Carmelo Anthony To Have Shoulder Re-Examined In Off-Season
Knicks star Carmelo Anthony said Monday that a shoulder injury he incurred in a playoff game against the Boston Celtics has affected him throughout the post season. Doctors are set to re-examine the shoulder in the coming days to see how bad the damage is and determine a rehabilitation plan, so that Anthony can be healthy to play at the beginning of next season.
Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett yanked Anthony's left shoulder out of place while setting a screen in game five of the Knicks' playoff series against Boston.
"It was bothering me since it happened," Anthony said. "To be able to play with that and get through the pain, it just came a point where you just gotta try not to think about it. That where I was at mentally."
The Knicks were plagued with injuries at the start of this season, making it remarkable that the team made it as far as it did. In November, the Knicks had seven players nursing injuries: Marcus Camby (calf strain), Tyson Chandler (knee injury), Ama're Stoudemire (knee injury), Baron Davis (kneecap/tibia injury), J.R. Smith (achilles tendon injury), Iman Shumper (torn ACL and lateral meniscus), and Ronnie Brewer (left knee injury).
Anthony does not anticipate needing surgery for the injured shoulder. "It's just a matter of resting it and letting it heal," he said.
The Knicks were eliminated from the playoffs in game 6 of their series against the Pacers, but that was in no way due to Anthony's injury. The power forward managed to exceed expectations throughout the post season. Anthony scored 39 points in his final game of the season, despite his injured shoulder.