored 23 points with most of the Knicks starters on the bench.

They can’t defend the pick-and-roll and rotate very poorly and other team’s players take advantage.

In addition, a guy like Steve Novak routinely gets beat off the dribble, so he puts every else on the floor in a bad spot scrambling to help.

Right now out the Knicks second unit, which includes Pablo Prigioni, J.R. Smith, Novak and Amar’e Stoudemire, teams attack Novak and Amar’e and will continue to do so and will continue to have success.

James White, Kurt Thomas and Chris Copeland have all fallen completely out of the rotation, but in the case of White and Thomas, they represent a mild upgrade defensively.

Does Woodson sacrifice offense for defense more often?

When he took over for Mike D’Antoni, the emphasis was on the defensive end of the floor, but that isn’t the emphasis right now as only Chandler and Iman Shumpert are competent defenders on this team.

Or does he continue to burn his starters out and possibly wear them out before the playoffs come?

My personal opinion is that this scout is being a bit harsh, but his statements do have a lot of merit.

Most teams don’t have a deep bench comparable to the Knicks as Stoudemire and Smith could start for most teams.

However the Knicks second unit must find a way to be more efficient stopping the opposition. If not it will continue to kill them.

As for Woodson, I do think he is stubborn in his ways and think he needs to find a way to mix up his rotations and get more out of his second unit. I don’t agree about it costing him his job, but I do feel that he can maximize the production from the talent that he has in a better fashion.

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Despite Stoudemire’s improved play and despite the fact that STAT looks like his old self and has been one of the best players wearing a Knicks jersey as of late, Stoudemire will continue to come off the bench and will continue to be limited to under 30 minutes per game.

Feb 24, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

STAT, who made his season debut January 1, and has averaged 13.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and shooting 57 percent from the floor while playing just slightly over 22 minutes per night seems fine with his role for the time being- as long as the Knicks start winning. Stoudemire doesn’t seem to mind coming off the bench, even though he sits on it down the stretch of games despite being one of the only productive Knicks players as of late.

“(If) we keep winning then we’re good. When we start losing a little bit then you start thinking about it,” Stoudemire told ESPN’s Ian Begley after Sunday’s game against the Sixers where he scored 22 points while making 9-of-10 shots from the floor.  ”Whatever the coaching staff needs me to do; I’m there to answer the call,”

However one could make the case that Stoudemire should either be starting or playing more in crunch time, but there are a couple factors that prevent that.

One is the fact that he is still a below average defender and Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson can’t afford to have him on the floor late in games, hoping to avoid defensive breakdowns.

Secondly, Woodson wants to protect the health of STAT.

“He’s still at that 30-minute mark,” Woodson told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling. “I’m just trying to cap it as much as I can in case we’ve got to have him down the stretch. I’m not trying to burn him early. It’s tough from a coaching standpoint, but from a medical standpoint, we’ve got to protect Amar’e, too, for the long haul.”

As far as Stoudemire starting, that’s not going to happen either.

Woodson is stubborn in his ways and is reluctant to change a starting unit that is struggling badly, even though the Knicks are only 15-15 over the course of their past 30 games.

The starting lineup of Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler has produced only 0.9 points per possession and have allowed 1.02 points per possession when on the floor together this season. That’s the second lowest total offensively as any five man unit Woodson has used this season. Defensively, they are average to below average compared to other five man units on the season.

Kidd is shooting an atrocious 21 percent from the floor and only 17 percent from behind the arc in the month of February. Shumpert is shooting only 30.7 percent from the floor in his 16 games this season. Chandler gets less than six shot attempts per game. That leaves the Knicks with just Felton and Anthony as productive scoring options and that means ‘Melo often tries to do too much.

All of that and some other advanced metrics would make you think a lineup change is in order, whether it is Stoudemire or not, but Woodson says it is not going to happen.

“It’s nice to start a game and jump on teams (early) … but that hasn’t been our M-O for the last month or so. Starting STAT, I’m not sure that is the answer,” Woodson said Monday in an interview on ESPN New York 98.7 FM’s “The Stephen A. Smith & Ryan Ruocco Show.” “I think he’s very comfortable with where he is right now, I’m comfortable where he is in terms of coming off (the bench).”

It has been very nice to see STAT return to his old self, but don’t count on seeing more of him any time in the near future.

By the time Woodson realizes things aren’t working, it may be too late.

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Although the 99-93 win was nice, it didn’t come without a little anxiety as the Knicks nearly blew a 20-point second half lead. But a win is a win and Mike Woodson will take it.

With that being said, let’s take a look at home each Knicks player graded out in this much needed win.

Feb 24, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) advances the ball during the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won 99-93. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Raymond Felton (14 points, 6-of-15 shooting, 4 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers)

Felton didn’t shoot the ball well, especially from behind the arc, where he went only 2-of-8 on the night. But he had success penetrating and getting to the rim. He also took very good care of the ball, not turning it over on the night. Grade: C+

Jason Kidd (3 points, 1-of-7 shooting, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal)

Once again, Kidd had a brutal shooting day, going 0-for-6 from three-point range, including taking some bad shots, which isn’t Kidd-like. His nine boards saves his grade a little bit. Grade: C-

Iman Shumpert (4 points, 1-of-5 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal)

To continue the trend, Shump once again did not have a good day from the floor and was limited to only 13 minutes. He continues to be ineffective at both ends of the floor and it makes you wonder how much that surgically repaired knee is still bothering him. Grade: D

Carmelo Anthony (29 points, 6-of-18 shooting, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 turnovers)

Anthony also did not have a good shooting day, but he did score 29 points and made 16-of-18 free-throws. However in addition to shooting only 33 percent from the floor, ‘Melo also coughed the ball up five times, which is getting concerning. Grade: B-

Tyson Chandler (5 points, 2-of-2 shooting, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks)

Just a typical night for Chandler. He crashed the boards and played great interior defense. His plus-14 on the night showed his impact. But he only attempted two shots on the night.  That is a number I would like grow to see around six or seven each game. Grade: A-

Feb 24, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Amar’e Stoudemire (22 points, 9-of-10 shooting, 5 rebounds, 2 steals)

Stoudemire just keeps getting better and better. He was outstanding and efficient and was clearly the Knicks best player on the floor. Grade: A+

J.R. Smith (14 points, 5-of-12 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal)

Smith was not very good early in the game, especially defensively where Evan Turner repeatedly beat him to the basket, but he rebounded nicely, including hitting a pair of huge three’s late in the game and picking up his intensity defensively. Grade: B-

Steve Novak (4 points, 1-of-2 shooting, 6 rebounds)

Novak only attempted a pair of shots, which can’t happen as poorly as most of his teammates have been shooting the ball, but he did impact the game by grabbing six rebounds for a change.  Grade: B-

Pablo Prigioni (4 points, 1-of-4 shooting, 5 assists, 1 rebound)

His stat line may not show it, but Prigioni was very good in his 13 minutes. He dished out five assists and was tough defensively.  Grade: B+

Kenyon Martin, Chris Copeland, James White and Kurt Thomas all received DNP’s- Coach’s Decision.

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As the Knicks got healthier with the returns of Amar’e Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert, somehow the team started to do worse, compiling only a 13-13 record over the course of the last 26 games.

Feb 8, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Knicks point guard Iman Shumpert (21) drives to the basket past Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio (9) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

As we head into the stretch run, there is one option for this team to turn things around, but it begins and ends with head coach Mike Woodson making some lineup changes. Of course that would involve Woodson to not be stubborn and realize that something needs to be done to shake things up.

Going small worked early, but it hasn’t as of late.

The numbers suggest that the Knicks are the third most efficient offensive team in the NBA, as they are averaging 108.3 points per 100 possessions, trailing only the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder. Those same numbers suggest that the Knicks are the 15th most efficient team at the defensive end, allowing 103.4 points per 100 possessions, which is not good.

