Anthony laments lack of power and bounce; 'getting close' to shutting it down

It's a good thing Andrea Bargnani is finally back.

It sounds as if the New York Knicks will soon have a massive scoring void as superstar Carmelo Anthony inches closer to ending his season.

Anthony has openly been dealing with persistent soreness in his left knee, an issue that may ultimately require surgery. To help fight the soreness, Anthony took six games off in early January and has been sitting in some back-to-back situations, hoping to at least extend his season to the Knicks-hosted All-Star Game this Sunday.

Matters took a slight turn for the worse on Monday, with Anthony being removed from a game in the fourth quarter. He appeared to be in pain and was originally going to get his knee re-taped, but with the game out of hand the Knicks opted to rest him for the closing minutes. After the game, a frustrated Anthony admitted he's starting to more strongly consider shutting things down for an extended period.

"It's little things that I'm doing out there on the court," he said, as reported by Michael Wallace of ESPN, when asked if he'll reconsider playing through the soreness. "I'm restricted, I'm not getting that power or that bounce, and then to do something like I did today, I think I'm getting closer to that point."

Anthony's goal of playing in the All-Star Game was something he wouldn't comment on, instead pointing to Wednesday's game - the team's last until Feb. 20 - as his immediate focus. The realistic scenario would appear to have Anthony sitting out Wednesday, making a brief cameo in the Madison Square Garden showcase, and then ending his season shortly after.

Much as he's lamented his restrictions, Anthony has continued to play well, averaging 24.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 40 games. His 3-point stroke has been cold and his overall offensive efficiency is down some from the last two years, but he's still made the Knicks 9.2 points per-100 possessions better when he's on the floor.

As has been the case all along, Anthony's positive impact on the team should be an impetus for the franchise to urge him to sit out. The Knicks own the league's worst record but it's a tight race, and every additional lottery ping pong ball theoretically moves the team closer to turning things around for the future.