New York Knicks: Amar'e Stoudemire Likely out 6-8 Weeks with Knee Injury

Amar'e Stoudemire will likely miss the first six to eight weeks of the New York Knicks' season after re-injuring his surgically-repaired left knee, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.

The Knicks were already preparing to be without their star forward for about two or three weeks. That time table was based on him rupturing a popliteal cyst behind the knee. He sustained that injury on Oct. 19 against the Toronto Raptors.

This loss comes as a crippling blow to the Knicks.

Stoudemire was expected to join Carmelo Anthony in continuing to establish themselves as a formidable one-two punch in the NBA. Now with Stoudemire on the shelf for at least the next six weeks, the Knicks may be very shorthanded offensively.

Stoudemire also represented the perfect compliment on defense to center Tyson Chandler.

Chandler, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, was able to lock down the interior while Stoudemire was able to engage the guys outside of the paint.

In Stoudemire's absence, the Knicks will either look outside of the organization for help, or allow Kurt Thomas to remain in the starting lineup.

Thomas, 40, averaged just 15.2 minutes per game last season. He averaged just 3.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Stoudemire is currently in the third year of the five-year, $100 million contract he signed prior to 2010. Look for the Knicks to play it safe with him, as any nagging injuries during the season will surely hamper his production.