The New York Knicks are coming into training camp hoping that Carmelo Anthony is healthy and ready to start the season following knee surgery in February. Anthony has started training and this comes as players like Kristaps Porzingis, Langston Galloway and Jerian Grant will battle for minutes, while Travis Trice is competing for a roster spot.
The health of Anthony could be the biggest key for the Knicks in turning things around this season, as the team added some solid talent to the roster this summer. According to NBA.com, Anthony has been rehabbing well from his knee surgery and he has been able to work out and play 5-on-5 at the Knicks facility. Training camp opens at the end of the month and reports have Anthony ready to play once camp opens up.
Anthony was having a strong season when he was shut down last year, averaging 24 points and six rebounds per game. Anthony has a new supporting cast with Robin Lopez, Derrick Williams, Arron Afflalo and Kevin Seraphin along with draftees Kristaps Porzingis and Jerian Grant. Grant may get the chance to continue more right away, but Porzingis showed some flashes in the summer league and he could be a solid option for the team to get some minutes this season behind Williams.
The Knicks backcourt is one of the biggest positional areas to watch in camp and the preseason, as the team has Jose Calderon, Langston Galloway and Jerian Grant as their point guard options. The team likes the potential of Grant and Galloway, but Phil Jackson also realizes both of those platters are young and will need time to develop. Calderon is a solid veteran, but he has dealt with injuries and the biggest question for him is whether he can stay healthy.
Calderon has been mentioned in trade rumors over the past year and this summer, but according to ESPN New York, no deal is imminent. Calderon likely will open the season as the starter and he said that he is fully healthy after dealing with injury issues last year. Calderon could be a target at the trade deadline, but he provides some strong veteran experience and depth for the team at the position. A healthy Calderon could be a huge for Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks this season.
According to Ian Begley at ESPN, the Knicks have signed Trice and DaJuan Summers to camp deals and now the team is at the maximum of 20 players under contract. The team is only allowed to keep a max of 15 during the season and in camp they are allowed to bring in 20 players. The Knicks have some space at the end of the roster and there are some important decisions to make, as Thanasis Antetokounmpo likely will be done with the Knicks if he doesn't make the team out of camp.
The Knicks have signed Trice along with Darion Atkins and Wesley Saunders and some of those players could end up on the D-League team if they don't make the roster out of camp. The Knicks won just 17 games last season and Phil Jackson is expecting improvement this year.
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