Mike Woodson

Eastern Notes: Woodson, Bulls, Pistons

Friday night’s win against the Nuggets hasn’t dulled the Mike Woodson job security chatter. The Knicks firing him is now a “when”, not an “if” proposition, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The team’s players appear to know it, both publicly and privately grumbling about Woodson’s strategies and methods. It’s a legitimate topic for debate as to how much of the blame falls on Woodson for the Knicks struggles this season, but firing him won’t fix the team’s issues opines Windhorst. He cites the problems with the team’s roster, as well as multiple players under-performing. A new coach wouldn’t be able to change that, as well as make an impact on Carmelo Anthony‘s decision to opt out of his contract after the season. Windhorst also examines the impact that interim coaches have on a team’s record. After an initial bump, teams usually don’t improve their records, according to the article.

More from around the Eastern Conference:

  • Also weighing on on the Knicks flaws not being addressed by firing Woodson, is Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday. He also agrees that many of the players under-performing would not be solved by a coaching change.
  • Mark Deeks of ShamSports takes another look at Taj Gibson‘s impact on the Bulls’ luxury tax situation. Gibson has a number of performance bonuses in his contract, that if met, could place the team over the luxury tax threshold. Gibson receives a $250K bonus for making the all-defensive second team, with another $250K if he makes the first team. The Bulls are currently $678,595 under the tax, but still have to add one more player to the roster to meet the league’s minimum requirement of 13. Adding a player, even at the minimum slot of $358,919, coupled with Gibson meeting his bonuses, could force the Bulls to pay the tax, which wouldn’t be worth it for a non-contending team, opines Deeks.
  • The Pistons find themselves in their seemingly annual position of deciding to try to win now or tank for the future, writes Terry Foster of The Detroit News. He opines that while it might be necessary to win for President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars and coach Maurice Cheeks to keep their jobs, a better draft would benefit the franchise more in the long run. This goes against team owner Tom Gores’ playoff-or-bust edict, but it’s better for the team if he doesn’t get his wish, writes Foster.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Knicks, Moultrie

The Nets are still looking to improve their chances at a deep playoff run this season, and Bojan Bogdanović could be the most likely of the few tradable assets they have to be traded away for immediate help, according to Alex Raskin of The Wall Street Journal. The 24-year-old Croatian is currently playing in Istanbul, and while the Nets own his rights, it isn’t a given that they can outbid European teams to add him next year since they are limited to offering the $3.278 million mid-level exception. Here’s more from the Nets and the rest of the Atlantic Division:

  • In the same piece, Raskin says Nets centers Brook Lopez and Mason Plumlee are the most likely trade candidates after Bogdanović. Lopez, a former all-star and tremendously skilled 7-footer, is injured for the rest of the year, and Plumlee has shown promise in his first year, sporting the highest PER of any rookie so far this year.
  • Later in the piece, Deron Williams, who has had a voice in front office decision making before, is quoted as saying he doesn’t think the Nets will make a trade, while adding, “The last time I said that, I think, I got traded.”
  • While Knicks coach Mike Woodson and star Carmelo Anthony both worked last night to put a positive spin on the coach’s standing and the team’s chances of improving, J.R. Smith gave a more mixed account of the situation to Ian Begley of ESPN New York. When asked if his teammates support Woodson, Smith said, “Yeah, I believe so. It’s kind of hard to tell. “Of course, nobody wants to show their whole hand. I think guys really care about him. I think guys care about this team, care about winning.”
  • Arnett Moultrie is spending some time in the D-League for the Sixers due to conditioning concerns, and Nick Menta of Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia thinks Philly fans should be alarmed at his slow development. Moultrie was obtained in a draft-day deal with the Heat in exchange for a first round pick that now belongs to the Celtics. The pick is lottery protected through next year, and becomes two second rounders after that. The Sixers also still owe a first rounder to the Magic (with staggered protections through 2018) from the Andrew Bynum deal  from 2012. Menta says these “outstanding debts” that new GM Sam Hinkie and coach Brett Brown inherited from the previous regime are the reason the Sixers are demanding draft picks in return for trade candidates Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young.

