NBA

Starting Stoudemire could be the boost Knicks looking for

INDIANAPOLIS — There are a lot of things to like about Amar’e Stoudemire. For one, he’s more than just a basketball player. He has interests in fashion and social issues as evidenced by his tweet on Sunday saying the manifesto written by ex-LAPD officer turned murderer Christopher Dorner was “a must read.”

“It’s the information age,” Stoudemire said when asked by The Post why he posted the tweet. “Anytime in my Twitter handle I try to feed information out to the people. That’s what my Twitter is all about.”

More than Stoudemire’s varied interests, I’m guessing what most of his 800,000 followers want to know is whether the Knicks can return from the NBA All-Star break looking more like the team that started the season instead of the one we saw a week ago.

The Knicks lost three of their last four games before the break. They played like a tired team that had lost its energy on defense and cohesion on offense. They’ll look to change that tonight when they face the Pacers.

“I think we might have been thinking about the break beforehand,” Stoudemire said. “I think that might have keyed in on us the last three games. But now we have a chance to refocus and get it going.”

Knicks coach Mike Woodson said he is planning no changes in his starting lineup, which means Stoudemire will come off the bench. It’s a role Stoudemire has been relegated to since returning to action on Jan. 1 after missing the first 30 games with a knee injury that surfaced during training camp.

Stoudemire hasn’t complained about his reserve role. He has said repeatedly he’ll do whatever it takes for the team to win. He also had no leverage to complain after missing more than a third of the season.

But maybe he’s getting a little restless.

When asked about his reserve role yesterday, Stoudemire simply said it was Woodson’s call.

“That’s the coach’s decision,” he said. “That has nothing to do with me. I feel great. I’m ready to play. But it’s a coach’s decision.”

Woodson’s decision could change if the Knicks don’t get off to a good start to the season’s second half. Inserting Stoudemire in the starting lineup might be the best trump card Woodson can play to jump-start his team if it continues to struggle.

Despite the Knicks stumble into the break, Woodson plans to keep his starting lineup as it is with Raymond Felton at the point, Jason Kidd at two guard, along with Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler.

“I’m not going to panic and make any unnecessary changes,” Woodson said. “I’ve just got to get guys refocused and ready for this major push.”

Changes might become necessary if the Knicks lose to the Pacers tonight and then struggle at Toronto on Friday before coming home to play a Sixers team that waxed them in Philly on Jan. 26.

Stoudemire has shown signs of earning an increased role. He averaged 15 points per game in roughly 23 minutes of playing time over his last six games. That includes scoring 21 and 20 points in back-to-back wins over Sacramento and Detroit. He was one of the few Knicks who wasn’t thrilled about the break.

“I wanted to keep playing,” he said. “Anytime you get a break it’s great, but I wanted to keep playing. I wanted to stay in rhythm and keep improving.”

The Knicks need to regain their collective rhythm against the Pacers, a team that could be a big factor in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Woodson is hoping the Knicks will have renewed energy and a new resolve.

But if the results continue to be as disappointing as they were just before the All-Star break, then Stoudemire could find himself back in the starting lineup. Now, that would be worth tweeting about.

george.willis@nypost.com