UPDATE (6:05 p.m.): CBSSports.com's Ken Berger tweets that Stoudemire will play tonight and come off the bench for the Knicks.
Amar'e Stoudemire will play tonight, Mike Woodson said. He'll come off the bench.
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) January 1, 2013
There isn't a set number of minutes for Stoudemire to play but Woodson said it will be under 30.
Yahoo Sports reports, that following widespread speculation that Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire would make his return Jan. 1 vs. the Trail Blazers, Stoudemire will indeed make his season debut Tuesday -- off the bench.
After undergoing preseason knee surgery, New York Knicks All-Star forward Amar'e Stoudemire will make his season debut on Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, a league source told Yahoo! Sports.
Whether or not Carmelo Anthony returns from his hyper-extended knee on Tuesday, the plan remains for Stoudemire to come off the Knicks' bench. Anthony told reporters that he will test his knee in pre-game on Tuesday and then make a determination on returning to the lineup.
(via Source: Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire to make season debut Tuesday vs. Trail Blazers - Yahoo! Sports)
Stoudemire hasn't been seen in uniform since the Knicks were unceremoniously bounced by the Miami Heat in last year's playoffs. Following the Knicks' red-hot start this season, questions have abound regarding whether Stoudemire's return will help or hurt the team.
But with everyone from Marcus Camby to Rasheed Wallace to Melo and Tyson Chandler suffering with injuries, the Knicks need bodies. And Stoudemire is more than just a body.
What's unfortunate for the Knicks is that Stoudemire's best value is in the pick-and-roll with Raymond Felton -- but Felton is out 4-6 weeks with a broken finger. Stoudemire has vowed to be better and more active in the low post, in order to make more room for Anthony. His coming off the bench is similarly expected to contribute to the "keep Melo happy" cause.
There's no telling what kind of Stoudemire we're going to get Tuesday. Not only has he not played in months, but he said recently he was only at about 80 percent following his knee debridement procedure in October. Either way, at least Knicks fans will have the spectre of the unknown off their team, for better or worse. And given how many things have gone right for the Knicks this season, you have to think Stoudemire returning to usefulness is well within the realm of possibility.
