The New York Knicks have officially ruled out forward Carmelo Anthony for the rest of the season.
Here’s a look at what that means for Anthony and the Knicks:
Surgery for Melo: Anthony will undergo surgery to repair the left knee injury that has been bothering him since the second game of the season.
He will have a procedure that includes a left knee patella tendon debridement and repair, performed by team orthopedist Answorth Allen, according to the team.
It is unclear exactly when the surgery will take place. Phil Jackson told reporters Anthony is expected to be sidelined for four to six months. This timetable should allow Anthony to be healthy for the start of training camp for the 2015-16 season.
According to ESPN medical expert Dr. Mark Adickes, tendon issues are common among veteran NBA players. Anthony is in his 12th season in the NBA.
"The longer you play, the older you are, the more susceptible you are to this injury,” Adickes said.
Anger over timetable? Anthony drew criticism from fans and some media for the perception that he sat out games during the regular season to be healthy enough to play in the All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden this past Sunday.
He believes that theory is "absurd."
“I played when I wasn't supposed to play. When people were telling me to sit out, I was fighting against them and still going out there and playing," said Anthony, who missed 11 games in the first half of the season because of the knee ailment.
Anthony will likely draw more criticism from fans and analysts for shutting himself down three days after the All-Star Game.
Anthony said he wanted to play in the game to honor the fans who voted him in as an Eastern Conference starter. He acknowledged before the game that he was in a “damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t” situation because, he said, he would have likely been criticized by some for sitting out of the All-Star Game.
He also said late Sunday night that he didn’t expect to play 30 minutes in the game.
“Coach [Mike Budenholzer of the Hawks] asked me do I want to get out there and play and just being here in New York, knowing I couldn’t be myself out there, I still wanted to be part of the game,” said Anthony, who acknowledged he was playing at half speed.
Still, the idea that he played 30 minutes in an exhibition game and is shutting himself down three days later will not sit well with some of the Knicks' fan base.
All about the pingpong balls: Anthony’s surgery will give the Knicks an opportunity take a longer look at some of the young players on the roster, such as Langston Galloway, Cleanthony Early, Travis Wear and Lance Thomas.
Anthony’s surgery also may help the Knicks in their pursuit of a top pick in June’s NBA draft.
New York went 10-30 with Anthony in the lineup in the first half of the season. So, with Anthony now out for the remainder of the season, it’s fair to assume the Knicks will lose games at a higher rate.
This can be beneficial for them in June. If they finish the season with the NBA's worst record, the Knicks will have a 25 percent chance of landing the top draft pick in the draft. They also will be guaranteed to pick no lower than fourth.
What about the summer? If Anthony returns in the timetable provided by Jackson, he should be back to 100 percent by training camp.
It’s fair to wonder how potential free agents view Anthony’s situation. Anthony is 30, in his 12th season, and is set to have season-ending surgery. Will some free agents see this and wonder how effective Anthony can be over the life of his five-year contract with the Knicks? We’ll find out the answer to that question this summer.
Question: What do you think about the timing of Anthony shutting it down for the rest of the season?