Slow starts have crippled the Knicks for months now and Woodson needs to do something about it.

There are a couple of options Woodson has, but most involve getting Iman Shumpert and Jason Kidd out of the starting lineup.

The duo is absolutely killing the Knicks at the offensive end of the floor.

To say Shumpert has been struggling would be kind. He is averaging only 5.2 points per game in 20 minutes of action per night, but the problem is that Shumpert couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat right now. He is shooting a horrific 32.1 percent from the floor right now and that’s something Woodson can’t allow to continue. In addition, playing out of position at small forward has led to Shump not  being very effective defensively, which is something that wasn’t expected.  The Knicks perimeter defense is awful and Shump is continuously being beaten off the dribble right now.

Those same struggles landed Ronnie Brewer in Woodson’s dog house s Brewer was buried on the Knicks bench before eventually being dealt to Oklahoma City.

For as bad as Shumpert has been, and maybe coming off a knee injury has affected him, Kidd has been worse as of late.

He is looking slow defensively and while he shot the ball well in the early going, Kidd has completely lost his shooting touch. During the month of February, Kidd is only shooting 19 percent from the floor and a hideous 16 percent from behind the arc.

If Raymond Felton, who is only shooting 40 percent from the floor, isn’t making his shots, that puts all the pressure on Carmelo Anthony to carry the offense. When that happens, it is the all too familiar script of the ball not moving and stopping in ‘Melo’s hands, also not a recipe for winning basketball.

Woodson just can’t continue to run two guys who kill the offense and routinely get beat defensively out there that much.

A change is needed and the way I see it, Woodson has two options.

Feb 8, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) goes up for a three pointer in the first half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Go Big

That involves moving Amar’e Stoudemire into the starting lineup and shifting Anthony back to the 3.  Anthony is dominant at the 4, but he can still play at an MVP level by playing the 3. Stoudemire adds another scoring option to the starting lineup and while it is often said that Stoudemire, Anthony and Tyson Chandler can’t play together, now may be the time to test that theory out.

Stoudemire isn’t great defensively as we all know, but this isn’t a great defensive team and he can at least help Chandler out at the defensive end some, as Chandler is being asked to do way too much right now.

In this scenario, Kidd goes to the bench and Shump starts at the 2, where he is more comfortable. Hopefully that jump starts him.

Stay Small

In this scenario, Woodson doesn’t have many options, but he can’t stay with what he is doing now.

Either Kidd or Shumpert goes to the bench and either James White or Chris Copeland gets the start at the 3.

If defense is the goal than White gets the nod, which is something I am hearing that many people in the organization want to see happen.

If more offense is on the menu than Copeland is the guy. If that is the case, then Shumpert has to be the 2 in this lineup.

Either way, Woodson needs to do something.

The current configuration just isn’t working as the Knicks have proven to be nothing more than a mediocre team.

The good news is that there is still time to fix things, but Woodson can’t be stubborn and has to be willing to change.

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Could the New York Knicks be that team this year to make a move that no one saw coming?

So far there have been plenty of Knicks trade rumors. Most center around second-year guard Iman Shumpert, but there have also been a few that involve the Knicks pursuing big men Jermaine O’Neal and Timofey Mozgov.

Feb 11, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith (5) drives against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Hawks beat the Mavs 105-101. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

But could the Knicks come out the winners in the Josh Smith sweepstakes?

Count me as one that didn’t see this coming, but Hoopsworld’s Alex Kennedy has reported that the Knicks have indeed thrown themselves into the middle of the Smith talks.

The reported blockbuster would involve Smith coming to the Big Apple in exchange for Shumpert and Amar’e Stoudemire.

Kennedy notes that the Knicks have been tossing the Shumpert-Stoudemire package around the league in an attempt to land a big time player, with Smith apparently the Knicks first choice.

A move such as this would make sense for the Knicks as it makes them title contenders and Smith would likely want to re-sign with the Knicks in the offseason.

Parting with Stoudemire and Shumpert would be difficult, but adding a big time player makes the Knicks a serious threat.

However don’t get too excited.

It makes no sense for the Hawks to do a move like this.

Why would they give up their cap flexibility to take on Stoudemire’s massive contract, which has two years and $45,090,881 remaining?

Stoudemire has played very well since his return and a STAT-Al Horford frontcourt would be very good, but Hawks’ general manager Danny Ferry cleared up cap space to be  a  player in free agency. Bringing in a massive contract and an injury risk defeats that purpose.

STAT’s recent improved play could make him a trade target, but there is a ton of risk for any team to give up assets to acquire him, so it is still unlikely.

But while many expect the Knicks to be quiet during the trade deadline, they could ultimately end up making a lot of noise.

The Hawks haven’t received many good offers on Smith, so the Knicks could stand a chance.

However I wouldn’t hold my breath.

As much as I like Stoudemire, if some team were willing to part with a big time player to assume the final two years on his contract, well that would be a gift.

The last time I checked it isn’t Christmas.

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As things pertain to the New York Knicks, we have seen a story of two different teams so far on the season.

First there was the dominant team that defended, moved the ball and shot very well on almost a game-by-game basis.

Feb. 10, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton (2) dribbles the ball against the Los Angeles Clippers during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Clippers won 102-88. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Then we have the Knicks team we have seen as of late.

The team that doesn’t defend well, relies mostly on isolation and doesn’t shoot the rock particularly great on most nights.

The results for the most part have been very good as the Knicks at 32-18 sit second in the eastern Conference, only

With that being said, let’s take a look back on the first half of the season and hand out individual grades to everyone on the Knicks roster.

Raymond Felton (38 GP, 14.9 PPG, 6.3 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 40.4 FG%, 35.8 3P%, 15.3 PER)

Felton saves his best for when he wears a Knicks uniform. He has been the engine that has made the Knicks offense and to say they were a different team without him would be an understatement. The numbers are nice but the shooting percentages have been going down and the turnovers have been going up, which are both concerns. But overall it was a nice first half for Felton. Grade: B

Iman Shumpert (13 GP, 5.3 PPG, 1.5 APG, 3.4 RPG, 0.7 SPG, 33.8 FG%, 41.4 3P%, 10.2 PER)

Everyone felt that as soon as Shump returned from injury the Knicks perimeter defense would fall into place, but that hasn’t been the case. Shumpert looks a step slow, which is probably to be expected coming off knee surgery. It’s also concerning how awful he has been shooting the rock (33.8 percent). It’s hard to give Shump an accurate grade due to the fact that he has only played 13 games, but he hasn’t been the shot in the arm that Knicks fans hoped he would. His grade is giving him the benefit of the doubt as it should be a little worse. Grade: C-

Jason Kidd (45 GP, 7.2 PPG, 3.6 APG, 4.0 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 39.3 FG%, 38.8 3P%, 14.9 PER)

Kidd started the season great and while he has tailed off as of late in terms of production, he has still been very good. Much of what Kidd does on the floor doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. While Kidd has been a leader and does all of the little things a team needs, his shooting percentages have plummeted the past 20 games, which is a big red flag. Grade: B

Carmelo Anthony (43 GP, 28.6 PPG, 2.7 APG, 6.5 RPG, 0.8 SPG, 44.7 FG%, 40.5 3p%, 23.8 PER)

‘Melo is an MVP candidate and that should say it all. He has shown at times that he is all about winning, playing team basketball at both ends of the floor, which shows he understands what it means to lead. Yet there has been times when we have seen “”MeloBall” cost the Knicks games. Overall though, Anthony has answered all of the questions about him during the first half of the season. Grade: A

Tyson Chandler (50 GP, 11.4 PPG, 1.0 APG, 11.1 RPG, 0.6 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 67.3 FG%, 20.4 PER)

