GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- No one can say with any certainty when Amar'e Stoudemire will start playing basketball again.
But we do know this: He hasn't started running on the court and there is no timetable for him to start.
Head coach Mike Woodson said once Stoudemire begins running on the floor, the New York Knicks can start to assess whether he's ready to play in games. But he's not there yet.
"We got to do all the things necessary to build him up to that point. Once he gets out here and starts running, we got to see if he can run and cut," Woodson said. "I’m not just throwing Amar’e out there this year. … We just got to carve out some minutes once he’s healthy and try to maintain the minutes to make sure they fit in what we’re doing."
The Knicks have been cautious with Stoudemire in training camp. The 30-year-old has a history of knee issues. Most recently, he had a surgical procedure on his knee in the offseason. That was his third knee surgery in the past year.
The Knicks say Stoudemire will play on a minutes limit this season. Last season, the team's medical staff limited him to 20 minutes per game. It is not clear yet what his limit will be this season.
Earlier this week, Woodson said he was not ready to comment on whether Stoudemire would be ready for the season opener.
"We've just got to take it a day at a time," Woodson said. "We're not rushing. Let's put it that way."
Stoudemire played in just 29 regular-season games due to recurring knee issues. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees to clean out debris.
The 11-year veteran also had microfracture surgery on his knee in 2005.
Stoudemire is entering the fourth season of a five-year, $100 million contract with the Knicks. He has two years and $45 million left on his deal, which is uninsured due to his previous knee issues.
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