The New York Knicks were dealt discouraging news before the start of the 2012-2013 NBA season, as forward Amar'e Stoudemire is expected to be sidelined until at least mid December with a ruptured cyst in his left knee.
Over the weekend, Dr. Thomas Carter gave Stoudemire a second opinion after he was expected to only miss two weeks, and extended the time Stoudemire would be inactive with New York. Knee problems have plagued Stoudemire for quite some time, and the 6'10 big man even had some difficulty finding teams that were interested in signing him as a free agent in the summer of 2010 due to his ailments.
Stoudemire had not appeared in a preseason game this season. The absence of Stoudemire will likely mean more playing time for forwards Steve Novak and Kurt Thomas.
The Knicks were scheduled to start the season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets at the new Barclays Center on Thursday night, but the game could be postponed due to Hurricane Sandy.
The Knicks were counting on Stoudemire to have an improved season following some setbacks in the regular season, and the playoffs.
Stoudemire struggled in 2011-2012. Though Stoudemire averaged 17.5 points per game and 7.9 rebounds, his statistics were far below what he averaged in 2010-2011, and his shooting percentage also decreased.
New York finished with a 36-30 record last year, and won just one playoff game in their defeat to the eventual NBA champion Miami Heat.

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