Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
On Feb. 19, New York Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony went under the knife, receiving season-ending knee surgery. The Knicks’ only competition this season was with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers. This competition didn’t take place at the top of the standings, but rather, at the bottom. Due to this, there was no better time for Anthony to take some time off and heal an ailing injury. Anthony was criticized for having his surgery a little too late, and there were questions about whether or not he would be ready to go when training camp gets underway in late September. According to Anthony’s Facebook page, his rehab is going quite well.
On May 18, Anthony posted this:
DECLARE YOUR COMMITMENT #StayMe7o
Posted by Carmelo Anthony on Monday, May 18, 2015
In the photo, Anthony appears to be adding muscle in his upper body, unlike last year’s offseason when he was shedding weight a la his pal LeBron James, who appeared to begin the trend of slimming down. Anthony has never been known as one of the best athletes in the NBA. He’s not seen with the likes of James and Russell Westbrook, who are widely regarded as two of the best-conditioned players. However, Anthony led the league with over 38 minutes played per game in 2013-14, a year in which he also won the scoring title (28.7 points per game) and ranked seventh in Player Efficiency Rating (24.4).
Anthony will be 31 years old when the 2015-16 season begins, and his time is running out. He’s in the back end of his prime, and many have already written him off as someone who will never win or even compete for a title. Despite all of that talk, Knicks fans should be encouraged by Anthony’s rehab. He will be the freshest he’s been in a long time, and fans can expect to see a more fluid Anthony than they’ve seen in the last year.
Anthony has said that he could potentially return to the court in June and was then reported as being ahead of his original recovery schedule. A healthy Anthony is more than likely going to be crucial when it comes to persuading free agents. If players around the league can see that Anthony is at full strength, the Knicks have a greater chance of landing the two starters that they hope to acquire.
Anthony’s determination toward rehabilitation in the gym is hopefully parallel to the Knicks’ front office’s determination to rehabilitating the franchise. It was a long season for Knicks fans, but Anthony’s evidence of progress toward being at full strength should provide hope and excitement for better things to come.
Patrick Piascik is an NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @patrickpiascik.