Knicks Notes: Woodson, Metta World Peace

The Knicks won convincingly over the Nuggets tonight, but it will take a prolonged convincing stretch of winning basketball to silence all the chatter surrounding the team in the middle of a hugely disappointing season. Here’s the latest from tonight:

  • Coach Mike Woodson spoke to reporters before tonight’s win against the Nuggets, saying, “I am still the head coach of the Knicks and I proudly say that,” per Al Iannazzone of Newsday. This comes on the heels of mounting reports that he will be, and expects to be, fired. Woodson added: “Do I think I’m the guy for the job? Absolutely I do.”
  • Carmelo Anthony turned in a great performance in the win, and confirmed that he had met with Knicks owner James Dolan, though he claims the conversation didn’t involve Woodson’s fate as speculated, per Frank Isola of New York Daily News (via Twitter). “Just talking. I had tea. We had tea. That’s it. We didn’t get into details about anything.”
  • Melo also gave his support to Woodson, saying the Knicks players need to “help” the coach get off the hot seat with improved play, per a tweet from ESPN New York’s Ian Begley.
  • Metta World Peace isn’t worried about being traded, according to The New York Post’s Marc Berman. “That’s up to my agent. I don’t worry about it. I’m optimistic about my future. I don’t want to rush anything and I’m not going to complain.” A person close to the veteran tells Berman that he wouldn’t mind getting moved, citing his frustration with a lack of playing time in coach Mike Woodson’s rotation. His agent, Marc Cornstein, told Berman that he hasn’t been given an answer as to why his client has seen such limited time on the floor: “Usually, I’ll get an answer, not always the one I want to hear. But I don’t have an answer for you on this.’’

Knicks Consider Firing Woodson Before Deadline

FRIDAY, 1:10pm: Woodson and several assistants expect to be fired before the All-Star break, sources tell Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops.com. Still, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck hears from sources who the believe the team will let Woodson finish the season.

WEDNESDAY, 8:29am: Knicks coach Mike Woodson has seemingly been on unsteady ground much of the season, and with losses and internal criticism mounting, there’s a chance the team will dismiss Woodson before the February 20th trade deadline, a source tells Steve Popper of The Bergen Record. The Knicks hit a new low with a loss to the league-worst Bucks on Monday, and Amar’e Stoudemire is the latest to question the coach’s decision-making.

Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler have also voiced displeasure with some of Woodson’s on-court moves. Owner James Dolan gave Woodson a vote of confidence in November, but that pronouncement didn’t seem to have much staying power, and by December upper management was evaluating him on a game-by-game basis. Woodson helped draw himself back from the brink with a win over the Bucks that month, but it sounds like Monday’s loss has pushed the coach back in the other direction.

The Knicks are in tenth place in the Eastern Conference at 19-29, two games out of the final playoff spot, and they have little reason to be content with entering the draft lottery, since they traded their 2014 first-round pick in the deal to acquire Anthony. A rumor earlier this season suggested assistant GM Allan Houston might be in line to take over for Woodson if the team changes coaches. Multiple reports have linked the Knicks to Tom Thibodeau, but that seems a long shot, and Thibodeau almost certainly wouldn’t leave the Bulls for New York until after the season.

Eastern Notes: Bynum, Bobcats, Woodson

The Bobcats are going to be buyers at the trade deadline, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.com. With the Bobcats having exceeded expectations this season, and with the overall weakness of the Eastern Conference, the team will try and bolster their roster for a playoff push. The team has been actively shopping Ben Gordon‘s expiring $13.2MM contract, and would be willing to part with a first-round pick for the right player. Charlotte will surrender their pick to the Bulls if it falls out of the top ten, but might still have two first-rounders in this year’s draft. They are owed the Pistons first-round pick (top-eight protected), as well as the Trail Blazers pick (top-12 protected). According to Kennedy, the Bobcats have already inquired about the Sixers Evan Turner, and the Bulls Taj Gibson.

