New York Knicks forward Cleanthony Early was involved in a very scary situation a couple of weeks ago when he was robbed at gunpoint and then shot in the knee. At the time it was unknown how serious the injury was but then a timetable for his return came back and he was fortunately not seriously injured. Now it appears the Knicks have a better idea of when he might be able to play again as they are hoping for a return after the All-Star break in March, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The Knicks have not commented on a potential return in March but a close friend of Early's says that he should start some sort of rehab soon. The initial timetable given to Early for a return was 6-12 weeks which was broad because it was subject to change based on the way rehab goes. Early's friend sounds confident but a lot could still change.
"He's feeling better and he's going to be fine. It was the best possible outcome, and it's not going to have any effect on his career. There was no structural damage and no infection, so he didn't need surgery. That was the beautiful thing, not needing surgery. Thank God his knee could've been blown out," said Early's friend.
Early was not a regular member of the Knicks rotation before suffering the gunshot wound and he is not expected to be when he returns either. The 24-year-old forward has appeared in just 10 games, played 35 minutes and taken just six shots so far this season.
While Early's absence hasn't hurt the Knicks on the floor it has left them somewhat thin on their roster as they only have 13 guys available to them right now. Because of Early's injury and the fact that the Knicks have an empty roster spot they are looking at giving out a 10-day contract to someone for depth purposes.
When Early does return to the court, which seems very likely at this point, it should give the Knicks a huge lift. Early was very lucky that he wasn't injured way worse to the point that it affected his career, or even worse, his life so his experience could potentially inspire his teammates.
