Carmelo Anthony: Knicks will 'absolutely' be back in the playoffs

After missing out on the postseason for the first time in his 11-year career last season, New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is certain he won't be on the outside looking in next season.

When asked about the Knicks' chances of making the playoffs, Anthony answered defiantly.

"Yeah, I think so for sure," Anthony told the New York Post. "Absolutely."

The Knicks narrowly missed the playoffs last season, falling just one game short of the Atlanta Hawks for the eighth seed in a historically weak Eastern Conference. In a season of perpetual turmoil, Anthony posted excellent statistical numbers, but his team managed a putrid record of 37-45.

This offseason, the Knicks have undergone a sizeable rebuild, swapping out former head coach Mike Woodson with rookie bench boss Derek Fisher. The organization also hired Phil Jackson to handle personnel decisions, and shipped out starters Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler for Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert and other assorted young players.

The problem for the Knicks, however, is that the core pieces, along with a huge hole on defense, still remain. The root of both problem is their frontcourt, where the same hapless (and overpaid) duo of Andrea Bargnani and Amar'e Stoudemire remain entrenched as immobile holdovers. The Knicks ranked 24th in defensive efficiency last season thanks in large part to Bargani and Stoudemire, who are both poor defenders. Shedding a former Defensive Player of the Year in Chandler and adding a perimeter sieve in Calderon is also a worry.

But Anthony is a top-talent, and if his well-chronicled offseason weight loss amounts to a career year, he could easily carry the Knicks back to the postseason.