Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony knows what it’s like to play a first-round playoff series with an All-Star power forward nursing a bad back and the starting point guard sidelined with a bad knee.
He did it against the Celtics last April, when Amar’e Stoudemire was limited and Chauncey Billups was out.
Despite last night’s 91-75 victory over the Cavaliers, Anthony seemed downcast, realizing that prospect looms again this spring with the news starting point guard Jeremy Lin will out for the rest of the regular season and first round of the playoffs after undergoing surgery on the torn meniscus in his left knee. Stoudemire, too, is no sure thing for the first round with a bulging disk.
“It’s tough,’’ Anthony said of Lin’s absence. “I really didn’t know until today. For him to be out six week s and to have surgery, that’s most important. We want him to care take care of that. Basketball stuff comes second.’’
New starter Baron Davis has the rock now.
“They are different styles of point guards,’’ Anthony said. “You got to go with what we have. We’ve got to get him on the same page.’’
Tyson Chandler was one of the first players to vouch for Lin’s value, lobbying to get him on the court after Lin played his first significant minutes in Houston in late January.
“You feel for your teammate, you never want to see someone go through surgery, especially someone who was playing so well, ’’ Chandler said. “We’ll be with him, and we just have to keep the boat floating until he gets back.’’
Chandler said isn’t worried about the 23-year-old Lin’s long-term prospects.
“He’s so young, I think he’ll be fine,’’ Chandler said. “It’s not a veteran who has played a lot.’’
Chandler is one of Lin’s closest friends on the team and said he has talked with Lin about the tough decision to have surgery now and not try to play through the pain. Lin could have opted to have surgery in the offseason.
“I’m not shocked,’’ Chandler said. “I know what he was going through. He’s so tough, for him not to play, you know he is hurting.’’