Aw, hell. I just returned home from Montreal, only to learn that Amar'e Stoudemire's knee troubles are worse than we were originally told. Via Marc Berman:

Amar’e Stoudemire left the Knicks on Sunday to get an MRI that revealed a ruptured cyst on the back of his left knee. The affliction is known as a Baker’s cyst or popiteal. Stoudemire will be out two to three weeks and miss the season opener in Brooklyn on Nov. 1. "He was having discomfort last night in Albany, so we sent him home," coach Mike Woodson said.

So, if I'm reading this correctly, Amar'e's had a cyst chilling in his knee for quite some time, but only recently did it rupture and cause him a lot of pain. I have no idea how or if that's connected to what they were calling a "bone bruise" before, but perhaps someone with some medical knowledge can explain. The cyst does sound like something pretty likely in a patient with recurring knee problems. The medical staff must have already known about it, right? Right??

Two to three weeks isn't the end of the world, but goddamn, man. It's just one thing after another with these Knicks, and with Amar'e in particular. One can only hope (and again, someone in the know could help us gauge this) that this isn't the first in another long line of recurring injuries. Feel better, big friend.

In the meantime, at least Kurt Thomas has been looking pretty solid during the preseason, and at least we know Carmelo Anthony can do nice things shifted up to the power forward spot. (And at least Ronnie Brewer's ready to go.)