Chandler was supposed to have some help defending the paint this season, but that hasn’t happened. He has made his first All-Star team and has been simply outstanding at both ends of the floor, which no other Knicks player can claim. We all know about the impact that Chandler has had on the Knicks’ defense, but he leads the NBA in field goal percentage by a wide margin. If he got a few more touches per game, he would easily be averaging a double-double at this point. Grade: A+

Feb 13, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Amar’e Stoudemire (20 GP, 13.6 PPG, 0.5 APG, 4.8 RPG, 0.4 SPG, 0.75 BPG, 55.9 FG%, 22.1 PER)

What role will STAT have when he comes back? Will Stoudemire be able to handle coming off the bench? Those are the questions that Stoudemire has answered with a resounding YES! It’s only been 20 games, but STAT is looking outstanding coming off the Knicks’ bench. He still struggles defensively, but he has been nothing short of great. In addition he has a PER of 22 coming off the bench playing a little over 22 minutes. That’s not easy to do. Grade: A

J.R. Smith (50 GP, 16.2 PPG, 2.8 APG, 5.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 40.0 FG%, 34.0 3P%, 15.5 PER)

Smith has had his moments where he has proven to be a legitimate second scoring option and has helped carry the offense at times when Anthony was out with injuries. But for every game winning shot or solid offensive performance, there have been games where he has shot the Knicks out of a possible win. Smith has been good, but he is not efficient and his shooting percentages are brutal. But he has done so much more to help this team so far than score the ball, which show’s Smith’s true value. Grade: B-

Steve Novak (49 GP, 6.9 PPG, 0.5 APG, 1.9 RPG, 42.3 FG%, 44.7 3P%, 11.4 PER)

Novak is once again shooting an outstanding percentage from behind the arc, but he is only getting off a little more than four shots per game. That’s down from the six three-pointers he averaged per game during the season’s first month. There are reasons why Novak isn’t getting many looks and some of it has to do with the Knicks being unselfish. But if Novak isn’t banging three’s, he has little other value. Grade: C

James White (34 GP, 1.8 PPG, 45.6 FG%, 33.3 3p%, 8.3 PER)

White hasn’t done much but is a nice depth piece who is shooting a good percentage from the floor. Grade: D+

Chris Copeland (32 GP, 6.3 PPG, 0.3 APG, 1.3 RPG, 47.5 FG%, 37.1 3p%, 16.2 PER)

Dec 6, 2012; Miami FL, USA; New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Copeland has done some very good things this year, mostly when it comes to scoring. But he is another guy that offers very little value in any other area, especially defensively. Grade: C

Rasheed Wallace (20 GP, 7.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 0.65 SPG, 0.75 BPG, 38.8 FG%, 32.4 3P%, 16.9 PER)

Wallace being out of the lineup has hurt the Knicks much more than anyone thought it would when he was originally signed. He shooting percentages leave a lot to be desired, but his communication on the defensive end of the floor was a big part of the Knicks early season success. Grade: B-

Ronnie Brewer (45 GP, 3.7 PPG, 0.9 APG, 2.2 RPG, 0.8 SPG, 36.8 G%, 31.0 3P%, 10.3 PER)

Brewer got off to a good start but has hit rock bottom as of late. He has struggled mightily offensively and hasn’t lived up to his reputation as a great perimeter defender. Grade: D-

Pablo Prigioni (49 GP, 3.4 PPG, 2.9 APG, 1.6 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 46.0 FG%, 40.6 3P%, 13.2 PER)

The 35-year old rookie has had his moments this season. He brings it defensively and keeps his teammates involved. He may be the most unselfish player on the roster. Sometimes he is too unselfish as Prigioni shoots a good percentage from the floor but rarely looks to shoot the ball. The only knock on Prigioni has been consistency as he has trouble putting together back-to-back solid efforts. Grade: C

Marcus Camby (14 GP, 2.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 0.8 BPG, 36.4 FG%, 10.6 PER)

It’s hard to call someone more of a disappointment than Brewer, but Camby has been exactly that. The Knicks needed him to be a solid backup to Chandler and he just hasn’t been healthy enough to contribute. When he has been healthy, other than four starts, he has had difficulty breaking into Mike Woodson’s rotation, averaging only 10 minutes per contest. He is making well over $3 million this season to provide a lot more than three rebounds per night. Grade: F

Kurt Thomas (30 GP, 2.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 55.9 FG%, 14.9 PER)

In his little bit of playing time per game, Thomas gives the Knicks some defense and rebounding and then takes a seat. He knows his role and does his job when called upon, including shooting over 55 percent from the floor. Grade: C

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Many people forget how important it was that Amar’e Stoudemire chose to play the prime of his career as a Knick.

Stoudemire made it cool again to play for the Knicks.

LeBron James didn’t want to come. As Amar’e said, “maybe he couldn’t handle the pressure of New York.

Dwyane Wade wasn’t leaving his warm home in Miami.

Feb 4, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Chris Bosh followed wherever his two cooler friends told him to go.

Joe Johnson wanted his money in Atlanta, and with hindsight that worked out for the Knicks.

Carlos Boozer wanted nothing to do with New York, and thankfully New York wanted nothing to do with Carlos Boozer.

Stoudemire wasn’t like the rest of the superstars. Sure the $100 million contract the Knicks gave him might have been the ultimate bargaining chip, but Amar’e didn’t have to come here for the money. He could have stayed with Steve Nash and made more money as a Phoenix Sun. He could have went to Chicago with Derrick Rose. Who knows, maybe he could have been with the Heat instead of Bosh. But he chose the Knicks.

He wanted New York, and New York needed him.

The Knicks that we see on that court today that we love didn’t come over night, and also didn’t come as soon as STAT arrived. The roster when Stoudemire took the court for the first time looked like this:

PG: Raymond Felton, Toney Douglas
SG: Wilson Chandler, Kelenna Azubuike, Andy Rautins
SF: Danillo Gallinari, Bill Walker, Landry Fields
PF: Amar’e Stoudemire, Anthony Randolph
C: Ronny Turiaf, Jerome Jordan, Eddy Curry

Yeah so when Stoudemire came, the Knicks were still picking up Eddy Curry’s buffet tab. Now we have Tyson Chandler grabbing 20 rebounds in his sleep.

How things have changed.

If Stoudemire never set the trend for being a Knick, we wouldn’t be where we are today. There would be no Carmelo Anthony. There would be no Tyson. There would be no Jason Kidd. There would be no J.R. Smith.

Not only was Amar’e a huge part of the Knicks success, he is currently one of the team leaders. How many superstar athletes making $20 million would gladly accept coming off the bench? How many would say “Sure Coach, anything to help my team win.” Not many would brace that role with open arms, but as Amar’e been doing since he got here, he knows the name on the front of his jersey means more than the name on the back of the jersey.

As Amar’e is winning back the hearts of New Yorkers and showing he still has a lot left in the tank, we must thank him for all he has done. He made playing basketball in the world’s most famous arena the thing to do. He put the Knicks back on the map and gave New York the buzz it has now.

Thanks Amar’e, now let’s go win that ring! (Just avoid any fire extinguishers).

Things have gone well for the Knicks as of late as they performed well at both ends of the court for long stretches at a time.

The Pistons made it closer than this game should have been and scored 62 points in the paint, but the Knicks made 14-of-34 three-point attempts, including 10-of-20 to begin the game.

As the Knicks continue to roll, let’s take a look at how they graded out against the Pistons.

