Stoudemire has not played in a week. With a back-to-back coming up, his conditioning is questionable. For the first two games back, Stoudemire's timing will be off. Bring him back gradually. Hopefully, he will not feel compelling to assert himself and will allow the game to come to him. By the end of the week he should be feeling less sore.

Wednesday night The Garden welcomes him back with open arms.

Keep your head up young man.

misterearl wrote:

holfresh wrote:I don't know, I think you are out there with Newt calling for a moon colony...

Why do you automatically insert Amar'e into the starting lineup with the new confidence and chemistry in place?

holfresh - before you invoke Calista or Rick Santorum, please give one reason why Amar'e should start on Tuesday after being off a week.

Amare hasn't seen a pick and roll PG in a year...Let's get him back into the swing of things immediately and set a tone of how are going forward...I want Amare in there with Lin as long as possible to get acclimated...No reason to delay...By the time Amare gets in the game might be time for Lin to rest...This should be about getting our team ready for the playoffs...JJ did a good job the last week...Amare is one of the leaders here...Let's get him going...

But MELO been much better D than Amare. The help defender Amare should give/cover the paint with Tyson Chandler has been short of
awful. Like he's standing still like a building.

If Amare concentrates on his return on defending rebounding then all facets of rest of his game will be a smoother flow into the
D'Antoni /Lin rhythm of knicks flow

holfresh wrote:And Earl...How do u bench the captain of a team for going home to bury a sibling???...Let him get the standing ovation at the Garden when introduced with the starting team upon his return...Amare Boom Ba Ye!!!

Actually we might be on the road...Amare stays put!!!!

holfresh - you "bench" him for his own good.

The idea is to bring Amar'e back slowly, starting with his FIRST game. If you want to rush him back into the starting lineup in Toronto, please be my guest. If you want to instantly destroy the esprit de corps among the most feisty band of backup brothers we have seen in decades, feel free to insert Amar'e, who hasn't stepped on the court in a week.

Why do baseball players have a rehab start(s) in triple A? Because - coming off an absence - they NEED to get their timing back.

Nah, start him! Just don't come crying to The Answer Man when he instinctively tries a tricky move in the frigid low humidity of Toronto, and tweaks his knee in the first quarter.

He can start game two (in The Garden Wednesday) or three (Friday at The Garden, better conditioned and ready to rumble).

first came back in the garden (wednesday) he'll probably start though.

markvmc wrote:Newt has always been saner than Earl.

And Newt is a nut job.

Forget the pick and roll. And forget questioning The Answer Man's sanity. Everyone knows he is crazy.

Amar'e is dealing with an emotional loss that hit him hard. smackeddog nailed it when he cited that Amar'e lost a brother and a parent. Stoudemire's focus is unpredictable and his physical conditioning is suspect. Hopefully, those emotions do not outpace his physical capacity. What would be the point of rushing him back into the lineup in a fragile emotional state?

Stoudemire will need basketball more than ever as an outlet for his raw emotions.

Ease him back into the starting lineup by next Wednesday or Friday.

franco12 wrote:I think you start Stat because he's proved to be able to thrive in this system.

Melo is the one I would argue should come off the bench when he returns.

And continue to start Bill Walker, right? Great idea!!!