Also, if Stoudemire came off the bench, it would free him up to be the primary screener on the Knicks' pick and roll, a role in which he's thrived in the past. If Stoudemire were in the starting lineup, he would not fill that role because it's one that starting center Tyson Chandler fills, and fills well.



"It doesn't matter. Whatever it takes to win. I'm totally open to it," Stoudemire said when asked about how he can best help the Knicks. "I've been here for three years now, you guys should know how much of a team player I am. I've played with a team in Phoenix that ... was a team-oriented game and the same applies here in New York."

Stoudemire, who has started every game he has played in a Knicks uniform, added: "I don't think nothing's going to change much (in terms of his role). Coach Woodson and the staff know my game and know what I've been working on this summer. They've been watching my progress since they've been on the coaching staff. It's up to those guys to figure out the best fit."