Amar’e Stoudemire Could Be on a 20 Minutes-Per-Game Limit


Well, so much for becoming a dominant force once again. New York Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said that forward Amar’e Stoudemire may not be allowed to suit up for more than 20 minutes a night once he returns. Per ESPN: “‘We’ve just got to figure out if it’s going to be 10 minutes, 15, 20. We won’t know at this point until he’s back on the floor and seeing how things are going,’ Woodson said Tuesday. Stoudemire averaged 23.5 minutes per game last season, when he was limited to 30 minutes per game by the team’s medical staff. The minutes limit proved prudent because Stoudemire needed a second knee surgery in March after he experienced soreness following a four-games-in-five nights stretch. In two of those games, the 30-year-old Stoudemire played more than 30 minutes. Stoudemire will likely be on a stricter minutes count this year. ‘I thought we were really doing a pretty good job managing his minutes last season,’ Woodson said. ‘And they were, I thought, positive minutes in terms of helping us win basketball games when he was in there.’ No one is sure if he will be ready for the season opener on Oct. 30. The 11-year veteran underwent an offseason knee procedure over the summer (his third in the past 12 months) so the Knicks are being cautious with him. Stoudemire’s been running on the court but has yet to scrimmage with his teammates.”