Avery Johnson knows the singe of the holiday hot seat better than most and is hoping Mike Woodson can avoid what he endured last season.
Johnson, now an analyst with ESPN, was axed by the Nets two days after Christmas a year ago amid similar expectations that Woodson has with the Knicks.
“The New York fan base and media have always been challenging and passionate. I loved it personally,” Johnson said. “At the same time, when they are being sold by ownership and players that they are a championship-contending team and then they don’t look like it then they are going to have a rough time pleasing them. So, the only way that’s going to turn around is to start winning games.”
The 8-17 Knicks are hoping that can continue this week, with a schedule that includes a nationally-televised Christmas afternoon showdown against the Thunder, with star center Tyson Chandler back in the lineup. Chandler broke his tibia in the fourth game of the season to start the Knicks’ spiral to mediocrity that’s been marked with rumors of Woodson’s demise.
“Chandler getting back in the fray is a major boost for the team. His energy, his leadership, just emotionally,” Johnson said.
“Also in the locker room, you need players actively playing to help if there’s any dissension or players are disgruntled with the coaching staff. Tyson puts out a lot of fires for coaches. I’ve heard that from coaches like Rick Carlisle, who coached Chandler in Dallas.”
Johnson said those championship aspirations for the Knicks coming off a season where they were the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference were unrealistic given the lack of improvements in the offseason, Carmelo Anthony’s contract situation and Amar’e Stoudemire’s continued knee problems. And that was before the injuries to Chandler, Kenyon Martin, Pablo Prigioni and Raymond Felton, who struggled mightily before aggravating a hamstring injury.
The good news for the Knicks is that the playoffs are still an attainable goal, with the Eastern Conference, except for the Heat and Pacers, failing to create much separation. That includes Johnson’s former team in Brooklyn.
The Nets have struggled through injuries to most of their key players, the growing pains of rookie head coach Jason Kidd and his feud with now-demoted top assistant Lawrence Frank. But with Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Paul Pierce now healthy, the team has at least showed signs of a pulse with four wins in their past six games.
“If you get Lopez and Deron healthy and playing well that’s the key,” said Johnson of the Nets, who open the Christmas Day quintuple- header at home against the Bulls.
“If those two things happen, you’ll see (Kevin) Garnett get in a better and better rhythm playing in this system. Also, Pierce may be better coming off the bench than starting with Joe Johnson. He’s a professional, a Hall of Famer, and at this stage of his career he’ll do whatever it takes for the Nets to win. And with him coming off the bench, he can have more ownership of that second unit because when Williams, Johnson and Lopez all need their shots and he can sometimes get lost in the fray. I give him a lot of credit the way he’s taken that role.”