Mike Woodson was going through a defensive “skull” session toward the end of the Knicks’ practice Saturday afternoon. It was more of a walk-through than anything, with players slowly reviewing the defensive principles Woodson wants to become second nature when his team has to defend the pick-and-roll and various cuts, screens and other maneuvers used to shed a defender.
Woodson was taking nothing for granted. At one point, he barked at one of his assistant coaches to emphasize the proper technique. Then he barked at rookie Tim Hardaway Jr., who wasn’t offering his full attention. You would have thought the Knicks were getting ready for the Eastern Conference finals the way Woodson was eye-balling everybody.
“Everybody’s got to know it because during a course of a game and season you’re going to be called to where you have to defend the UCLA cut, a hog cut, a cross screen, a back screen and flares,” Woodson said. “All those things occur during the course of a ball game. We have certain ways I like our team to defend certain cuts, so you’ve got to go over it and show it on tape and go over it again so it’s always fresh in their minds.”
It was a teaching session for newcomers like Hardaway and a refresher for veterans like Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony. But it’s something the Knicks have to improve if they’re going to contend with the Heat, Bulls, Pacers and Nets in the Eastern Conference.
If they can duplicate the way they played defensively at the start of last season, that would be ideal. Kurt Thomas, Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby were all masters of pick-and-roll defense, while Jason Kidd worked both sides of the ball. But their health didn’t hold up. By the end of last season, the Knicks were either injured or worn down.
They all but walked it up the court before handing it to Anthony or J.R. Smith to shoot. Defensively, they became slow to react to the picks and screens the Pacers used to free themselves in the conference semifinals.
This year, Woodson is taking a two-pronged approach to avoid a similar ending to 2013-14. He is emphasizing the defensive principles early and often in training camp, and he’s monitoring the floor time of veterans he’ll be counting late in the year.
As the Knicks went through their “skull” session as Woodson called it, Iman Shumpert, Kenyon Martin, Smith and Amar’e Stoudemire were watching from the sidelines. Stoudemire and Smith are nursing offseason knee procedures while Shumpert has his own knee issues. But Martin is being held back in hopes of preserving him for the season, and Chandler is getting plenty of rest.
“I’m being more cautious this year,” Woodson said of his overall approach.
But there could be a problem caused by uncertainty of when Woodson will get all his pieces back and whether they’ll be physically ready for the start of the season. Martin already is itching to get on the floor, but Smith and Stoudemire aren’t even practicing, while Shumpert has been limited.
With a full preseason ahead before the Oct. 30 opener against Milwaukee, there’s no real sense of urgency about getting players ready. But their current status raises the question whether in preparing a strong finish, the Knicks might suffer a slow start. It’s a fine line Woodson must walk these next few weeks as he balances his team’s long-term health with getting ready for the start of the season.
“I’ve just got to be cautious,” Woodson said, repeating a frequent theme of this camp. “If I can get some of these young guys to step up and play big in games it might relieve Amar’e and Kenyon and guys like that from having to play big minutes.”
That’s why Woodson wanted everyone’s full attention during Saturday’s session. Even he isn’t sure who needs to be listening.