New York Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony is trying to fight through back pain as the floundering Knicks have flailed to a 4-11 record to start the season. According to The New York Post, however, Anthony will be held out of action for the remainder of the Knicks' current road trip and there's no timetable for his return.
"To be able to fight through something like that is extremely hard to do,'' Knicks guard J.R. Smith said. "When your back is messed up, it controls everything. You can't run, can barely walk. In his case [Monday] night, he could barely talk. So we got to figure out a way to do it without him. He said very few words. You could tell the pain he was in.''
Knicks coach Derek Fisher didn't offer much in the way of an expected return date for Anthony, simply saying back injuries are unpredictable.
"Most injuries aren't necessarily acute or traumatic,'' Fisher added. "Maybe there were some things that led up to it. Back spasms isn't something you can push it or rush. Until you can actually play without actually being in spasm, there isn't anything you can really do. Hopefully that will be soon.''
In the meantime, the Knicks will have an enormous scoring void to fill without their star. Here are three players who must rise to the occasion if the Knicks are to escape this malaise.
Tim Hardaway Jr.
This second-year small forward hasn't been given much time, and it's hard to figure out why. He is perhaps the team's best 3-point shooter outside of point guard Jose Calderon, and has the ability to create his own shot when plays break down.
Shane Larkin is very overmatched at times, and Iman Shumpert is too inconsistent a shooter to be relied upon offensively without Anthony. Right now, J.R. Smith is the team's top creator, so Hardaway Jr.'s minutes should increase, as should his points per game. In his limited action so far he is shooting 36 percent from downtown, and scoring 9.1 points a night.
Amar'e Stoudemire
Stoudemire was the catalyst for Anthony's arrival in New York in the first place. He was owning the Big Apple as the centerpiece of the team before Anthony got to New York, then injuries derailed him ever since.
Amar'e has been averaging a healthy 23.1 minutes per game, and that may rise without Carmelo. He is far and away the Knicks' top offensive option in the post, and a ferocious shot-blocker when helping. He struggles to defend one-on-one in the post and can be inattentive at times, but these are dire circumstances. Stoudemire must be an integral part of the Knicks' game plan until Anthony returns.
Jose Calderon
Calderon can't be expected to carry the scoring load like Stoudemire or Hardaway, but he's only been in two games so far. He was brought in as an instrument to implement Phil Jackson and Fisher's triangle offense, a scheme that is designed to make scoring easier for everyone on the floor. With or without Anthony, if Calderon plays well the team will score more efficiently.
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