Carmelo Anthony thinks his 'window is open,' ready to play more PF

Carmelo Anthony it set to enter his 13th NBA season back at full health and without some of the usual weight of championship expectations on his shoulders.

The New York Knicks will aim for a return to the playoffs in 2015-16, but president Phil Jackson admitted there could be early struggles with so many new faces. It's those new faces - some of them quality two-way players, some high-upside prospects - that can push the team back to respectability, but Anthony's health following season-ending knee surgery is paramount.

Anthony, who has been fully cleared and hasn't experienced any limitations so far, said Sunday, "I'm back. I'm there. I feel like myself again."

And despite Jackson's tempering of expectations during the offseason, Anthony believes he can still win a championship in the future, and he thinks Jackson feels the same way.

"My window is open," the 31-year-old said Monday. "I don't think it's closing. ... I still think Phil believes in me. And that goes without saying, because I'm still here."

Anthony has four years remaining on a massive five-year deal he signed last summer, and the Knicks haven't made any noise about potentially moving on to a post-Melo future. Smart basketball minds believe a bad season could lead the Knicks down that road eventually, but those conversations probably won't happen until the Knicks see how the new core - including No. 4 overall pick and Anthony one-on-one partner Kristaps Porzingis - looks around him.

At media day, Anthony revealed he's "pretty sure" he'll spend more time at power forward this season, something he's been somewhat reluctant to do in the past. At 6-foot-8 with a killer inside-outside game, Anthony is a prototypical modern four, though playing there may take an additional toll on his body.

He played there sparingly last season after spending the bulk of 2012-13 and 2013-14 as a highly effective small-ball four, scoring and rebounding more while getting to the line more frequently. The Knicks' lack of a clear frontcourt hierarchy should lead to some lineup experimentation by head coach Derek Fisher, and Anthony could be used as a malleable, positionless piece on offense.

Also experimenting is Anthony, who's testing out the world's thickest headband for 2015-16.