The New York Knicks have found the winning formula now standing with an 18-5 record to lead the Eastern Conference.
They've managed to stay undefeated at home with a 10-0 record, and forward Carmelo Anthony has led the team with 27.9 points and is now an early candidate for the league MVP discussion.
Though with all the success they've accomplished, they've done so without the assistance of All-Star power forward Amar'e Stoudemire, who's been out since the start of the season with knee issues.
Though it's uncertain when he'll return, Stoudemire has expressed willingness to come off the bench if necessary.
That's possibly the best news for Knick fans.
The team's starting lineup of Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, Ronnie Brewer, Anthony and Tyson Chandler has developed strong chemistry with one another. Throwing Stoudemire in the mix would undoubtedly disrupt that.
Moving Stoudemire to the second unit will be more beneficial to team, especially with Iman Shumpert expected return to be sometime in January. The second unit can possibly be as strong as their starting lineup if you can imagine Shumpert, J.R. Smith, Steve Novak and Stoudemire operating it.
Factor in the solid play of forward Rasheed Wallace to that second unit, the Knicks appear to be in good shape for the future.
The Knicks right now have a lot of talent on their roster that there are seemingly endless possibilities for Stoudemire to produce for the team.
With Stoudemire and Smith they'll have two scoring threats, thus stretching the floor well enough for Novak and Wallace to continue to produce from the three-point line.
Even giving Felton time with the second unit makes sense when Stoudemire returns, being that both players thrived off of one-another with the pick-and-roll. During the 2010-11 season Felton averaged some of his best career numbers with 17.1 points and 9.0 assists, while Stoudemire averaged 25.3 points and 8.1 rebounds.
With so much basketball left to be played in the season, the return of Stoudemire gives the Knicks a better opportunity to come out the east.
Related Articles:
Jeremy Lin Admits To 'Terrible' Individual Performance This Season, Anxious To Put First Game Vs. The Knicks Behind Him
Los Angeles Lakers News 2012: Metta World Peace Says 'Kobe Show' Not Beneficial To The Team
