No restrictions for Carmelo (knee) entering camp
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony will have no restrictions on his surgically repaired left knee entering training camp.
“Medically, he will be fine,” coach Derek Fisher said Friday. “I think we will still gauge how much we want to put him under in terms of workload and stress in training camp and in the preseason. But we don’t have to artificially hold him back from working hard. We just have to kind of gauge how it is responding to how hard we plan to work in training camp, and let’s be smart along the way.”
Anthony underwent surgery to repair a damaged patella in his left knee in late February.
The original timetable for Anthony’s return was approximately six months. He has been participating in 5-on-5 scrimmages at the team training facility in recent weeks.
“I just think that he is healthy and feels good about his body and where he sees himself going,” Fisher said.
Fisher added that Anthony is optimistic about the 2015-16 season, denying suggestions that the 31-year-old is unhappy with the direction the team is taking.
“Although there were questions about what he thought about decisions being made over the offseason, I think he actually enjoys and likes working with these guys and being around them,” Fisher said. “Health is an important thing to a pro athlete. When you are healthy, your perspective changes on a lot of things, and I just think he is looking forward to having a really good season and helping our team have a good season.”
Anthony averaged 24.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last season. He played in a career-low 40 games due to lingering pain in his knee and opted for surgery shortly after the All-Star Game. The Knicks finished the season with a franchise-low 17 wins.
A 12-year veteran, Anthony is entering the second season of a five-year, $124 million contract with the Knicks.
Training camp begins Tuesday at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
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