Carmelo Anthony Injury: Updates on Knicks Star's Knee and Return
The New York Knicks have struggled mightily this season even with superstar forward Carmelo Anthony playing well, which doesn't bode well for them now that Melo is ailing.
According to Al Iannazzone of Newsday, Anthony is dealing with a knee issue that could force him to miss some time:
"Anthony said his troublesome knee isn't any worse, but didn't rule out sitting out Wednesday night in San Antonio or taking some time off to try and get it feeling better.
"I think at this point, it's just a matter of sitting down with the training staff and the coaches and seeing what's best for everybody," Anthony said following the Knicks' 104-93 loss to the Pelicans.
"If it's best for me to sit out and take some time off and get it right, then that's the decision I have to make.
"[But] they're going to have to pull me out because I'm not going to make that decision on my own.
"
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News painted an even bleaker picture of the star forward's future:
"It may take a small miracle for Carmelo Anthony to end up in the playoffs this season and similarly it may take a minor miracle for the Knicks franchise player not to land on an operating table at some point.
According to a source, Anthony has been playing with left knee soreness for much of the season and the fear is that it may require surgery to correct. Following Tuesday’s loss at New Orleans, Anthony admitted that he’s playing with pain and hinted that he may need time off to rest.
“At this point, it’s evaluating and seeing," Anthony said. “Some days are better than others. It’s a matter if I want to continue to play on it and the pain threshold. The flip side to that is we are losing games. I hate it, I hate to sit on the sidelines and watch my teammates.
"
The 30-year-old veteran decided to re-sign with the Knicks during the offseason despite league-wide interest, and he hasn't yet been rewarded for his loyalty. New York is obviously a team in transition, especially because the supporting cast isn't offering much in terms of shouldering the offensive load.
In addition to that, the former Syracuse standout has been dealing with nagging injuries for much of the season. His issues even date back to New York's second game of the season, as he suffered a knee injury against the Cleveland Cavaliers. According to Andy Adler of PIX11 News, though, Melo downplayed its severity:
Although he admitted to the knee ailment being a bother, Anthony insisted he would continue to battle through it, per CBSNewYork.com.
"It's been sore since maybe the Cleveland game. I've had some tests. I really don't know exactly what's going on with it—I mean, I know what's going on with it. But like I said, for me it's just a matter of just not kind of thinking about (it) and playing through it.
"
Melo continued to play at a high level even with his knee at less than 100 percent, but doing so may have left him susceptible to further injuries. That unfortunate scenario came to pass on Nov. 24 when Anthony hurt his back against the Houston Rockets.
According to MSG's Tina Cervasio, Anthony suffered what were categorized as "severe" back spasms during that contest:
There was a great deal of uncertainty surrounding Melo's health after that, and head coach Derek Fisher took a day-to-day approach after his star player was afflicted, per Jordan Godwin of CBSNewYork.com.
"Back spasms are really tough to deal with," Fisher said. "He felt very uncomfortable, and we have to see tomorrow."'
Dealing with multiple injuries isn't easy for any player, but it is even more difficult for someone like Anthony, who is counted upon to essentially do it all for the Knicks on a nightly basis.
With issues continuing to mount, perhaps it was inevitable that Melo would pick up something else along the way.
Regardless of how long Anthony is out of action, the Knicks desperately need some other players to step up. Amar'e Stoudemire, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert are some of the most obvious names from a scoring perspective, but it will ideally be a team-wide approach.
There is little good that can come from a potential future Hall of Famer like Anthony being on the shelf, but maybe it will help the Knicks grow as a team in terms of production and experience if nothing else.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter
