NY Knicks could get Amar'e Stoudemire back as soon as Friday for game against Chicago Bulls

Stoudemire has been working out for several weeks and appears to be fit. He went through a rigorous 40-minute workout with assistant coach LaSalle Thompson prior to Monday’s game against the Rockets.

BY FRANK ISOLA AND PAT LEONARD / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2012, 1:39 AM

Amar’e Stoudemire’s long road to recovery is reaching the home stretch as the Knicks announced on Monday that the oft-injured power forward has been cleared to practice.

The plan is to have Stoudemire, who has been sidelined since October after having left knee surgery, practice with the Knicks’ D-League affiliate on Tuesday and Thursday, which could put him in line to make his season debut either Friday against Chicago or Sunday against Minnesota.

“We’re going to evaluate him Wednesday and see how he feels,” Woodson said on Monday. “Thursday he’ll have an opportunity to practice with the D-League team and go from there based on how he feels.”

Stoudemire has been working out for several weeks and appears to be fit. He went through a rigorous 40-minute workout with assistant coach LaSalle Thompson prior to Monday’s game against the Rockets.

When asked if Stoudemire could play this weekend, Woodson said: “Again, the practices have to go in his favor. I don’t want him coming to me after tomorrow’s practice and him say, ‘Coach, I’m hurt and I’m sore.’ Then we’ve got to evaluate it and still take it a day at a time. I’m not going to rush him back. He’s got to be ready. I’m waiting on him to tell me he’s ready to go.”

Stoudemire has declined to speak to the media since he went out of the lineup. Two weeks ago, when a reporter told him “he looked like $100 million bucks” Stoudemire replied: “I’d say it’s more like $70 million.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/knicks-insider-amar-article-1.1222520#ixzz2FPSXwIRa

I wish him the best and have my fingers crossed that this is not a McDyess or H20 situation.

This is after practice with the knicks affiliate bay ???

Amar’e Stoudemire hints he’s still not close to returning to NY Knicks as knee rehab progresses

There is still a chance Amar’e Stoudemire might be home for Christmas – and not with the Knicks in Los Angeles to face the Lakers.

Stoudemire took an important step in his rehabilitation from October knee surgery by practicing with the Knicks’ D-League team Tuesday, but the star forward cautioned that he’s still “not totally there yet” while downplaying any imminent return to the lineup.

“Today was a great practice for me. But I'm not where I want to be at this point,” Stoudemire said after working out with the Erie BayHawks at the Knicks’ practice facility in Greenburgh. “I'm pretty sure I can get there soon. I don't have a date in my mind when I'm going to return…I feel like I’m very, very close. But I still want to continue to improve. I want to get better and I’m almost there”

Stoudemire, who spoke extensively to the media for the first time since he was injured, underwent a debridement procedure on his left knee on Oct. 31. The prognosis mapped out by the Knicks’ medical staff called for a 6-to-8 week recovery period, spurring speculation he’d be back by Christmas – which remains a possibility.

Just as he did before Monday’s loss to the Rockets, Mike Woodson didn’t rule out Stoudemire playing Friday against Chicago or Sunday against Minnesota.

“I don't know where everyone got that assumption that I'd be back Christmas Day,” Stoudemire said. “I never made that statement at all. I'm not totally sure if I'll be back by then or not.”

The six-time All-Star also attempted to defuse any potential controversy that the rolling Knicks (18-6) will be better served with him coming off the bench once he returns to the lineup. Carmelo Anthony, who has missed the past four games with an ankle injury, was playing at an MVP level while primarily manning Stoudemire’s power-forward spot.

“Whatever it takes to win, I’m totally open to it,” Stoudemire said. “I’ve been here for three years now; you guys should know how much of a team player I am. I've played with a team in Phoenix that was strictly about -- it was a team-oriented game -- and the same applies here in New York.”

To that end, Stoudemire also insisted “without a doubt” that he believes he and Anthony can co-exist atop the Knicks’ playing rotation. The Knicks are just 30-33 in the regular season with both star forwards in the lineup, albeit 8-2 since Woodson took over for Mike D’Antoni in March. They also dropped four of five games to the Heat in the first round of the playoffs last spring.

“I'm not going to address it until he tells me he's ready to play and then we'll make a decision based on where we are with our team,” Woodson said when asked about Stoudemire’s expected role. “Right now, things are going very well for our ball club and until Amar'e is in position to play again, we'll make decisions then.”

Woodson elected to hold just a film session and a light practice Tuesday due to the Knicks’ tight schedule, so Stoudemire worked out with Erie, which runs many of the same offensive sets and defensive schemes as the Knicks. Stoudemire will be reassessed Wednesday and might practice with the Knicks the following day, Woodson added.

“I was able to work on a few things that I haven't been able to for the past month or so. It felt great to get back out there and really compete with other guys. So it was good for me,” Stoudemire said, adding that his knee expectedly was “a little bit sore” after his first practice in nearly two months. “My conditioning is good. My timing is almost there…I still want to improve and get 100 percent. I'm not totally there yet.”

Chris Copeland and James White also were assigned to the D-League for the day to scrimmage with the BayHawks, but Woodson indicated they will be called back to the Knicks to be in uniform Wednesday against the Nets at the Garden.

gunsnewing wrote:How long before it is announced that Melo needs seasoning ending near surgery? I will give it til Friday

holy pessimistic man!