HoopsHype.com Rumors

Al Iannazzone: On Amar'e playing, Woodson said, "I think it’s a matter of time. It’s not any time soon, but I think eventually he’ll be back." Twitter @Al_Iannazzone

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Mike Woodson, Injuries 

New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson has all but ruled out Amar'e Stoudemire for the team's opening-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics. "I think he's going to be out,'' Woodson said Thursday. "That's my gut." ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Mike Woodson, Injuries 

Ian Begley: Amar'e hasn't completely ruled himself out of the 1st round. "Hopefully I'll be back on the court soon." He's started light running #Knicks Twitter

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Injuries 

Barbara Barker: Don't expect Amar'e in the first round, says Woodson. "I think he's going to be out. That's my gut." #KNICKS Twitter @meanbarb

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Mike Woodson, Injuries 

Eleven years after they played in the Jordan Brand Classic at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire sat courtside at Barclays Center to watch the next generation of future NBA stars on display in the 2013 Jordan Classic. The two Knicks stars were joined by a star-studded group that included teammate J.R. Smith, C.C. Sabathia, Spike Lee, Worldwide Wes and Drake, who later performed a concert. Michael Jordan himself sat up in the stands, but was not allowed to meet the players because he’s an NBA owner and rules prohibit it. SheridanHoops

New York Knicks, Draft, Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, JR Smith, Andrew Wiggins 

Both Anthony and Stoudemire said they were impressed by Wiggins. “He’s good,” Stoudemire said. “He showed athleticism out there on the court. He showed great patience also. He’s going to be really good.” The injured Knicks star also said he was impressed by Walker, Randle and Parker. “Those guys, they’re great, man,” Stoudemire said. SheridanHoops

New York Knicks, Draft, Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Andrew Wiggins 

That Stoudemire is coaching rather than playing does not disappoint the Canadian organizers, who see his involvement as spurring interest in their team and in the international Maccabi sports movement. “It was a bit of a dream scenario to reach out to Amar’e because of his discovering his Jewish roots and his playing basketball,” Alex Brainis, the head of Maccabi Canada’s delegation, said. “We figured that if he said yes, this would be a big recruiting tool.” When offered the post, “Amar’e was nothing but enthusiastic,” Brainis said. New York Times

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Coaching 

Dore said he and Stoudemire spoke occasionally by phone and had exchanged text messages throughout this season. Stoudemire will attend the final training camp in Toronto in July before the team departs for Israel, Dore said. Canada’s first game there is scheduled for July 19, with its opponent not yet determined. While Stoudemire has not indicated that his future career plans include coaching, Dore, a native of Woodhaven, Queens, who will be coaching the Maccabiah team for the fifth time, thinks the experience may prove insightful. “What he’ll bring to the team is individual skill development,” Dore said, adding: “He’ll also be learning about himself, as to whether he wants to pursue a coaching career. This is his first go-round in coaching. It’ll be a great experience for him.” New York Times

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Coaching 

Though Amar’e Stoudemire wasn’t definitive whether he’ll make it back for the playoffs, Woodson sounded confident. Stoudemire had knee-debridement surgery March 11. The six-week timetable would have him back for Game 2 of the first-round series. “If anyone’s going to make it back, it’s Amar’e,’’ said Woodson, “I can promise you that.’’ Woodson said he could have done a better job on Stoudemire’s 30-minute restriction policy, but admits he had never dealt with such edicts. Stoudemire wasn’t the only one on restrictions. Iman Shumpert was on one coming back from his knee injury and Marcus Camby still is. “I never dealt with minutes restrictions,’’ Woodson said. “It’s the first time I’ve ever done that. That’s a challenge, slotting guys in certain positions. I haven’t always been great at it.’’ New York Post

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire 

Steve Kerr had left the Phoenix Suns a few weeks before the club elected to let Amar’e Stoudemire walk to New York. But the former Suns general manager agreed with ownership and the club’s medical staff that Stoudemire was a medical risk not worth taking. “Yeah,” Kerr said. “I was on board with it.” As Stoudemire recovers from yet another knee surgery and questions swirl over whether he’ll ever return to his All Star form, Kerr said he feels “sad” for his former player because “Amar’e just loves to play basketball.” New York Daily News

New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Amare Stoudemire, Steve Kerr 

