Add Tyson Chandler to the Carmelo Anthony fan club.
The Knicks center predicted a mammoth season for the superstar small forward, entering his second full campaign in New York.
“I expect big things from Carmelo this year,” Chandler said. “This is going to be a breakout year. I’m saying that as much as he accomplished in his career already, he’s going to put together a huge season, show everything he’s capable of doing on the basketball floor.”
Marcus Camby agrees, and feels Anthony has taken unfair criticism for failing to get the Knicks out of the first round of the playoffs the last two years.
“His confidence is at an all-time high, especially coming off the way he performed this summer in the Olympics,” Camby said. “The guy’s talent is limitless. It seems like to me he’s getting better and better. He’s always been consistent with his play, consistent with his effort.”
* Though much has been made of the Knicks’ age, their elder statesmen have yet to be hit by the injury bug that has befallen some of the younger players. Camby, one of the graybeards, sees the team’s veteran makeup as a positive.
“I think we’ve been through all those wars, all those grinds, we know what it takes to win ballgames,” he said. “We know what it’s like to pull out close ballgames at the end. Hopefully we’re going to bank on our experience.”
* Coach Mike Woodson was effusive in his praise of Ronnie Brewer, who recently returned from arthroscopic left knee surgery. Because of the team’s depth, Woodson said he doesn’t plan to overuse Brewer, a shooting guard who is known for his perimeter defense and the energy he brings at both ends of the floor, and will bring him along slowly.
“Ronnie’s improved his conditioning and the few games he’s got an opportunity to play he’s moved extremely well,” Woodson said. “We can still gradually get him the minutes while he’s still getting his conditioning and getting his feel based on his game.”
* The Knicks announced Amar’e Stoudemire underwent surgery on his injured left knee yesterday, performed by team doctors.
The loss of Stoudemire for six to eight weeks isn’t the back-breaking injury it would have been in the past, Woodson said, because of the moves the Knicks made in the offseason. The additions of Camby and Rasheed Wallace have given the Knicks depth on the frontline it lacked last season.
“It’s up to guys that are in uniform to step up and play,” Woodson said, “that’s why we assembled the team we did this summer.”