Raymond Felton (4 points, 2-of-5 shooting, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals)

It was another solid game for Felton, who controlled the pace of the game very nicely and didn’t force things too much. He has improved defensively the past four games and made things tough on Pistons’ point guard Brandon Knight, who made only 2-of-10 shots from the floor. His nine assists gave him eight or more assists in five consecutive games. Anyone doubting the impact that Felton has on this team is being proven wrong on a nightly basis. Grade: A-

Jason Kidd (3 points, 1-of-7 shooting, 3 assists, 2 rebounds)

Feb 4, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives the pane during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 99-85. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Kidd hasn’t been great the past few weeks and despite being all over the floor early on, he didn’t do much in this one. Grade: C

Iman Shumpert (8 points, 2-of-3 shooting, 2 rebounds, 2 assists)

Shump’s minutes are still limited, but he looked good in his 17 minutes and he played his usual solid defense which was a big part of the win. Grade: B

Carmelo Anthony (27 points, 10-of-17 shooting, 7 rebounds, 3 assists)

Anthony did whatever he wanted to for most of the night, due large in part to having Kyle Singler guarding him, which was a gift from the Pistons. He led the team in scoring and was efficient from the field. It was a solid all-around day except for another high turnover number (four). Grade: A-

Tyson Chandler (8 points, 4-of-9 shooting, 20 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block)

Chandler grabbed 20 rebounds for a third consecutive game and made Greg Monroe a non-factor for most of the night. It has been an outstanding stretch of play for the first-time All-Star. Grade: A+

Amar’e Stoudemire (20 points, 8-of-14 shooting, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block)

Stoudemire looks more and more like the STAT of old, scoring 20 points in 28 minutes. He looks explosive and it is no coincidence that the Knicks recent streak has come with impressive performances from Stoudemire. Grade: A

Steve Novak (6 points, 2-of-5 shooting, 2 rebounds)

It’s been hard for Novak to turn in consistent back-to-back performances as of late. He did knock down a couple of three’s but needs to do more in 20 minutes of playing time. Grade: C+

Pablo Prigioni (3 points, 1-of-1 shooting, 1 assist)

Not Prigioni’s best night although that he wasn’t bad. He is at his best when he is getting teammates involved and that didn’t happen on Monday with only one assist. Grade: C

J.R. Smith (16 points, 5-of-15 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal)

Smith chucked up an insane amount of three’s again (13).  He did make five of those, but he had a fourth quarter that was reminiscent of the Smith of old, throwing up brick after brick, often taking bad shots and playing out of control. It wasn’t his best all-around effort, but he was productive. Grade: C+

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The funny part is that the Knicks actually trailed 18-6 at one point in the first quarter after starting the game 1-for-13 from the floor. Then came a 46-7 run and that should tell you all you need to know about this blowout win.

February 1, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Jason Kidd (5) looks to pass against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first quarter of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks shot 54.7 percent from the floor and 44.2 percent from behind the arc as they chucked up 43 three’s on the night.

However the most impressive part of the big win was the fact that the Knicks bench outscored the Kings team 82-81.

With that being said, let’s take a look at how the Knicks graded out.

Raymond Felton (7 points, 3-of-8 shooting, 8 assists, 2 rebounds)

Felton dished out at least eight assists for the fourth consecutive game, but because of the blowout, Felton saw only 26 minutes. But he turned the ball over four times and was sloppy with the ball for a change. Grade: C+

Jason Kidd (5 points, 2-of-5 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 assists)

Kidd saw only 16 minutes Saturday night but was productive, especially on the glass. It appears that Kidd will be limited in terms of minutes in the near future, but he looked much healthier against the Kings. Grade: B

Iman Shumpert (6 points, 2-of-6 shooting, 3 assists, 2 rebounds)

Shump played some solid defense and contributed a little bit, but it appears that he doesn’t have his legs completely back yet, missing a wide open baseline slam early in the game. Grade: C+

Carmelo Anthony (9 points, 4-of-12 shooting, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal)

Had you told me the Knicks would beat anyone by 39 points with Anthony having only nine points, I would have laughed at you. But while ‘Melo’s streak of 31 consecutive games with 20 points came to a close; he picked a nice time to do it as he wasn’t needed for a change. He did hand out five assists which was nice. Grade: C+

Tyson Chandler (11 points, 4-of-8 shooting, 20 rebounds)

That’s 20 rebounds in back-to-back games for Chandler, who grabbed eight offensive rebounds for the second consecutive game as well. He dominated the paint once again even though he got off to a slow start defensively. The insane part of his night was that Chandler grabbed 20 boards in only 26 minutes of playing time. Grade: A+

Amar’e Stoudemire (21 points, 10-of-10 shooting, 6 rebounds)

Back-to-back great games from STAT, who appears to be close to all the way back and he was the one who got the Knicks rolling early on. Grade: A+

Kurt Thomas (11 points, 5-of-6 shooting, 2 rebounds)

The elder statesman scored 11 points in only 13 minutes. He was a minus-four on the night, but Thomas took advantage of his playing time to contribute. Grade: A-

Chris Copeland (5 points, 1-of-5 shooting, 2 assists, 1 rebound)

Copeland has become the forgotten man in Mike Woodson’s rotation and didn’t do much to impress in his 10 minutes, missing four of his five attempts. Grade: C

Steve Novak (15 points, 5-of-7 shooting)

That’s more like it for Novak, who finally had some room to get some shots up. When Novak knocks down five triples off the bench, the Knicks are usually going to win. Grade: A+

Pablo Prigioni (3 points, 1-of-1 shooting, 7 assists, 2 steals)

Prigioni dished out seven assists and played his normal tough defense. You can’t ask for much more in 22 minutes. Grade: A

J.R. Smith (25 points, 9-of-16, shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals)

Smith was more efficient at the offensive end than usual and knocked down seven three’s. He took 14 shots from behind the arc in 22 minutes, which if he is making half of them I guess I am fine with that, but Smith filled up the stat sheet in normal fashion and posted a team-high plus-36 rating. Grade: A+

Both Ronnie Brewer and James White played but neither did anything worth mentioning.

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Stoudemire is averaging modest numbers: 12.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 0.5 APG, and 1.4 TPG while shooting 55% from the field. The numbers stick out more when you realize he is playing just 22 minutes a game. Also, he has been sharing the court with Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony much more often recently, which is the exact scenario that has been accused of crippling his game. Conversely, he has thrived off the attention needed on ‘Melo, and uses his new post moves to perfection. 

After working over the summer with Hakeem Olajuwon, STAT is finally reaping the rewards of his offseason work. He has been effective with his back to the basket, and has blasted his defender one-on-one. In his last 10 games, he is shooting an impressive 60% from the field. Playing in the post also allows him to share the floor more with Tyson Chandler, who has become the team’s main roll-man.

Aside from his elevated field goal percentage, the Knicks have also benefitted from his free-throw shooting. The Knicks aren’t a team that gets to the line that often, but Stoudemire is averaging 5 attempts per game, while connecting on 79% of them. The free throws help the team get some easy points, and allows Mike Woodson to give the ball to STAT and feel confident that he will produce.

STAT’s game hasn’t been perfect though. He has struggled staying in front of his defensive assignment, and his rebounding numbers could be a little bit better. In recent games, he has been more active around the basket defensively–blocking at least one shot in each of his last 4 games. Still, he has a ways to go on that side of the ball in order to be trusted without Chandler to cover for him.

Stoudemire’s slow return to prominence may be the last piece of the puzzle that culminates in a trip to the NBA Finals. He gives the Knicks another go-to scorer, and a big body who is decent on the boards and can protect the rim. He also requires the attention of defenses, and most teams are forced between playing ‘Melo and him one-on-one, doubling one of them and leaving the other open, or doubling both and leaving the perimeter three-point shooters open all night long.

The Knicks are currently in 2nd place in the Eastern Conference, 1.5 games behind the Heat. If they can hold their position in the standing, or overtake the Heat, then they will not face them until the Eastern Conference Finals. If the Knicks could pull off an upset, then they would be on their way to the Finals for the first time since 1999. To do this would no doubt need the entire team healthy, and operating at 100% efficiency.

Stoudemire’s improved play should only get better as the season continues, and he should be considered not an afterthought to this team’s title aspirations, but instead as a major cog in the gears of the New York Knicks.