More from around the East:

  • The Pacers have sent Orlando Johnson to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA D-League, the team announced via press release. This is Johnson’s first D-League assignment this season. In the 2012/13 season, he played four games with the Mad Ants, averaging 23.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG and 3.3 APG. He’s appeared in 36 games this season for the Pacers, and has averaged 2.5 PPG. and 1.4 RPG, while playing 9.4 MPG.
  • Chris Johnson is “thrilled” that the Celtics are signing him for the rest of the season, writes Baxter Holmes of Boston.com. “I just have to give thanks to Danny Ainge for bringing me in and giving me the opportunity, Brad Stevens for giving me the opportunity to play when guys were injured, and my teammates for just giving me confidence,” Johnson said. In eight games this year, Johnson is averaging 7.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG. 1.3 APG, while playing 21.6 MPG.
  • The issues between Pistons guard Will Bynum and coach Maurice Cheeks might not be over. Bynum and Cheeks had to be separated from a sideline confrontation during Wednesday’s loss to the Magic. Bynum doesn’t regret the incident, writes Brendan Savage of M Live.com. According to Cheeks, the two hadn’t spoken about the incident, and Cheeks became testy when pressed. Bynum said, “I don’t regret it. I regret the fact that maybe I was a bit too passionate about it. But other than that, no.” Bynum also said he has no plans to approach his coach about the matter.
  • Nerlens Noel has ramped up his rehab activities, writes Dei Lynam of CSN Philly.com, but the team still isn’t saying if he’ll make his return to the court this season. The Sixers have 32 games remaining, but there is still a long checklist ahead of Noel before he would make his NBA debut, according to the team. With Spencer Hawes being rumored to be on the trading block, it’s unclear if him being moved would affect Noel’s status.
  • Jeff Van Gundy believes that many Eastern Conference teams have “chosen to be bad” this season, writes Steve Reed of the Associated Press. To be clear, Van Gundy is talking about “tanking” for a better lottery pick. He wouldn’t name specific teams, but observed that the problem was real, and blames the current lottery system for the issue. He also stated, “It doesn’t necessarily mean the guys on the floor aren’t trying hard, but it means teams have put some really bad rosters on the floor. A lot of teams right now are happy with losing and that’s really too bad for the league. That’s too bad for the fans.”
  • Knicks owner James Dolan reportedly met with Carmelo Anthony and at least one player after Wednesday night’s game, writes Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. The topic was the state of the team, and whether or not a coaching change was in order. The team’s front office is divided on keeping Mike Woodson, and there have been multiple reports that the coach is on the hot seat.

Knicks Rumors: Woodson, Melo, Boeheim

With all the rumors flying around about coach Mike Woodson‘s job security, any issue can become a major one rather quickly. The players might not have quit on Woodson, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com, but they are growing tired of having their effort questioned by him. Last month some players expressed their frustration privately to reporters, and a few players communicated their frustration directly to Knicks management, according to Begley. This discontent could be indicative of a schism between the players and their coach, or simply a product of the toll losing takes on a team.

More notes out of the Knicks realm:

  • In light of all the speculation about Woodson’s job security, some players are growing weary of their coach, Begley writes in a separate piece The players might possibly be tuning out Woodson, unsure if he will be their coach for much longer. Begley also touches more on the players becoming frustrated with having their effort questioned, which was mentioned in Begley’s previous article. J.R. Smith, who had earlier spoken out in support of his coach, admitted he’s worried Woodson ultimately will take the fall for the Knicks’ poor performance.
  • Woodson called this season a “disaster from a coaching standpoint,” but he doesn’t want to see it end prematurely for him, writes Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday. Woodson said the failure of the coaching staff to get the players to consistently play at a high level is the most difficult thing for him to accept about his performance. He also stated, “That’s the frustrating part about it because I know we’re better than we’ve shown. We still got a chance though.”
  • Carmelo Anthony‘s college coach Jim Boeheim believes Melo needs to play for a contender, Begley notes in a third piece. Boeheim stated, “The problem in the NBA, you’re judged on winning championships. He’s got to try to go and play where they can win a championship or else he’s going to be a failure. That’s the bottom line.” Boeheim disagrees with the notion, but understands that is how superstar players are ultimately judged. He also believes that Melo is happy in New York, but will ultimately choose winning over comfort, wherever that might be. In the same article, Woodson says he hopes Melo looks at more than just this season when making his choice. “He’s got to look at really the last two years, too, what he’s built here. And not just use this year as a year where you throw in the towel,” Woodson said. Anthony will opt out of his contract after the season and become an unrestricted free agent. The Knicks can offer the most money, but if winning is a priority, that edge might not be enough to retain their star.

