Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony May Need Knee Surgery

Carmelo Anthony, who had his knee drained during the regular season, will not require knee surgery over the offseason. For the Knicks, who have no cap flexibility and an aging roster, that’s huge. They can’t afford having ‘Melo go under the knife. Not after falling to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the NBA playoffs, a failure that exposed all of their borderline irreparable flaws.

That good news does come with a bit of uncertainty, though. Anthony’s knee appeared to be fine down the stretch. His shoulder, however, did not. And per Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, the extent of ‘Melo’s latest injury will have to be evaluated:

Carmelo Anthony will have his ailing left shoulder re-examined by team doctors to determine the extent of the injury and how to treat it, according to a Knicks official.

The club is hopeful that Anthony’s injury is not serious and that it will improve with rest and therapy and won’t require surgery. Anthony had been playing with minor discomfort since Game 5 of the Knicks first round series against Boston when Kevin Garnett yanked his arm while setting a screen.

Should Anthony ultimately require surgery, it will come as a crushing blow. He’s approaching his 29th birthday and just finished up his 10th season. He’s not a kid anymore. Anytime he is forced to go under the knife is a potentially crippling hindrance. Or even worse.

New York boasts a fragile dynamic. We know this. We saw it rear its ugly head in the Knicks’ second-round letdown. They then can’t afford to be without ‘Melo or head into next season with a surgically-repaired ‘Melo. He could be fine or he could be screwed. The Knicks will crumble if it’s the latter.

Why? Because Anthony is the Knicks.

Prior to their first-round exit, one could argue that he had J.R. Smith or Tyson Chandler or even Amar’e Stoudemire. Now, it’s become clear there is only him.

Stoudemire is never going to be the same. He’ll forever be on a minutes cap and it remains to be seen whether he can go an entire season without suffering extensive injuries. Chandler showed his weaknesses against the Pacers and while he’ll have the entire off-season to heal his internal wounds, he’s not the sidekick ‘Melo needs. Neither is J.R. Smith, who was horrible during the playoffs.

Each of those three are all complementary pieces. Players who will be asked to help Anthony take the team where he needs to go. This is his team.

But it wasn’t supposed to be like this. ‘Melo was supposed to have Stoudemire; he was supposed to have a superstar sidekick. Yet he doesn’t. He’s on his own, and the Knicks need him to be healthy, preferably without having surgery. They will fall short of competency if Anthony isn’t fit to carry them yet again.

That they’re “hopeful” he doesn’t need surgery on his shoulder is encouraging. Until Anthony receives a definitive prognosis, though, nothing can be ruled out.

Remember, the Knicks were hopeful that Stoudemire could remain healthy. They were “hopeful” that Smith could emerge as a responsible star. They were “hopeful” that they could reach the Eastern Conference Finals this year.

And look how that all played out.