This time, Tyson Chandler sounded off on Mike Woodson’s defensive schemes, suggesting his former teammate Jason Kidd won the coaching battle on Martin Luther King Day, and indicated the Knicks might want to reevaluate their approach.
Those were damning remarks to cap a nightmarish matinee in which the Nets took over Manhattan with Monday’s 103-80 destruction of the Knicks.
The Nets’ siege of the Garden was a complete and total embarrassment for Woodson and Knicks owner James Dolan, whose club is a wreck again at the season’s midpoint while the Nets are on the rise.
Dolan, thankfully for Woodson, is in Los Angeles, reopening The Forum he refurbished, as an opening act for The Eagles. Meanwhile, his Knicks (15-26) are in need of repair, having lost four straight — all by double digits — and on pace to win 30 games. The Nets (17-22) lead them by three in the standings after winning seven of their last eight.
Worse, the players appear concerned about Woodson’s defensive game plan and his X’s and O’s.
“They out-schemed us,’’ Chandler said.
Following Thursday’s disaster in Indiana, Carmelo Anthony said the coaching staff didn’t make any adjustments to Frank Vogel’s moves. On Monday, Chandler went deeper and all but questioned the defensive philosophy that involves constant switching.
There were chants of “Let’s Go Nets’’ and “Brooo-klyn’’ in the World’s Most Famous Arena, but also plenty of boos and a late “Fire Woodson’’ chant. None of the day’s events could be considered beneficial to Woodson’s job security.
Joe Johnson, not Carmelo Anthony, was the best player on the court as he scored 20 of his 25 points in the first half.
Chandler said Kidd and Johnson, who also played for Woodson, had a good idea on how to exploit the Knicks’ defense.
“They played to our defense as far as their offensive scheme, knowing our rotations, putting us in vulnerable situations,’’ Chandler said. “[They had us] switching a lot and taking our help guy out of the rotation, which led to a lot of corner 3s.”
Johnson feasted, setting up camp in the right corner and he drilled 4 of 8 3-pointers.
Asked if Kidd’s familiarity with the Knicks system played a role, Chandler said: “Sure it had a lot to do with it. He and Joe played in Woody’s system and knew how to exploit it. … We were one man short on the rotation. ’’
Chandler’s play hasn’t been exemplary. The Knicks were on a five-game winning streak when he was sidelined with bronchitis and have lost four straight since his return. Chandler didn’t have a field-goal attempt in his first 26 minutes of action, but he seems a lot more concerned about the defensive strategy.
He indicated Woodson’s switching schemes are not working.
“I don’t want to switch,’’ Chandler said. “I personally don’t like it. You come in with defensive plan and everybody mans up and takes up his responsibility. Switching should be a last resort and, no, I don’t think we’re built to switch everything.’’
Anthony didn’t want to get his hands dirty on the topic. When told of Chandler’s remarks, Anthony said: “On the defensive end we were just scrambling the whole game. They played to the mismatches. That’s something Jason does well even when he was here. They forced us to double-team. They were able to swing the ball and make open shots. We’re just not getting it done.’’
The sloppy Knicks couldn’t do anything right, including shoot free throws (21 of 33). It was a particularly grotesque day for point guard Raymond Felton, who shot 2 of 11 for nine points, and three turnovers to go along with porous defense.
Anthony finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds — more meaningless numbers — but he had no help. The club shot 33.8 percent for the game and committed seven of its 16 turnovers in the first quarter.
With Deron Williams (13 points, three assists) making his return from a five-game absence, Brooklyn has won seven of its 0last eight games, proving the preseason predictions they had surpassed Dolan’s team. The Nets are doing so without their best player, center Brook Lopez, who is out for the season.
Good for Kidd, who made his first Garden appearance since last spring’s disastrous playoff showing as Knicks point guard. Kidd’s Nets looked like a completely different club since their previous meeting Dec. 5 when the Knicks won by 30 at Barclays Center. That’s a 53-point swing.
“They got us in a rotation game where we were scrambling and we are one man short in terms of rotation,’’ Woodson said.
The issue is whether Woodson has a way of combating such exploitation. So far the record says no.