Knicks Rumors: Woodson, Williams, Johnson

The Knicks endured another loss Wednesday, and though they put up a fight against a strong Blazers team, New York fell to 19-30, and rumors persist that Mike Woodson could soon lose his job. Here’s the latest:

  • The Knicks have discussed making assistant coach Herb Williams interim head coach if they fire Woodson, reports Steve Popper of The Bergen Record. The team would also get rid of most of Woodson’s assistants in that scenario, Popper writes, adding that Larry Johnson is a candidate to serve as an assistant under Williams.
  • Woodson’s firing would set up a summer pursuit of Tom Thibodeau, Jeff Van Gundy and Stan Van Gundy, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks would pass over assistants Darrell Walker and Jim Todd, both of whom have head coaching experience, because the team believes they’re too closely allied with Woodson, Berman adds.
  • J.R. Smith says he is “without a doubt” fearful that Woodson will lose his job, Newsday’s Al Iannazzone tweets. Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com has more from last year’s Sixth Man of the Year. “I love Coach Woodson,” Smith said. “I think he’s done a great job. But it’s out of my hands. So I would hope not [if management opts to make a change], but if it does then we have to live with it.”
  • Jeff Van Gundy would want a major payday, control over the team’s basketball operations, and a relaxation of the team’s draconian media rules if he were to agree to coach the Knicks, sources tell ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
  • In the same piece, Smith opines that the Knicks should realize how unattractive they are to free agents and trade Carmelo Anthony before the deadline rather than risk him leaving in the offseason.
  • Woodson admits the season has been a supreme disappointment, as Ian Begley notes via Twitter. “This year, for me, has been kind of a disaster from a coaching standpoint … and trying to get players to play at a high level,” Woodson said.

Atlantic Links: Brown, Stoudemire, Carmelo

After previously being part of a Spurs coaching staff that helped San Antonio win three titles, Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown tells Keith Pompey of The Inquirer that bringing a championship culture to the 76ers is much tougher than he anticipated:

“It’s much harder…It’s something that I didn’t judge properly. It doesn’t diminish my enthusiasm being here. I just recognize the monster ahead of us…Trying to build a program to the level we hope to build it to requires so much work and so much luck. And there is no wiggle room. You can’t skip a single step.”

You can find some more miscellaneous links worth passing along out of the Atlantic Division below:

  • Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire is more than eager to be a contributor and asserted that he’s ready to play without minute restrictions: “From a doctor’s standpoint, there hasn’t been (minute) limitations since the first week of the season…So we can’t keep saying limitations; that’s a coach’s decision at the end of the day. I feel great. I am ready to play. But it’s up to him if he wants to play me or not” (Frank Isola of the New York Daily News).
  • Stoudemire added that he’s spoken with head coach Mike Woodson about increasing his role: “Yeah. I talk to Coach all the time about it. He knows I am ready. He knows how hard I train. He watches me in the weight room and also on the basketball court. The whole training staff knows, the Knicks organization knows how hard I train. I am ready to play. But it depends on how the game is played.”
  • In response to Mike Wilbon’s recent argument on ESPN that the Bulls should look to add Carmelo Anthony on the premise that stars win in this league, ESPN New York’s Ohm Youngmisuk thinks the same can be said for why the Knicks must do what they can to keep him in New York.
  • Henry Abbott and David Thorpe of ESPN discuss why Tyson Chandler hasn’t been able to make the same defensive impact we’re used to seeing from seasons past.
  • Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News explains why Raymond Felton isn’t fit to be the team’s starting point guard.
  • Tim Bontemps of the New York Post looks at how Shaun Livingston orchestrated his mid-season turnaround. The Peoria native put up 9.2 PPG on 46.1% shooting to go with 4.5 RPG and 1.5 SPG in 29.7 MPG during Brooklyn’s 10-3 stretch in January, and is averaging 18.5 PPG on 51.9% shooting over his last two contests.

Poll: Will Knicks Keep Woodson After 2013/14?

Since the 1946/47 season, the Knicks have topped the 50-win mark 13 times. Last year, Mike Woodson led New York to 54 wins, joining Jeff Van Gundy, Pat Riley, Rick Pitino, and Red Holzman as the only five head coaches in Knicks history to accomplish such a feat. The 2013/14 season offers nothing but a stark contrast in comparison to last season’s success, as Woodson’s club stands 15-27 and would have to go 35 and 5 over the remaining 40 games in order to reach 50 wins again.

