It's going to be interesting to watch how this team evolves this season as STAT and Shump get integrated into the lineup.

The only issue I have with what Lowe wrote is Sheed is definitely more of a threat as a floor spacer than most bigs in the league, which will allow STAT to do what STAT do but I still like Sheed better in the post on offense than anywhere else on the floor. Hopefully Sheed can continue educating Amare on the finer points of post play and finish the job Hakeem started.

STAT.

So assuming Stoudemire becomes a super sub, the next question then becomes whether there is any scenario in which he makes this team better. The answer would appear to be 'no' for now, as Stoudemire's specialty is scoring and the Knicks are already neck and neck with Oklahoma City as the most potent offense in the league.

But his presence could come in handy at playoff time, when the long-range game with which the Knicks are so dependent may not be there (league-leading 29.1 threes attempted per game and 41.2 percentage that is third) and the Stoudemire pick-and-roll/pop that has been a staple of his game will. What's more, this is where the Knicks' embarrassment of point guard riches comes in handy too.

Since Raymond Felton is having the sort of renaissance the Knicks hoped for when they picked him instead of Jeremy Lin in the summer, and since Jason Kidd is doing precisely what Nash hopes to do and showing all of us that Father Time doesn't always win in one-on-one, Stoudemire will always have a capable pick-and-roll partner with which to work.

Woodson and his ability to do right by the team will be the key, as this is no time to worry about star treatment. Stoudemire, as I've been told by one of his confidantes, has no plans to "be a diva" about this situation. Nor, of course, does he want to be made out to be the villain if the team goes South upon his return. It will be a delicate balance, to be sure, but one that could make them even more dangerous come playoff time if the situation is managed well.

CrushAlot wrote:From Sam Amick:

STAT.

So assuming Stoudemire becomes a super sub, the next question then becomes whether there is any scenario in which he makes this team better. The answer would appear to be 'no' for now, as Stoudemire's specialty is scoring and the Knicks are already neck and neck with Oklahoma City as the most potent offense in the league.
But his presence could come in handy at playoff time, when the long-range game with which the Knicks are so dependent may not be there (league-leading 29.1 threes attempted per game and 41.2 percentage that is third) and the Stoudemire pick-and-roll/pop that has been a staple of his game will. What's more, this is where the Knicks' embarrassment of point guard riches comes in handy too.

Since Raymond Felton is having the sort of renaissance the Knicks hoped for when they picked him instead of Jeremy Lin in the summer, and since Jason Kidd is doing precisely what Nash hopes to do and showing all of us that Father Time doesn't always win in one-on-one, Stoudemire will always have a capable pick-and-roll partner with which to work.

Woodson and his ability to do right by the team will be the key, as this is no time to worry about star treatment. Stoudemire, as I've been told by one of his confidantes, has no plans to "be a diva" about this situation. Nor, of course, does he want to be made out to be the villain if the team goes South upon his return. It will be a delicate balance, to be sure, but one that could make them even more dangerous come playoff time if the situation is managed well.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2012/12/14/nba-injuries-what-do-players-returning-do-for-their-teams/1766937/

What Amare is going to do is lower Felton and Smith as a scoring option which will only help the Knicks. With Amare Felton goes from a 2-3 option to a 3-4 option. You would also be replacing 40% fg shooting attempts as the 2nd-3rd option with 50% fg shooting attempts as the 2nd option. Felton and Smith can work more on hitting open 3s at 40% which they excell at and take less shots off the dribble which they don't excell at.

But the Knicks were miserable offensively last season when all three shared the court, and the interior dominance of Chandler and Anthony during Stoudemire’s absence has only highlighted that. The area below the foul line has room for only so many people, and trying to use Amar’e as an outside shooter off screens last season had a square peg/round hole feel to it. Woodson has done an extraordinary job balancing egos and getting the most out of everyone, and he should be able to manage this decision correctly.

For all the focus on offense, the bigger challenge might come on the other end. New York has slipped to 15th in points allowed per possession, and Stoudemire is only going to hurt in that regard. The record-setting 3's are fascinating, but it’s unlikely they'll be New York’s undoing. A mediocre defense might be.

Pretty much sums up why Stat will be a super sixth man.

I just noticed that Lee is starting over Terry today, sometimes it's about the unit more than the player, Boston has realized this and I think we will too.