MANCHESTER, N.H. — Carmelo Anthony said he took a “huge risk’’ this offseason in opting not to have left-shoulder surgery and claimed he also had a torn rotator cuff to go along with a partially torn labrum.
Anthony said he’s “ecstatic’’ it has all worked out because he feels no pain so far through two preseason games. Coach Mike Woodson gave him Saturday night off against the Celtics at Verizon Wireless Arena, in a 111-81 loss, in the second night of a back-to-back.
“It was all types of stuff going on in there,’’ Anthony said in his first detailed remarks on his decision this summer. “It was messed up.’’
Anthony said he played with the shoulder injury throughout the playoffs. Anthony said he believes he injured the shoulder against the Pacers late in the regular season when they needed the win to clinch the second seed.
“I was a little naïve,’’ said Anthony, who struggled with his 3-point shot in the playoffs and crumbled in the fourth quarters of the games in Indianapolis. “I kind of felt it was torn or something like that when it first happened. Once it happened, I knew something was wrong with it.’’
After the second-round loss to Indiana, Anthony found out how severe the injury was after an MRI exam and chose to rehab it. It was a close call.
“I’m ecstatic going from a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum to not needing surgery,’’ Anthony said. “Let me take that back. Taking a risk in not taking surgery and letting it heal on its down. I took a huge risk in doing that. It meant I had to put more time in the offseason to do what I had to do to get it right.’’
Anthony said a daily exercises and rehab treatments got the twin tears to eventually heal.
“Everybody has their opinion and brought it to the table, everybody had their pros and cons,’’ Anthony said. “It was the last resort. Doctors sat down [explaining] what will happen if I got surgery. I wouldn’t have been able to start the season. I would’ve been out four, five months because of the severity of the tear.’’
Now?
I’ve never been 100 percent in my life but it’s as good as it’s going to get,’’ Anthony added. “I feel nothing.’’
Friday in Toronto, Anthony scored 20 points in the first half on the way to a 24-point outing. He seems to have also ramped up his leadership now that elder statesmen, Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace and Kurt Thomas are no longer around.
New Knicks president/general manager Steve Mills has noticed.
He sees a player pointing out things to younger guys and sees him practicing with a certain fundamental brilliance that only the great ones have.
Mills noticed that every maneuver Anthony does in practice, he does exactly the same way in the game, and was impressed how he spent 25 minutes working with Iman Shumpert alone on a practice court in Toronto Thursday.
There was some concern about the aloof Andrea Bargnani fitting in, but it is Anthony who has taken the big Italian under his wing.
“It’s not so much being more vocal [than last year],’’ Anthony said. “Actually I was vocal in my own way. We had guys vocal behind closed doors [last year] but for me, it’s letting everyone know what the deal is.
“If I see something that’s wrong, I try to correct it as a unit. If I see something right, I give a pat on the back and keep moving. If that’s me being a leader, that’s me being a leader.”
Woodson hasn’t named captains yet but if he does so, Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton are the three candidates. To sum up World Peace said he is impressed by Anthony’s dedication and work habits — akin to former teammates Kobe Bryant, Reggie Miller and Yao Ming.
Metta World Peace has high praise for his new teammate Anthony.
“When you play against somebody, you don’ have a chance to really study and see exactly what they do everyday,’’ Metta World Peace said. “You see Melo, I’ve never played with a player with that much heart, it’s pretty amazing. I’m very excited.
“You need those players like him when you’re trying to compete for a championship. He’s one of those guys. I’ve played with Reggie [Miller], Yao [Ming], Pau [Gasol], Kobe [Bryant], Derek [Fisher]. He reminds me of those guys — the consistency of being good. To see him get 20 in the first half [in Toronto Friday], it’s exciting for me.’’