NEW YORK -- The Knicks didn’t just lose to the Pacers on Thursday in blowout fashion, they lost two of their rotation’s big men in the process.
Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin both left mid-game with ankle injuries and did not return. The team has placed the same timetable on each of them as far as when they’re expected back.
“I just heard that they’re going to be out at least two weeks,” Mike Woodson said as the Knicks were getting set to face the Clippers on Friday.
When asked whether or not that would mean he’d have to go deeper into his bench and give seldom-used guys like Cole Aldrich and Jeremy Tyler some run, he sounded like a man without a choice.
“Yeah, they would have to play some now,” he said. “Absolutely. Yes.”
It could also mean smaller lineups for the Knicks at times, but as always seems to be the case in Woodson’s eyes, that’s going to be a decision made based on matchups.
“It’s a possibility, yes,” he said. “But it depends on who we play. This team tonight has a big front line, so we’ve got to go big.”
Woodson also mentioned the possibility of tinkering with his lineups to get Carmelo Anthony some additional opportunity playing the power forward position, where he was so potent last season. It may mean Andrea Bargnani coming off the bench.
“I know we were great last year with Melo at the four spot, and Melo hasn’t had an opportunity to play a lot of four this year based on Bargnani and having Kenyon and Amar’e,” Woodson said. “You’ll probably see more four [for Anthony] now that those guys are out, and Bargnani could possibly come off it and back up Tyson at the center spot.”
The Knicks had won six of seven before dropping two straight to Charlotte and Indiana this week. New York plays its next eight games at home, a critical stretch for the team if it plans to continue to try to turn things around.