Jan 17, 2013; London, United Kingdom; New York Knicks forward Amar

In his first six games back, Stoudemire played under a 20-minute limit, and took some time to get adjusted. He bricked bunnies at the rim, couldn’t time his rebounds and jumps correctly, and looked even flatter than normal on defense. He averaged 9 points per game on 44% shooting with just 3 rebounds per game.

However, over the previous seven games, Stoudemire is starting to show glimpses of his old self. While he still lacks his normal explosion, a consistent jumper, and a competent sense of what to do on defense, Stoudemire is finishing around the basket much better, fitting into the offense, rebounding at a better rate, and at least giving effort on the defensive end. In the last six games – in which the Knicks are 5-2 – Stoudemire is averaging 15.8 ppg on 64.9% shooting, with 5.4 rpg, while attempting 6.3 free throws per game in just 23.9 minutes per game.

Per 36 minutes, Stoudemire’s numbers look like those of an All-Star forward. His scoring per 36 is up to 20.2 ppg from last year’s 19.2, and his FG% is better as well. He is averaging less rebounds per game and less blocks, but overall, Stoudemire is starting to look like a consistently valuable member of the Knicks’ rotation.

Likewise, as has been discussed, Stoudemire is blending in with his fellow frontcourt co-stars, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler. When the three have shared the court this season (granted, in just under 108 minutes so far – a small sample size), the Knicks are a +31.  According to nbawowy.com, on offense, when the three have played together, each player is shooting above their season average FG% (well, Tyson Chandler is 66%, down from 68% on the season, but hardly anything worth complaining about). As a team, in 120 possessions, the Knicks are shooting 49% from the field and averaging 1.15 points per possession.

Equally as encouraging, Stoudemire, Anthony, and Chandler are blending in defensively. In 120 possessions – again, a small sample size – opponents are shooting just 41.9% from the field and averaging only .94 points per possession.

To put it simply: the Knicks are out-performing opponents on both ends of the floor when Stoudemire, Anthony, and Chandler are playing together. Who could’ve seen this coming a month ago?

Mike Woodson also deserves credit, though. Woodson, so far, has successfully mixed three players that had far more detractors than supporters. Of course, a big difference in Stoudemire’s ability to function between Anthony and Chandler stems from the fact that the Knicks now have Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, and Pablo Prigioni at the helm as opposed to Toney Douglas, Baron Davis, and Mike Bibby. However, Woodson encouraged Stoudemire to seek out Hakeem Olajuwon’s help this summer. Thus far, Olajuwon’s lessons have helped turn Stoudemire into an effective post player (nearly 31% of Stoudemire’s possessions come in the form of post-ups). Many people doubted Stoudemire’s ability to change his stripes after ten years in the league, but he is proving them wrong.

Woodson has also managed Stoudemire’s minutes nicely. He is yet to play over 30 minutes in a game and has yet to start a game. Stoudemire, of course, deserves a ton of credit for accepting a role off the bench (something another power forward is having trouble with), but Woodson seems to have Stoudemire in a perfect rhythm as of late.

Stoudemire has done a near 180-degree turn through the course of January and it still seems as though he has work to do. He likely will still regain a little bit more explosiveness around the basket which will help his rebounding and ability to finish, and he is learning the defensive schemes and rotations. If his improvement on the offensive end in recent weeks is anything to be taken seriously, we should all be excited about having Amar’e Stoudemire back on the court.

You have heard the criticisms over and over about how Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire can’t play together and how Stoudemire and Chandler can’t be on the floor together.

Jan 27, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) shoots a free throw during the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 106-104. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Well on this night at least the Knicks “Big Three” silenced their critics.

The important thing was that the Knicks got a much needed win, but it was nice to see Anthony, Stoudemire and Chandler all have success in the same game, which has been a rare sight since they were put together last season.

‘Melo started slow and didn’t have his best night from the floor; making 8-of-17 shots, but did score 20 and broke the mark held by Richie Guerin, which was set during the 1961-62 season.

But the best part was the way the Knicks’ bigs had success.

Sure, Orlando’s Glen Davis left the game after breaking his left foot, but Chandler and Stoudemire were nothing short of great on this night.

The duo combined for 35 points on 17-of-18 shooting from the field in leading the Knicks to a 113-97 victory.

It was especially good for Chandler, who has been in a funk recently and hasn’t been getting enough touches. Before Wednesday night, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year had scored in double-figures only once in his last seven games, but finished with 21 points on 10-of-11 shooting, along with seven rebounds and a season-high five assists.

It’s encouraging because this should be something the Knicks can build off of.

“That’s the beauty of having two big guys play and Melo plays big as well,” Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson said (via Associated Press). “It’s kind of nice to have three big guys like that up front playing.”

So the next time Anthony, Stoudemire and Chandler are criticized for not being able to play together, those people can watch this film.

They can play well together and hopefully we see production like this from the “Big Three” going forward.

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Jason Kidd

Kidd wasn’t very impressive in the Knicks win, but still contributed by chipping in a few steals, a couple leading to baskets, and 12 points on 5-10 shooting (2-7 3PT).  Most of the issue with Kidd tonight comes with allowing his counterpart, Rajon Rondo, to record his 27^th career triple double with a healthy line of 23-10-11 on 10-19 from the field. While Kidd did look better in some of the zone defense eventually used, Rondo wasn’t given much trouble last night by him or the Knicks.

Grade: C

Iman Shumpert 

It wasn’t too bad of a game for Shumpert, who like Amar’e, is still proving his health on the court. He knocked down 2-4 from three-point range and looked like he was able to move. Per usual, he was good on the defensive end. It was a little hard to keep track of specific defensive matchups as the Knicks were switching and adjusting during the game, but he also played a role in Paul Pierce only scoring 3 points in the second half.

Grade: B

Carmelo Anthony

Jan 24, 2013; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) pumps his fist after defeating the Boston Celtics 98-86 at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

There was much talk about the ‘Melo-KG drama that spawned in the last bout between the two teams. With the two brushing off the incident, it’s hard to believe that Carmelo truly was reserved about it because after all, he did have to serve a suspension for his antics following that game. Regardless of it being a big deal or not, it’s obvious that the Knicks needed a big game from Carmelo to win, wherever his inspiration came from, to get a long overdue win in Boston. Most importantly, Carmelo responded and took over the game, leading all scorers with 28 and adding 9 rebounds as well. He only shot 11-28, but started to warm up after a little while and was a consistent factor all game.

Grade: A-

Amar’e Stoudemire

In only 20 minutes, Amar’e had his best output of his young season thus far, putting up 15 points (4-7 FG) and 9 boards. He also contributed by getting to the line, hitting 7 of 8 free throws, and with a surprising 2 blocks. He did get into a little foul trouble, but this is still an inspiring performance from him that the Knicks hope will project well over more minutes as he gets healthier.

Grade: B+

Tyson Chandler

Chandler didn’t really do much of anything on the offensive end, but he didn’t get much opportunity, going only 1-2 from the field and 3-3 from the line. Defensively, Chandler was a presence, pulling down 8 boards, blocking 2 shots and picking up a steal. It would be nice to see Chandler more active on the offensive glass and with so many Knick misses tonight, it’s a little surprising he didn’t have any more points off of second chances.

Grade: B-

J.R. Smith

Jan 24, 2013; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks guard/forward J.R. Smith (8) reacts to making a three point basket during the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Banknorth Garden. The New York Knicks won 89-86. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t too pretty of a night for Smith at all in a game when a handful of his shots drew the “that’s a bad shot” reaction before the ball even left his hands. Shooting 3-16 from the field and 1-6 from three-point range is almost enough to wipe out any good that you can do, but not tonight. Smith played formidable D and most importantly, with 1:11 remaining in the game, hit his sole 3-pointer, putting the Knicks up 5.  It’s hard to ignore a very poor overall performance, but Smith left his fingerprints on this game in a positive light when it was all said and done, giving him a rightful grade boost.

