MSG studio analyst Wally Szczerbiak talks about how the Knicks should handle Carmelo Anthony’s right knee injury and what the priority should be heading into the playoffs with The Post’s Justin Terranova.
Q: Should the Knicks exercise extreme caution when it comes to Carmelo Anthony’s knee?
A: Absolutely, make sure it’s healed and 100 percent, so it benefits you in the playoffs. Before hurting it against the Lakers on Christmas he was playing big minutes, taking the ball to the basket and his body took a pounding. It caught up to him a little bit.
Q: So, that’s even more important than this team getting home-court advantage?
A: When this team is going they can beat anybody — home or on the road. They’ve showed that this season. Just make sure you are healthy going into the playoffs because that’s when you have to play your best. I’ve been in situations like that where teams press to get a seed and as a result you are not where you need to be for the playoffs
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Q: Even with all the injuries, is this team better suited for a postseason run than it was last year?
A: The way this team has played against Miami and Oklahoma City, they’ve showed the ability to play with the elite teams in the league. They struggle against defensive-minded teams like Indiana and Chicago, but come the playoffs that’ll be a different mentality from the Knicks and they’ll learn from some of those losses. But I think this team is much more prepared. They have been through a lot of injuries, but the addition of Kenyon Martin will help with the playoff mentality once we get there.
Q: You’ve been impressed with Martin thus far?
A: He looks great. I am shocked that no other teams picked him up. He’s a big-game player, he defends the paint and brings an intimidation and a toughness that this team was really lacking. And watching him play the last couple of weeks he looks like his old self and he brings a lot to the table.
Q: Do you think the fact that he’s not going through the grind of an 82-game season could help him for the playoffs?
A: Absolutely. The Knicks have been trying to save a guy like Marcus Camby and not have him play too many minutes during the regular season and risk him getting hurt. Now with Kurt Thomas getting hurt, Camby becomes even more important, give them good quality minutes down the stretch and that’s what he was brought here for.