Knicks · Melo: I took a huge risk to rehad shoulder instead of surgery... (page 1)

But so far, he's "ecstatic" with the results.

Anthony admitted Saturday night that he played with a torn rotator cuff and partially torn labrum in his left shoulder late last season.

The injury hampered him in the final games of the regular season and in the playoffs.

Instead of going under the knife to fix his shoulder, Anthony opted in the offseason to try and fix the injury through an intensive rehab.

He's satisfied with current outcome.

"I'm ecstatic going from a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum to not needing surgery," Anthony told reporters in Manchester, N.H., on Saturday. "Let me take that back: taking a risk in not taking surgery and letting it heal on its own. I took a huge risk in doing that. It meant I had to put more time in the offseason to do what I had to do to get it right."

If he'd opted to have surgery, doctors told Anthony he would have missed the beginning of the season.

"I would have been out four, five months because of the severity of the tear," he said.

There's an inherent risk, of course, in deciding against surgery. Anthony's shoulder, presumably, is more susceptible to damage if he gets hit repeatedly this season. If he opted for surgery, his shoulder would have been 100 percent healthy when he hit the floor.

Anthony originally suffered the injury against the Indiana Pacers on April 14 in a collision near the basket. The injury was exacerbated in the Knicks' first-round series against Boston when Kevin Garnett yanked on his shoulder.

"I was a little naïve," Anthony said. "I kind of felt it was torn or something like that when it first happened. Once it happened, I knew something was wrong with it."

Anthony played through considerable discomfort in the postseason, and his shooting seemed to be affected.

He shot 40.9 percent from the floor in 12 postseason games after shooting 45 percent during the regular season.

"It was all types of stuff going on in there," Anthony said. "It was messed up."

Anthony never complained about the injury, nor did he use it as an excuse during the postseason -- though he admitted after the series was over that the injury affected him on the floor.

Early in the offseason, Anthony huddled with the Knicks medical staff to determine the next course of action.

"Everybody has their opinion and brought it to the table, everybody had their pros and cons," Anthony said. "[Surgery] was the last resort."

The Knicks may take precaution with Anthony this season. Coach Mike Woodson seems to be leaning toward playing Anthony more at small forward. This move could limit the contact Anthony endures because he would guard the opposing small forward rather than banging with the power forward.

There's an inherent risk, of course, in deciding against surgery. Anthony's shoulder, presumably, is more susceptible to damage if he gets hit repeatedly this season. If he opted for surgery, his shoulder would have been 100 percent healthy when he hit the floor.

Pretty much a lose lose situation here.

Bonn1997 wrote:He should squat more!

so true, i like how you think bonn

IronWillGiroud wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:He should squat more!

so true, i like how you think bonn

Any way we can hire that Mr. William Giroud I hear so much about? Tyson would BEAST

IronWillGiroud wrote:why is this up to anthony, to have surgery or not?

I don't believe you asked that question. It's because its his body.

nixluva wrote:I just hope it doesn't get aggravated. I do think this is the best reason to keep him at the 3 so he's not fighting with muscled up PF's. I don't want Melo bangin all year with those guys.

Papabear wrote:

IronWillGiroud wrote:why is this up to anthony, to have surgery or not?

Papabear Says

I don't believe you asked that question. It's because its his body.

yea but if it's going to hurt his play over next few years it's problem,

gunsnewing wrote:Well I think the decision to play him at the 4 last year really backfired more than I could've ever imagine

knickscity wrote:

nixluva wrote:I just hope it doesn't get aggravated. I do think this is the best reason to keep him at the 3 so he's not fighting with muscled up PF's. I don't want Melo bangin all year with those guys.

Melo didnt sustain a single injury on defense....they were all on the offensive end.

My point still stands that i'd prefer he's not being brutalized by slower bigs who can only think to chop down on his arms on D when he's going up for a shot. What makes you think my point was somehow only about Melo on defense?

nixluva wrote:I just hope it doesn't get aggravated. I do think this is the best reason to keep him at the 3 so he's not fighting with muscled up PF's. I don't want Melo bangin all year with those guys.

you do realize that a right-handed shooter initiates contact with the left shoulder... right? melo's entire game driving-wise is predicated on this maneuver, since he lacks ball-handling skills, footwork, and an arsenal of requisite fakes. dumb decision on his part, and if it ends up that he plays outside and woodson commits to the italian inside the knicks will be a hot mess.

gunsnewing wrote:It's ok he will still get his $29mil from the Knicks

He'll get it, and THEN get surgery, and the Knicks will claim they knew he would, and it's ok...

Allanfan20 wrote:I have also learned that the motion in your shoulder is never the same after that surgery, despite your health.

Pretty much a lose lose situation here.

I saw others suggest this too, that he was concerned about the negative effects of the shoulder after surgery.