Grade: C+

Role Players 

Most of the role players were nonexistent this game and there were only 10 points scored by others than were listed above (Prigioni with 6 and White with 4).  Kurt Thomas and Ronnie Brewer only had to come out of their warmups briefly as they were fillers for a minute or two at the end of a couple quarters. Prigioni was pretty productive with 4 assists as well in only 16 minutes, leading to a +8 in +/-, but either lack of minutes, lack of shots, or a combination of both led to a pretty quiet night from the Knicks role players.

Grade: C

Jan 24, 2013; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New York Knicks guard/forward J.R. Smith (8) reacts to making a three point basket during the fourth quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Banknorth Garden. The New York Knicks won 89-86. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks defeated the Celtics in Boston for the first time since 2006 Thursday night, beating them 89-86. The hype of the game was Carmelo vs. KG, but besides pre game fist pump, the two kept to themselves the whole game. What Knicks fans can take away from the game is the resurgence of Amar’e Stoudemire who scored 15 points off the bench with 9 rebounds.

It was a game of runs the entire game but the Knicks opened the gap early in the 4th with a 15-4 run. Carmelo started off cold then started to heat up, going 6-8 from the field at one point, finishing with 28 points. Mike Woodson continues to try and figure out his rotation but Pablo Prigioni made his case that he is very valuable to this team. With a very efficient stat line of 16 minutes, 2-3 from three-point land, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 turnover and a +/- of +8. The Knicks needed productivity out of the point guard especially with Raymond Felton out and going against one of the league’s best in Rajon Rondo.

Besides a triple-double out of Rondo and 22 out of Paul Pierce, the Knicks defense pretty much shut down every other Celtic, not having any other player score more in double digits (Jeff Green had 9). If you watched the game, the story of the game was Amar’e Stoudemire. Carmelo is going to have his point but Amar’e showed the fans, his teammates, and most importantly Mike Woodson that he is ready for more minutes and possibly to start. He had the highest +/- on the team tonight with +11. He also added defense with 2 blocks and second change opportunities with 4 offensive rebounds. He looked explosive, loose, and ready to play like the Amar’e we know and love.

J.R. Smith had another one of those “why did he just take that shot” nights, going an abysmal 3-16 from the field. You can say all you want but no shot was bigger than the three he hit with 1:11 left in the 4th, giving the Knicks a five-point lead and ultimately being the difference maker in the game. Smith also had two huge defensive plays down the stretch, causing two Celtics turnovers very late in the game. Smith might have had a chip on his shoulder about of what he thinks is a All-Star snub, finding out before the game he will not be joining teammates Carmelo Anthony and first time All-Star Tyson Chandler in Houston.

When the Celtics had the ball with 13 seconds left down three, I’m sure I wasn’t the only Knicks fan waiting for Paul Pierce to rise from the three-point line at the elbow extended and hit the dagger to send it into overtime. But it didn’t happen. The Celtics didn’t even get a shot off in their last two possessions because of suffocating Knicks defense. A site Knicks fans aren’t used to seeing.

The Knicks get a defining road win on national TV and head to Philly to take on the 76ers for a Saturday night Atlantic Division matchup.

By the way, the last time the Knicks beat the Celtics in Boston, Bill Simmons called for Doc Rivers’ to get fired and wanted to draft Greg Oden. Don’t believe me?

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/061115

I think things worked out for the better…

Dec 6, 2012; Miami FL, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) is fouled by New York Knicks forward Rasheed Wallace (36) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Knicks won 112-92. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Who would have thought that injuries to a pair of 38-year-old role players would be a primary cause to slowing down the New York Knicks, who came out of the gate as one of the NBA’s elite? It’s undeniable that the injury to Raymond Felton has had a huge impact as well, but the interior toughness and depth that was vacated when Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby were sidelined has yet to be adequately filled in their absence.

Wallace, who didn’t play last season and was a part-time player the previous season, isn’t going to be able to log major minutes and solve everything, but his body inside and threat to shoot while spacing the floor (over one 3PTM per game this year) has been missed.  With the minutes he can hold up with, averaging about 14 over 20 games, he has been a productive rebounder with just over four per game in addition to 0.8 blocks, making a nice complement inside. The return of Amar’e Stoudemire is a big addition, but only nine games in, it remains to be seen how he performs fresh off an injury on a drastically different Knicks team than he remembers playing for last season.

January 5, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; New York Knicks center Marcus Camby (23) defends Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) shot during the second half at Amway Center. New York Knicks defeated the Orlando Magic 114-106. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Camby’s second stint with the Knicks has been a far different one than his first one over 10 years ago, but he still has been a valuable asset, even while only seeing about 10 mpg.  As recently as last season Camby averaged nine boards and 1.4 blocks a game in just over 20 mpg for Portland and Houston. More importantly, Camby is the best shot blocker on the Knicks, averaging 0.8 this season in those limited minutes and 2.4 per game for his career.

Tyson Chandler has proven his defensive value and has last season’s Defensive Player of the Year award to show for it, but his shot blocking ability doesn’t coincide with his defensive reputation and is lacking (1.0 blocks per game in 30+ mpg this year). What was brought to the court by Camby, a former NBA Defensive Player of the Year himself, shouldn’t be overlooked.

The Knicks may be thinking about how they can overcome the Heat in a playoff series, winning just a lone playoff game against them least season, but this lack of interior presence will prove to be a problem against more than just the Heat. Teams like the Bulls with Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, and Taj Gibson inside will only get stronger with the return of Derrick Rose and the Knicks are already 0-3 vs. Chicago.

They don’t even need to look further than their own division for proof that they need to get tougher inside, allowing Kevin Garnett to put up 19 and 10 in their last meeting with the Celtics and getting embarrassed on the glass in Monday’s game vs. the Nets as they were outrebounded 52-37.

Between Chandler, Stoudemire, Wallace, and Camby, the Knicks had a good mix of options going for the 4 and 5 position in addition to Carmelo Anthony’s ability to play the 4. All of those players have different dimensions to their game and as a unit, have shown success this year. If they all prove to be healthy, the Knicks could have something that works but with age a factor for Wallace and Camby, that “if” becomes far less likely and it’s harder to rely on them to seamlessly bounce back from injury and slide back into the rotation.

The Knicks are still in the process of getting fully healthy at multiple positions, but as it stands right now, they will need more stability inside to ensure their credibility as a title threat this year and should explore all options for reinforcement before the trade deadline rolls around.

Jan 17, 2013; London, United Kingdom; New York Knicks forward Amar

After playing only one game last week- defeating the Detroit Pistons in London- the Knicks face a tough stretch of four games this week with the first three being against Atlantic Division rivals in Brooklyn, Boston and Philadelphia in the next six days, before facing the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday.

With the Knicks lead down to only two games over the Nets in the division, you can make the  case that this is the biggest stretch of games the Knicks have faced this season so far and the Knicks know the importance of what is ahead of them.

“Big, big, big stretch for us,” Amar’e Stoudemire told ESPN’s Jared Zwerling. ”Those are three tough games.”

The Knicks will host the Nets Monday afternoon but play at Boston on Thursday and at Philadelphia on Saturday before returning to the Garden on Sunday to play the Hawks.

It all comes down to getting off to hot starts, something the Knicks finally did against the Pistons in London.

It also will come down to how  well they defend the perimeter as they will have to deal with three point guards that give them trouble in Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday, which makes Iman Shumpert’s return even bigger.

While the Knicks are only 7-8 in their past 15 games, the Nets are 10-2 during their past 12 and the Celtics are 6-2 in their last eight, including a win over the Knicks.

That makes it very important the next four days for the Knicks to slow down two of their division rivals.

