Report: Amar'e Stoudemire could return to practice Tuesday

STAT back? (Getty Images)

After missing nearly the first two months of the season after undergoing knee debridement, the New York Post reports that Amar'e Stoudemire could return to practice for the New York Knicks Tuesday.

If that sounds like a soft bit of news, that's because it is. And it's going to be, because there's just no telling how long this is going to take. It's entirely a "feel" thing at this point, and being cautious is much more important than being aggressive with getting him back for regular-season games.

But it does mean that Stoudemire's close, and that presents a whole new bevy of issues for the Knicks. The ability for Carmelo Anthony and STAT to co-exist has been a constant source of debate since Anthony's arrival. Throw in the fact that the Knicks defense suffers with Stoudemire on the floor and there's a lot of reasons why people believe Stoudemire should come off the bench. But Mike Woodson has been adamant that he thinks it's his job to solve those issues and put Stoudemire on the floor as a starter.

Looks like whatever solutions he's come up with are about to be put to the test.