New York Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony needs a knee surgery if he plans on getting any better but he seems to be refusing it for two reasons. He wants to play in the Knicks game against the Milwaukee Bucks in London set on January 15 and he also wants to play in the NBA All-Star Game slated on February 15.
He has already missed a couple of Knicks game but in games where he played recently, he was obviously favoring his knee and must be hurting too.
It may be considered worthy reasons for the team’s scoring leader for the London encounter with the Bucks, and as a perennial All-Star, he sure wouldn’t want to miss the fun and prestige of being in good company with the league’s best ball players.
Phil Jackson, president of the New York Knicks, recently came out and talk to the media and took full responsibility for the team’s forgettable season despite being only midway through the 2014-15 NBA season, reports NBC Sports.
Jackson should be taking the fall after he pulled the trigger on a number of trades that nearly made a complete overhaul of the Knicks roster from just three months ago. Nine players from the 15-man Knicks roster at the start of the current NBA season have already been traded to other teams for salary considerations according to Jackson.
Only six have remained, including the hobbling Carmelo Anthony, whom Jackson also sees to be needing surgery.
Writing off the season?
Phil Jackson may have already written off this season for the Knicks but it looks like Carmelo Anthony is not ready to throw in the towel just yet.
Sources in the Knicks camp said that Melo is looking forward to the trip to London because it may be what the team needs to finally get back on track and make one final push before the All-Star break. Jackson also acknowledges Anthony’s intention but is more wary about the condition of his star player’s knee.
Rather than risk Anthony to a more debilitating injury that will sideline him for a long period of time, the Knicks president should not just convince or persuade Melo to undergo knee surgery but order him to do so, according to basketball enthusiasts.
Anthony would be able to contribute more to a new-look and newly-rebuilt Knicks come next season when he is already fully-healed from his knee injury.
The team now has all the right ingredients to start rebuilding this summer. Aside from more room in its salary cap to run after big names in the free agency, this is also the only year where Knicks owner James Dolan did not trade the team’s first round draft pick, which means a top young talent will be joining Carmelo Anthony next season.
As the Knicks starts going back to the drawing board, Anthony should also do the same and have a knee surgery soon. Because things will surely be better for the Knicks next season.