BOSTON — Unconcerned with disrupting the chemistry of a team that is playing brilliantly, Mike Woodson still plans to reinsert Amar’e Stoudemire in the rotation if the Knicks advance to the second round.
Stoudemire is recovering from right knee surgery, and his return is the team’s most fascinating — and also potentially troubling — issue. The Knicks have been significantly better without Stoudemire this season, and given the way they’re playing, does it really make sense to force Stoudemire back in?
“He’s gonna play. Absolutely,” Woodson said yesterday, insisting he has no fears how it’ll impact the Knicks’ chemistry. “Not at all. You guys worry about that. I don’t. I really don’t. He’s a big piece to our puzzle.”
But there is little evidence that’s true. This year, including the playoffs, the Knicks are 41-15 without Stoudemire and 16-13 with him. That’s pretty hard to overlook.
If Stoudemire — who last played March 7 — is ready, he would cut into somebody’s minutes.
The center duo of Tyson Chandler and Kenyon Martin is a terrific tandem. He could assume Chris Copeland’s role, but that has been limited in the playoffs, totalling just 11 minutes the last two games.
Chandler said Stoudemire won’t disrupt the Knicks’ chemistry and rhythm.
“No, because the veteran leadership as well as the coaching on this team wouldn’t allow something like that,” he said. “I think he’s only gonna help the team when he does come back. He’ll give us that extra big in the rotation. Maybe allow Kenyon to move into the lineup when we need to so that me and him are on the floor together because it gives Woody a security blanket. We’ll have that third big off the bench.
“If anything, it’ll be a big positive.”
Also, in the playoffs, can the Knicks afford to live with him feeling his way back? After Stoudemire missed the season’s first two months with left knee surgery, he shot a combined 7-for-18 in his first two games back.
Woodson said he isn’t positive Stoudemire can play in the next round, so perhaps it won’t be an issue yet.
“We’re hoping [he’ll be available]. But we’ll see,” Woodson said. “He’s making steady progress so we’ll just have to wait until we get to that point and see where he is.”
mark.hale@nypost.com