Welcome to Mike Woodson’s backup power-forward platoon featuring Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin.
Woodson has become the mad scientist, trying to draft a plan of rotating Stoudemire and Martin in consecutive games – not necessarily just back-to-backs.
This Kenyon-Amar’e tag team could mean neither player has any chance of hitting 50 regular-season games in the regular season. Last week in Toronto, Woodson said Stoudemire and Martin won’t play on both ends of back-to-backs and said he probably would have one player dress for one night, and the other guy the next night.
The one exception would be if there’s a big gap in the schedule between games, like four days.
Woodson is scared straight he’s going to run their legs into the ground like he did last season. (Stoudemire’s second knee surgery came after playing four games in five nights – three of which he played over the 30-minute cap). Martin is battling ankle issues.
“If Amar’e and Kenyon can give us something this year, keeping them on the floor healthy, it will give us big options,’’ Woodson said after Saturday’s practice at the Garden. “I’m really considering alternating them game to game. If there is a game, three or four days in between, we can play them both. If there’s four in five nights, we’ll probably alternate each guy.’’
“We can manage the season that way,’’ Woodson added. “They’re not being lost because I pounded them too many games in a row that they’re no ready for.’’
Stoudemire and Martin made their preseason debuts in the finale Friday. Martin had said he would “press the issue’’ if they held him out a lot of the regular season.
The irony to the platoon is they are such different players, stoudemire a pure all-around scorer and poor rebounder and Martin a limited offensive weapon but who excels in rebounding and defense.
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Told the so-called experts have the Knicks fifth in the improved East, Carmelo Anthony said, “so-called, great title.
“I don’t think it really matters to us. We know the type of team we have. It’s all about putting it together.’’
The Knicks’ 15-man roster won’t be 100-percent definite until Monday at 5 p.m. They are scouring waiver wire for prominent big man so Cole Aldrich isn’t totally safe.
“Nothing’s set in stone,’’ Woodson said.
The Knicks can go into the season with their current roster and then sign a big man and cut,J.R. Smith’s brother, Chris Smith, who would still get his $492,000 guaranteed pact in full in a contract quirk. However, that may raise the eyebrows of the NBA regarding whether the Knicks circumvented the collective bargaining agreement in signing guaranteed deals to J.R. and his brother.