TORONTO – With the Iman Shumpert knee scare over, Mike Woodson said today it was time to establish a set starting lineup and a set rotation for the playoffs with 16 games left, including tonight’s in Air Canada Centre vs. the Raptors.
Woodson said he can not expect any of his injured big men other than Tyson Chandler to definitely return from injury so he wants to establish a playing order without those guys in mind, including Amar’e Stoudemire.
It’s been the biggest disappointment of the season that Woodson has been unable to establish a rotation or even a set starting lineup with the Knicks rocked with injuries all season. Stoudemire, Rasheed Wallace and Kurt Thomas may or may not make it back for the playoffs.
Tonight, with Chandler back home in New York getting treatment for his neck, Woodson planned to trot out his latest flavor of the day – Raymond Felton-Pablo Prigioni-Iman Shumpert in a three-guard alignment with Carmelo Anthony and Kenyon Martin up front.
It is the 19th different starting lineup this season and Woodson has to figure out how to play it when Chandler returns, perhaps next week.
“It’s about what we do now because we got to start building for the playoffs,’’ Woodson said. “We have to stay at the top, No. 1 in our division, and start thinking about rotations and whose in uniform. That will change when we get Tyson back and if we get a few other guys back down the road, if that may be the case. But I got to start thinking about a solid rotation, who is going to play and get comfortable in that regard.’’
“I know Tyson is going to make it back for sure and we just have to play the other guys by ear,’’ Woodson said. “We got to make sure the rotation is tight around Tyson , Melo and the starting unit that we probably go into the playoffs with. Hopefully nobody else gets hurt. And then the supporting cast got to feel good about what they do.’’
When Chandler comes back, Martin likely goes to the bench. Woodson suddenly likes starting Prigioni, the playmaking PG, alongside Felton, because of the smarts and defensive pressure the Argentine has brought. Woodson has liked Jason Kidd coming off the bench.
Woodson admitted signing a D-League big man remains an option down the road if progress for Stoudemire (knee debridement surgery), Wallace (foot surgery) and Thomas (stress fracture in foot) doesn’t occur.
Asked if there’s no D-League center who can help the roster, Woodson said, “I’m not saying that. We’re constantly looking at the D-League all the time. We have to gauge where we are and see what happens with these guys. We still got time. That deadline is still down the road. We go to map out our guys and see where they are going to be physically in the next couple of weeks and then may make a decision.’’
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Shumpert had a smile back on his face at the morning shootaround, his knee scare over. Shumpert sat the second half vs. Orlando Wednesday after he heard a pop in his knee on liftoff for a layup with 25 seconds left in the second quarter. Shumpert said it was the same pop he heard when he tore his ACL last April. As suspected, the pop was scar tissue from the operation breaking apart.
“I might go through that a couple more times,’’ Shumpert said this morning at Air Canada Centre. “It’s not going to be completely gone. When it pops, I’ll know how to deal with it now.’’
Shumpert acknowledged occasionally the knee doesn’t feel as powerful as his rookie year. No MRI was performed yesterday as trainers just manually tested his ACL to make sure it was fine.
“That was the first time I was scared,’’ Shumpert said. “Other times it hasn’t felt as strong. That was the first time I was scared and thought something went wrong. ‘’
Shumpert hasn’t been the same dynamo as his rookie season but he gradually is becoming more of an offensive force. “He’s playing in spurts,’’ Woodson said.
Fellow Chicagoan, Derrick Rose still hasn’t returned after tearing his ACL on the same day. Shumpert returned Jan. 17th in London.
Asked if he wonders about taking more time like Rose did, Shumpert said, “Sometimes you go back and forth. But his path is different than mine. I can only worry about myself and my own success.’’
