<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Antonio McDyess only recently became able to bend his injured left knee more than 90 degrees, and New York Knicks coach Don Chaney hinted Monday that the oft-injured forward could miss the start of training camp. ``They said he was going to play. No one has really said when,'' Chaney said. ``If he's not there for training camp I'm not going to panic.'' McDyess underwent bone graft surgery on his fractured left kneecap April 22 -- his second operation since injuring the knee during the Knicks' third exhibition game last season. The Knicks obtained McDyess in a draft-day trade with the Denver Nuggets last June after he missed all but 10 games of the 2001-02 season with a different left kneecap injury. Dr. Norman Scott, the Knicks' team physician, said after the operation that McDyess would be able to begin rehabilitation in about three weeks. Chaney said McDyess came to the team's practice facility last week in good spirits, pleased by his progress. ``He's anxious. He feels he'll be ready,'' Chaney said. ``He's happy with the way the knee is coming along.'' But the uncertainty over McDyess' long-term status -- along with New York's lack of size in the starting frontcourt -- has led the team to focus much of their attention on center and power forward prospects in their preparations for Thursday night's draft. New York had Greek teenager Sofaklis Schortsanitis in for a second workout Monday, and will have Central Michigan center Chris Kaman in for a workout Tuesday night. Chaney also said he spoke on the phone last week with Latrell Sprewell, who again is at the center of trade speculation. General manager Scott Layden said the Knicks continue to speak to teams about the possibility of either moving up or down in the draft. New York also has the 30th and 39th selections, and Layden believes those high second-round picks will be a valuable commodity in trade talks on Thursday night. ``We need help -- bigs, smalls and athletes,'' Chaney said. ``We're trying to improve the team. If the right deal comes up, anyone can be traded.'' </div> As long as he is back for the season knicks shouldn't mind this too much...they just need him to play games when it matters..ans not force his injury to be even worse before the real season starts up again.
