Amar'e Stoudemire, the oft-injured Knicks forward who was signed by the team in 2010 that signaled the resurrection of the once-moribund franchise, is complaining about his minutes saying that he wants to play more in order to get a rhythm.
"It's making me look like my game is gone or that I don't have game anymore because when you play five minutes, it's just tough to really get in a rhythm," Stoudemire told ESPN.com. "It's tough to play five minutes and expect to be great in five minutes. It's almost impossible," he said.
Stoudemire has been playing sparingly as the Knicks try to protect him from furthering injuring his knees. The Knicks forward has been playing 10 minutes a game, averaging career-low of 2.8 points on 37 percent shooting. His most minutes in a game were 14.
"By the time you get up and down and get adjusted to the speed of the game, it's already three minutes, and then in two minutes you're out of there. And if you miss a shot, it feels [like] the world is collapsing on you because you're expected to do so much and somewhat win the game in five minutes and it's tough. It's hard to deal with."
Still, the six-tme All-Star believes that he will see more playing time. Knicks coach Mike Woodson acknowledged how difficult it is for Stoudemire to get into a rhythm playing few minutes. "I think we've got to get him more reps on the [practice] floor, just see how he feels," he was quoted by ESPN.
Stoudemire signed a $100-million contract with the Knicks in 2010. During his first year, he was considered the franchise player of the Knicks and even a potential MVP candidate. Injuries and the acquisition of Carmelo Anthony have led to him being pushed back into a rotation player for the team.
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