“What I remember is our orthopedic surgeon Tom Carter saying that generally after six to eight years after a player has a microfracture there could be problems,” Kerr told the Daily News. “We calculated he had a couple of good years left and that the back end of the contract could be a problem. “You never know for sure but you go with your experts and in this case it was Dr. Carter.” New York Daily News

New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Amare Stoudemire, Steve Kerr 

He explained that the latest knee issue cropped up when the Knicks were in the midst of a four-games-in-five-nights span, and he simply didn't feel right trying to play through the pain after a loss to Oklahoma City. Still, he didn't blame the pounding he took in that heavily scheduled span, and instead alluded to his longstanding knee troubles. "I don't think it had anything to do with the minutes," said Stoudemire, who is filming a documentary titled "In the Moment" to chronicle his rehabilitation efforts. "I honestly think it was just a matter of time before [a separate surgery would be required]." In a separate interview, Stoudemire said he hoped the procedure, which he's had before on his right knee, would give that leg another five or six years of durability in the NBA. Given the number of injuries Stoudemire's been through, Anthony, when initially asked about his teammate, turned away from the issue of basketball briefly. "At this point, I'm just more concerned about his psyche and his mental [state]. That's my friend," said Anthony, who was promoting Degree deodorant near Madison Square Garden Thursday. (For his part, Stoudemire insisted that he's fine mentally, and that his spiritual life and family have kept him afloat in recent weeks.) Wall Street Journal

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Injuries 

Jared Zwerling: Stoudemire said the recovery process is the same as the last debridement he had in October. No timetable right now for a return. #Knicks Twitter @JaredZwerling

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Injuries 

Amar'e Stoudemire said his rehab from his second knee surgery this season is "going well" but there has been no indication that he will play again this season. Stoudemire had his right knee cleaned out March 11. The prognosis was he would miss about six weeks. The Knicks may need a deep playoff run for Stoudemire to return. "It's been two weeks in now so I've really been able to recover, feel the improvement daily, and I just hope that continues to be the case," Stoudemire said on ESPN's SportsCenter. Newsday

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Injuries 

No one is better than the Knicks at trying to throw us off with their high-brow medical vocab. Example: Who said Carmelo Anthony had his knee drained this week? The procedure, in Knicks-speak, was merely Melo having a "soft-tissue fluid collection of his posterior right knee aspirated." The reality, though, is that Amar'e Stoudemire's future is clearly cloudy and scary no matter how times we hear the mysterious term "debridement" to describe what's happening to his left knee. There's legit fear in circulation that Stoudemire, who had embraced his new reality as a limited-by-injury scorer off the bench quite admirably in recent weeks, isn't going to be able to keep coming back from these serious setbacks. Hope I'm wrong, because I've always enjoyed covering Stoudemire in good times and bad, but I'm officially worried for him. ESPN.com

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Injuries 

"When I signed here in New York," Stoudemire said after the Anthony trade was complete, "that pretty much opened the eyes for the rest of the basketball world that, 'New York is a place where I will go now.'" Stoudemire made the Knicks a credible option for other stars. It's why Chris Paul was interested before he found bliss, and Blake Griffin, in Los Angeles. It's why a member of Josh Smith's immediate family asked a longtime league official to help place Smith with the Knicks long before Atlanta started shopping him. ESPN.com

Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Trade, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Paul, Josh Smith 

Frank Isola: For what it's worth, Mike D'Antoni wanted Knicks to re-sign David Lee & not pursue Amar'e Stoudemire...despite the Knicks spin job in 2010 Twitter

Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Mike D'Antoni, David Lee 

Amar’e Stoudemire sent a message to his fans last night to not count him out. Ever. On the verge of undergoing right-knee debridement surgery as soon as today, Stoudemire posted on his Twitter account: “To my true fans who understand my heart...This is the life that the most high chose for me. I have to keep my faith in him. I will return again & again & again to help lead the Knicks to fight for a championship.’’ New York Post

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Injuries 

Howard Beck: Re Amare's "uninsurable" contract: Not entirely true. It's uninsured against career-ending KNEE or EYE injury. That's it. Twitter @HowardBeckNYT

New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire 

Wilson Chandler: Hope my bro @Amare Stoudemire has a speedy recovery. That sucks. Prayers up! Twitter @wilsonchandler

Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Wilson Chandler, Injuries