'I'M BACK'
Melo set to hit floor for Knicks
The long wait is over for Carmelo Anthony.
The Knicks superstar considers his offseason to have begun after the AllStar Game in late February, when he underwent seasonending surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. Now he’s finally ready to show he’s fully recovered, starting this week at West Point.
On the eve of training camp, when asked if he’s 100 percent, Anthony declared: “I’m back. I’m there. I’m back. I feel like myself again. Mentally, physically, I feel great.’’
Anthony’s knee troubles began in the first week of last season, and he played through pain until shutting it down after the AllStar Game.
“I feel like I’m ready,’’ Anthony, 31, said Sunday at his camp for kids at Baruch College. “I feel like I felt before I had the injury. Physically I feel great, mentally I feel great. I’ve been waiting for this since February.
“It was a long summer. My summer started in February. It’s been a long time coming. I’m glad I can be in the position I’m in now. I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a long time. I can’t wait to get it going.’’
Anthony continued to reject rumors he was down on team president Phil Jackson’s offseason moves. On draft night, Anthony was said to be upset at the Knicks’ selection of No. 4 selection Kristaps Porzingis, but The Post reported he was miffed at the club trading buddy Tim Hardaway Jr. for the rights to point guard Jerian Grant.
There’s bound to be plenty of speculation if things go awry again this season, that Anthony would look for an exit strategy after the second season of his fiveyear, $124 million pact.
“I addressed it back at [Team] USA,’’ Anthony said, referring to the Olympic minicamp in midAugust. “I was excited what we did this offseason. I like the moves we made. Was it any of the stars that we wanted to go out and get? No. The pieces we got, I’m really intrigued what we did. … I’m excited what’s going on and what’s going to happen.’’
Anthony is fully cleared to participate in all aspects of camp, but coach Derek Fisher said Friday the team will “gauge his workload.’’
Indications are Anthony won’t be a full participant in both legs of the twoadays that begin Tuesday at West Point. Monday is Media Day at their Tarrytown facility before team meetings that night at West Point.
“It’s a long season,’’ Anthony said. “No need to go after it in four, five days of training camp. I want to monitor it. They want to monitor it.’’
In recent weeks, Anthony has been playing in informal 5on5 scrimmages against most of his teammates. Anthony wouldn’t single out anyone, but said everyone has impressed him. Without a surefire starting power forward — the job is Porzingis’ to lose — Anthony could play plenty at that spot, even though Jackson envisions him as a small forward in the triangle offense.
Still, he knows his athletic prowess will be scrutinized following surgery. During a QandA session with campers, he said he expected to hear a query: “Can you still dunk?’’