They should have fresh legs, so the opportunity will be there do exactly that.

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Jan 17, 2013; London, United Kingdom; New York Knicks forward Amar

Stoudemire is coming off his best game of the season in London against the Detroit Pistons, in which he scored 17 points off the bench and afterwards he proclaimed himself as good as new, which is great news for Knicks fans.

It has only been eight games since STAT made his season debut on January 1, but he is slowly looking more comfortable in Mike Woodson’s offensive system that he is no longer the focal point of.

“It’s coming,” Stoudemire told ESPN’s Mark Woods. “It will just take more repetition, more experience, more practice. Offensively I’m definitely improving for sure and my main goal so far this season is to get better defensively so I’ll keep working on that.

“The timing’s definitely coming back. I feel just as good as I was before I was out with the injury. As far as timing, as far as explosiveness, I feel healthy and that’s definitely a positive. I think the minutes gradually improving is helping that recovery.”

The most important thing is that timing Stoudemire speaks of and getting in proper conditioning, which has also come along great for the six-time All-Star.

Stoudemire is averaging 20.9 minutes per game since his return and has averaged 10.4 points per game to go along with 3.1 rebounds.

As he continues to round into basketball form, those minutes likely will increase.

Hopefully for his sake, Stoudemire really is as good as new, because the Knicks need him right now with their depleted frontcourt.

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Jan 17, 2013; London, United Kingdom; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) drives around Detroit Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince (22) during the first quarter at the O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Paul Cunningham-USA TODAY Sports

Both Anthony and Chandler won a gold medal playing for Team USA during the summer and both had great success on Wednesday as the Knicks defeated the Detroit Pistons 102-87.

Iman Shumpert returned for the Knicks and was in the starting lineup as New York came out on fire at both ends of the floor. The Knicks led by 20 at one point, a lead that the Pistons cut to only five in the third quarter, but the Knicks closed strong and won their second straight game in convincing fashion.

With that being said, let’s take a look at how each Knicks player graded out in London.

Game Stats

Field Goal Percentage: 45.8% (33-of-72)

Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage: 44.3 %( 35-of-79)

Three Point Percentage: 35.5% (11-of-31)

Opponent’s Three Point Percentage: 35.3% (6-of-17)

Free Throw Percentage: 80.6% (25-of-31)

Opponent’s Free Throw Percentage: 50.0% (11-of-22)

Assists: 22-17 (Pistons +5)

Rebounds: 44-36 (Knicks +8)

Points in the paint: 44-22 (Pistons +22)

Individual Grades

Jason Kidd (5 points, 2-of-5 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 3 turnovers)

Kidd started slow and filled the stat sheet but did turn the ball over twice; oddly two of them came on traveling violations.  Will Bynum and Rodney Stuckey had some success against him, but Kidd saved his best for the fourth quarter at both ends of the floor. Grade: B-

Iman Shumpert (8 points, 3-of-7 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block)

Shump’s debut was a shot in the arm for the Knicks as they got off to a good start at both ends of the floor for a change and took a 29-17 lead after the first quarter. He looked explosive and fearless and did a lot in only 15 minutes of action, including draining his first shot of the season- a corner three in the first. Grade: B

Chris Copeland (7 points, 3-of-6 shooting, 2 rebounds)

Copeland’s game is scoring the basketball and he really doesn’t give you much of anything else. Unfortunately the Knicks didn’t need much of Copeland in this game as he took only six shots in only 18 minutes of playing time. In addition he had some problems guarding Kyle Singler as Copeland didn’t have a great day defensively. Grade: C-

Carmelo Anthony (26 points, 8-of-19 shooting, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks)

Jan 17, 2013; London, United Kingdom; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (left) celebrates with Carmelo Anthony (7) while on the bench during the game against the Detroit Pistons, at the O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Paul Cunningham-USA TODAY Sports

London is where Anthony had tremendous success over the summer and he picked right up where he left off by coming out on fire in the first quarter, draining three triples in an 11 point first quarter. The only knock on Anthony was five turnovers, which can’t happen. Grade: B+

Tyson Chandler (10 points, 3-of-4 shooting, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks)

Chandler finished with a double-double and got off to a good start by grabbing seven rebounds in the first quarter. He did a great job of making Greg Monroe a non-factor and despite the Pistons scoring 22 more points in the paint than the Knicks, the Knicks outrebounded Detroit by eight and a majority of Detroit’s points in the paint came with Chandler on the bench. Grade: A-

Amar’e Stoudemire (17 points, 3-of-5 shooting, 4 rebounds)

Offensively it was Stoudemire’s best game since his return, scoring 12 of his 17 points in the first half and having a fantastic day from the charity stripe, by knocking down 11-of-12 attempts. But he wasn’t very good at the defensive end of the floor as Pistons’ rookie Andre Drummond abused him often. Hopefully the defense will come, but it was an encouraging performance from STAT. Grade: B

Ronnie Brewer (0 points, 0-of-1 shooting)

With the return of Shumpert, Brewer only got four minutes, which is a trend I expect to continue. Grade: Incomplete

Steve Novak (13 points, 5-of-9 shooting, 3 rebounds)

Novak didn’t make much of a difference again until late, but when the Pistons made their run, he drained some daggers. The Knicks don’t lose often when Novak hits five shots from the floor. Grade: B

Pablo Prigioni (0 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal)

Prigioni didn’t attempt a shot in 21 minutes, but was otherwise solid. Grade: C

J.R. Smith (16 points, 6-of-15 shooting, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals)

It was a typical performance from Smith, who didn’t shoot well, but was all over the court and filled the stat sheet at both ends of the floor. Smith was only 1-of-6 from behind the arc and turned it over four times, but otherwise impacted the game in a positive way. Grade: B-

James White: Played only one minute. Grade: Incomplete

Kurt Thomas: DNP- Coach’s Decision

Rasheed Wallace: DNP- Sore Left Foot

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It’s not that the Knicks won’t want to go out and improve their team when the trade deadline approaches; it is that they won’t be able to.

January 5, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Because the Knicks began the season as the oldest team in NBA history, they don’t exactly have the trade assets to use to entice another team to make a deal.

Currently the Knicks have only one player under the age of 27 and that is Iman Shumpert and he isn’t going anywhere in the near future.

Chris Copeland could be a guy that would interest teams, but his contract expires at the end of the season and only cost the Knicks $473k, meaning there would be no need to consider moving the 28-year old rookie. Even if another team wanted Copeland, the Knicks wouldn’t be able to improve thanks to being a luxury tax paying team, which is problem No. 2.

CBS Sports’ Ken Berger reported that the Knicks would love to deal Amar’e Stoudemire for cap relief purposes, but there won’t be any takers on STAT thanks to his contract and his health risks.

The only other trade option the Knicks have could be Marcus Camby as contending teams may want to add a defensive presence, but that is a stretch considering Camby signed a three-year deal in the offseason which no other team will likely want to touch and he has had health concerns of his own.

Because of the lack of tradeable players and the current salary cap situation of the franchise, it all but rules out a midseason improvement. With 15 guaranteed contracts, the Knicks can’t even sign a player (plenty of Kenyon Martin rumors), without releasing a player and eating his contract first.

That means what you see is what you get from the Knicks this season, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Sure they have slumped recently, going only 5-8 over their past 13 games, but after the end of January it looks like this team will be as close to 100 percent healthy for the first time all season.

That will give them plenty of time to continue to build chemistry as the playoffs approach. It also eliminates the potential of making a move just for the sake of making a move.

Sometimes it is a bummer when you don’t see your team out there trying to add the missing piece to what could be a championship team, but in the Knicks case that could be a good thing.