Earlier in December, after a nine-game losing streak sent the Knicks to a 3-13 record over the first 16 games, Carmelo Anthony publicly admitted that he, along with a few other teammates, became worried about Woodson’s job security (Ian Begley of ESPN New York):

“Yeah, we’re worried about (Woodson’s job). But then again, we’ve got to worry about playing basketball…We can’t worry about the speculation that’s going on outside this building and we shouldn’t…And as a leader of this team, I’ll try my best not to allow that.”

Although a 6-1 record over the new year’s first seven games briefly brought the Knicks into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference, the team’s recent five-game losing streak erased most, if not all of that momentum. It’s also worth noting that Anthony and co-captain Tyson Chandler publicly made comments about lack of adjustments and being “out-schemed” respectively in recent losses to the Pacers and Nets (Marc Berman of the New York Post). Though Chandler would later insist that his comments weren’t a knock on Woodson, Anthony told Ian Begley of ESPN New York“…whatever’s happening is going to happen and it’s out of my hands and it will get dealt with.” 

Whether or not those comments allude to Woodson’s job security can be left to interpretation, though it doesn’t seem that the team’s current situation is any better than it was when Anthony had been worried about the Knicks head coach in early December. With the possibility that the Knicks star exercises an early termination option this summer, it can’t be too far-fetched to wonder if New York would consider severing ties with Woodson if it meant helping their chances at retaining Anthony, especially if the Knicks missed the playoffs or suffered an embarrassing playoff exit. What are your thoughts? At this rate, do you think Mike Woodson will be retained beyond this season?

Odds & Ends: Butler, Woodson, LeBron

Last week, Caron Butler seemed to vent a little frustration about his role in Milwaukee after he was removed from the starting lineup recently in favor of giving more minutes to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, telling reporters:

“The information I received before coming here is that ‘You’re going to play a lot…And I want to play. I want to be out there to help the situation.”

Since then, Butler appears to have changed tune and reiterated that he wants to stay in Milwaukee, personally taking team owner Herb Kohl aside to let him know how much he values being a part of the Bucks organization:

“I had a moment with Sen. Kohl after the game because I really wanted to talk to him and express to him how excited I am to be here…I want to be here in Milwaukee and I want to be part of the process…This is home to me. I want to help these guys develop” (Gery Woelfel of JournalTimes.com). Woelfel adds that Butler also held similar discussions with GM John Hammond and head coach Larry Drew, whom Butler reportedly has a “healthy rapport with.”

Here’s more from around the Association tonight:

  • Despite a disastrous season and questions of Carmelo Anthony‘s long-term future in New York as the Knicks continue to struggle, head coach Mike Woodson doesn’t think Anthony would request a trade by the February deadline: “Melo I think is on board. I know he’s on board…He’s going to be there to the bitter end if it’s a bitter end. But right now he’s going to be there. I trust he’s going to stay there. we got to make sure everybody else is on board’’ (Marc Berman of the New York Post).
  • Heat superstar LeBron James thinks it’s too early to say whether or not he’ll play when Team USA participates in the 2016 Olympics: “I don’t know where I stand for 2016…Obviously, if I’m healthy in 2016 that summer, if I can get to leading our country by playing, then that would be great to be a part of that…But I can’t commit to it right now” (Charlie McCarthy of FOX Sports Florida).
  • Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks the Bulls may be better off without Luol Deng and explains why the reverse isn’t necessarily true. Cowley thinks Deng would prioritize a shot at a title rather than playing tutor on a young Cavaliers team, and that head coach Mike Brown has already shown signs of not knowing how to use the 28-year-old forward.
  • Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press thinks of Dwight Howard‘s snub from starting the All-Star game this year as proof of how much damage he’s done to his reputation over the last few years and that there’s rebuilding to be done (Twitter link).
  • According to Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee, the Kings have finalized a deal to buy Downtown Plaza from JMA, a San Francisco-based firm that had purchased the mall back in 2012. The Kings and the city of Sacramento plan to use the site to construct a new $448MM arena.