Knicks coach Mike Woodson is not looking over his shoulder, not looking back and not worried about his job, despite the win-now temperament of owner James Dolan.
“I’ve been at this thing 30 years and the one thing I never will do is look over my shoulder. I won’t do that. I’ve got too much pride for that,” Woodson said during his weekly spot on ESPN radio Wednesday. “What we’ve done the last two years, we’ve made some major ground. This is a different year. That team that won 54 games [last season] isn’t here. This is a different team. If I’ve got to always look over my shoulder, I can’t do my job. I try to look ahead.”
A published report said Dolan freaked out after the Knicks were wiped out against Minnesota, surrendering 40 first-quarter points. With the Knicks losing a second straight home game and dropping to 1-3, Woodson was asked about job security.
“Expectations are high and they should be. I’m not running from that as the coach,” Woodson said. “As the owner, Mr. Dolan has every right to voice his opinion. This is his team. We all work for Mr. Dolan.
“Our team is not playing at the level where I expect it to be. That’s on me, that’s not on Jim. My job to get these guys back playing where they should be. … It’s early. I’m not a panicky coach.”
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You think of a typical Knicks game over the years at the Garden, one ever-present element are chants of “Dee-fense!”
Now, the chants are like: “Keep ’em under 70 this half, please.”
In back-to-back defeats, the Knicks defense has surrendered 64 first-half points, to the Timberwolves and then to the Bobcats, who arrived Tuesday having smoked three previous opponents for an average of 85.7 points a game. After Charlotte scored 64 in a half, Woodson gave his not-so-subtle assessment that the Knicks defense currently “stinks.”
Last season, including two playoff rounds, the Knicks surrendered 60 points in a half seven times. So that was seven such halves in 94 games – roughly one every 13 games. They have already done it twice in four games. Yeah, that stinks.
Losing the former Defensive Player of the Year, center Tyson Chandler, to a fractured right leg for 4-to-6 weeks makes the situation worse.
“We’re only playing with a sense of urgency on the defensive end when we’re down,” Kenyon Martin said. “It’s very fixable. It’s nothing we should panic about, but it’s something we need to pay closer attention to.”
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Woodson said he also has to be more careful with Carmelo Anthony’s minutes. Anthony has played 45, 44 and 42 minutes in his last three games.
“I’m watching that as well, too. These last few games, I’m desperately trying to get guys to play hard and get Melo where he needs to be as well,” Woodson said. “Somehow if I can get him to 33, 34, 35 minutes, that will help him and our team in the long run.”
Woodson also said Martin’s minutes “can be extended a little bit more,” and Martin could go “18-20 minutes” in Friday’s rematch in Charlotte, if docs approve. Martin played 18 minutes on Tuesday.