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Jan. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) is congratulated by teammates against the Boston Celtics during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

Of course, the Knicks will not just be spending their off days sitting on couches, resting their legs. Part of their time off this week will be spent traveling to London where the Knicks will take part in an NBA showcase, playing the Detroit Pistons. There’s no official word on the Knicks’ travel plans, but they will probably leave for London on Tuesday, practice and prepare on Wednesday, play Thursday, and then perhaps leave England for the U.S on Friday (this itinerary is a complete guess).

However, after they’re done with their London experience, the fact still remains that the Knicks will play just two games from Friday, January 18 to Friday, January 25. Any NBA team would welcome as many days off between games with open arms, but for an older team like the Knicks, it is a mid-season blessing.

The three days off until the Knicks play the Pistons in London can be used to rest various injuries and welcome new members to the rotation. Amar’e Stoudemire – who just received an increase in his minutes cap – can give his knee more time to get back to normal while also practicing with the team; Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni can rest their weary legs from undeniable exhaustion; Carmelo Anthony can now eat a cheeseburger and perhaps help out his own aching limps.

An important development in all of this is Iman Shumpert’s potential return to the court. Shumpert will travel to London with the team, practice, and possibly play in Thursday’s game. Shumpert will not only get a chance to jell with his teammates, but his return to the court will be a welcome sight. Shumpert can boost a backcourt that has been struggling of late, while also providing a boost of defensive intensity on the perimeter that has been lacking. While he’s not a complete point guard, and the offense will likely struggle if he has full control of the reins, Shumpert can still provide some minutes of rest for Kidd and Prigioni who have had to play heavy minutes in Raymond Felton’s stead.

Following Thursday’s game, the Knicks will have another three days off before they play the Nets on Monday, and then another three days off before taking on the Celtics on Thursday. The six days will be enough for the Knicks to at least fit in two practices, and more importantly, getting players healthy. Rasheed Wallace is also supposed to start working out in the next week, so the time off can allow him practice and rehab time to hopefully return to the court soon.

For a team that’s been struggling, the light two weeks ahead could be greatly beneficial for the Knicks to regain their composure.

January 13, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Amar

It’s also no secret how much the Knicks have struggled with Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler on the floor together.

Since his January 1 return, Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson has worked Stoudemire back into the rotation off the bench, but while Woodson is trying to find a role that fits for STAT, could he be showcasing Stoudemire around the NBA for a potential deal as well?

I have been on record several times stating the Knicks will never find a taker for Stoudemire. His contract, which owes him $60 million the next three years, is just too big and his health is just too much of a concern.

There is also concern about the chemistry. The Knicks are only 3-4 since Stoudemire returned and while there are plenty of other factors that have played into the Knicks slide, is it a coincidence that the Knicks aren’t winning consistently with STAT back on the floor?

If a deal came around the Knicks would take it. There is no debating that.

They want to unload that contract and get cap relief in the process. But in order to make a deal, the Knicks will have to take on some salary as well, which isn’t ideal.

If that is the case, looking at guys such as Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay and other makes sense and upgrades the team, especially in the case of Gay, who could play the 3 and let Anthony play the 4 on a more consistent basis.

But all of that is speculation.

The problem with acquiring a star from another team is getting them to agree to take on Stoudemire and that is an extremely tough sell.

Having said that I don’t expect Stoudemire to be going anywhere anytime in the near future.

But you never know. He is unintentionally being showcased around the NBA right now. Who knows, some team may be willing to roll the dice.

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Jan. 7, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Knicks team doctors have instructed Mike Woodson to cut Stoudemire’s minutes after he experienced soreness in his surgically repaired left knee.

Stoudemire, who was expected to be kept around 20 minutes per game upon returning to the lineup, played a season-high 28 minutes in Monday’s loss to the Celtics.

Woodson admitted he shouldn’t have played Stoudemire that much, but both STAT and the coach said that the latest development is not a setback in Stoudemire’s return.

“He was probably a little sore and that’s probably the reason for (limiting his minutes). So I’ve got to be open-minded to that and do what’s asked. That’s the right thing to do,” Woodson told ESPN’s Ian Begley.

Stoudemire played between 17-21 minutes his first three games, but saw the big increase Monday, including being on the floor almost the entire fourth quarter.

Woodson said STAT will play between 20 and 23 minutes Thursday and will continue to come off the bench.

However his status is unknown for Friday against Chicago because it is the second of back-to-back games.

“I feel great,” Stoudemire told Begley. “I just think we’re taking a precautionary route. Just making sure that everything [continues] to improve. I think that’s about it, really. No setbacks, no re-injury, anything like that. I feel great.”

Stoudemire is averaging 10 points and 2.3 rebounds in 20 minutes through four games.

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January 5, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar

Stoudemire, who until last week had not played a real NBA game (excluding preseason) in nearly seven months, still needs some time to work himself back into shape. Mike Woodson has been managing his minutes off the bench with about 20 per night, dispersing his playing time between minutes with the bench crew and with the starters. Currently, Stoudemire is not fit to be playing huge minutes in a game; his lag time in running up and down the court is noticeable in changes of possession, and he still lacks his usual explosiveness, as noted by his very lower total rebounding percentage – 7.4% and only 4.6 rebounds per 36 minutes – and the five shots he’s had blocked in three games. Stoudemire is simply still very rusty.

However, the question begs to be asked: where will Stoudemire fit when he returns to full health, capable of playing big minutes? As mentioned, thus far, Stoudemire has come off the bench and seen minutes with the bench unit and starting unit. Much of the fan base and many basketball analysts believe Stoudemire is better suited coming off the bench with a pick-and-roll point guard in Pablo Prigioni, two floor-spacers in J.R. Smith and Steve Novak, and a lack of paint-bound big men (Tyson Chandler) and ball-dominant scorers (Carmelo Anthony). Other pundits believe Stoudemire should play in the starting lineup and be forced to jell with Chandler and Anthony, as the Knicks’ ultimate success will be reliant on the Big Three’s ability to coincide.

Interestingly enough, +/- stats indicate that the Knicks’ most effective lineups with Stoudemire have come with a blend of starters and bench players. The top five-man combinations including Stoudemire are as follows:

1. Kidd, Anthony, Chandler, Smith, Stoudemire = +10 in 11 minutes
2. Smith, Novak, Copeland, Prigioni, Stoudemire = +5 in 8 minutes
3. Chandler, Anthony, Smith, Prigioni, Stoudemire = +5 in 8 minutes

It is clear to see that any five-man unit including Stoudemire has not seen a ton of playing time together because Stoudemire has only played three games, and Woodson tends to play a nine- or ten-man rotation which means there are substitutions often, thus not allowing any real longevity to one certain five-man unit. However, by narrowing the Knicks’ +/- stats down to three-man units, the samples become larger, and even more interesting.

The Knicks’ top three-man combinations including Stoudemire have consisted of Stoudemire, Chandler, and Smith with a +15 in about 19 minutes of playing time. The other combination with the same +15 in the same amount of playing time was the grouping of Stoudemire, Chandler, and Anthony. In general, the Knicks’ most productive lineups with Stoudemire have included either Anthony or Chandler, thus hinting at hope of a successful blend of all three players.

With Stoudemire on the court, the Knicks have been affected in different ways. They have become a better rebounding team and passing team with Stoudemire playing, and they’ve shot better from the corner three and the restricted area. However, in total, the Knicks’ have become an overall worse offensive team with Amar’e on the floor, with lower FG%, TS% and on offensive rating of 101.8 with him playing versus 109.9 with him on the bench. The defensive rating, meanwhile, has hardly been affected by his presence.

Working a player like Stoudemire into a team that has been rolling for two months will be difficult. There is new chemistry to be found amongst different combinations of players, and as the statistics show, there are surprising numbers for the Knicks’ coaches to look at to determine where he’ll fit best. For now, the Knicks are 2-1 since Stoudemire has returned, and there is statistical evidence to show (despite the very small sample size) that he can make the Knicks a better team.