New York Knicks first-year head coach Derek Fisher addressed Carmelo Anthony's ongoing knee situation Friday. Fisher didn't say anything unexpected, but did acknowledge that the Knicks' superstar may eventually need to undergo season-ending surgery.
It would shock no one if that's the route the team decides to go, but to hear it from Fisher perhaps signals it's something the organization is increasingly leaning toward.
"From the conversations I've been a part of, I think everybody is smart enough to realize, calendar wise, timing wise, that there may come a point that that's the decision that needs to be made," Fisher said, according to Ian Begley of ESPN. "But (we realize) that we can't force Carmelo to that point just yet."
Anthony has been plugging through the knee injury for some time in an effort to help the lowly Knicks get back on track, but he was unable to go for the team's latest embarrassing loss Friday.
The Knicks fell to 5-30 - becoming the first team to lose 30 games this season - in a 97-81 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Anthony's knee issue is going to be a year-long story until he's eventually shut down, which appears inevitable. Offseason surgery has already been brought up, and Anthony has little to gain by plugging through the injury besides pride and personal accomplishment.
But it doesn't appear Anthony is ready to call it a season just yet, and Fisher said there's currently no plan to shut down the superstar.
"We can't unilaterally just say, 'Hey, you know, you can't play for the rest of the season because of A, B and C,'" Fisher said. "I think our medical staff, our training staff, continue to have conversations with him about where he is. He's conversing with us about how he's feeling, what the symptoms are. And so as each day kind of unfolds, decisions are being made. It's not something that we're just kind of stepping back and saying, 'Carmelo, you kind of tell us when you don't feel like playing anymore.'"
Fisher added that the team's medical staff doesn't believe Anthony's knee is getting worse by playing.
Anthony, who has said surgery is a last resort, has sporadically missed a few games due to the injury, but has continued playing for the most part, suiting up in 30 of the Knicks' 35 games this season. And his play, at least on the offensive end, hasn't suffered much, either.
The seven-time All-Star is averaging 23.9 points on 45.3 percent from the field, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest.
