New York Knicks: Extension for Mike Woodson Is in the Works, but at What Cost?
Per Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, the New York Knicks are in the process of drawing up a contract extension that would keep Mike Woodson in New York “for the foreseeable future.” Considering this particular head coach and the difficulties the Knicks have seen this season, that’s a slightly worrisome notion.
Woodson may be a perfectly good coach, and the work he’s done to close out New York’s season—in spite of considerable complication via injury, no less—has been truly impressive. But I wonder if we might have already seen the height of Woodson’s coaching tenure with this Knicks core, as a clean bill of health will undoubtedly bring a slew of problems that stretch beyond his demonstrated level of ingenuity.
Figuring out how to balance a roster with this kind of defensive deficit, offensive obstruction and contractual logjam will take an incredible finesse, and though Woodson has done well to nudge this team in the right direction defensively, his team’s most successful offensive stretches have been predictably isolation dependent.
The Knicks’ long-term problems won’t be solved by something as simple as moving Carmelo Anthony to power forward. Amar’e Stoudemire’s health and salary make him almost completely untradeable at this point. If New York is going to get the most out of the resources available, the offensive schemes will need to be a bit more nuanced and elegant in order to maximize the use of skill and space.
Woodson’s offense characteristically allows its best player to put up strong numbers, but the flow and function beyond that single star is often lacking.
The Knicks are about to invest heavily in the coach who still hasn’t managed to adequately address the issue of his top scorer being fronted in the post. Considering that glaring schematic deficit, is it really so wise of New York to trust Woodson going forward?
Is getting more out of a team on the defensive end—a fact which guys like Anthony readily acknowledge was a product of previously lackluster effort, which may yet wane again once Woodson settles in—really worth the potential for long-term offensive stagnation and frustration?
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New York Knicks Must Retain Amar’e Stoudemire to Make Another Playoff Run
To say it has been a roller coaster ride of a season for Amar’e Stoudemire and the New York Knicks would be the understatement of the century.
Considering the fact that the Knicks are down 3-1 in their first round series against the Miami Heat and that they’ve dealt with injury after injury and a midseason coaching change, all eyes should already be on next season.
But how will the Knicks look next season on paper?
One major change that could happen is a potential trade of Stoudemire. Since his losing battle with a fire extinguisher, more and more people have been speculating into the fact that the Knicks will look to deal Stoudemire in the offseason.
It makes sense on paper to deal a player with a history of injuries and $60 million still owed to him, but it’s the wrong move right now and the Knicks need to give this core one more chance.
There will be changes to the roster, but if New York can come back with a starting lineup of Jeremy Lin, Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony, Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, then they have the talent to make a playoff run.
Sure, it’s true that Stoudemire can’t stay healthy and hasn’t meshed well with Anthony, but give them a full season and see what they can do.
For one, the lockout was costly.
Stoudemire came in out of shape and lacked explosiveness. There wasn’t much training camp to get ready, so he, Anthony and Chandler pretty much had to pick things up on the fly.
Given a full training camp, hopefully under Mike Woodson, maybe the three stars will be able to finally figure each other out and get the 2012-13 season off under a good note.
Also consider that due to circumstances, there’s been very little practice time this season. Yeah, I’m talking about practice.
Think about how few games Anthony and Stoudemire actually played together with Lin at point guard. The projected future starting five of Lin, Shumpert, Anthony, Stoudemire and Chandler was the 19th-most-used five man combination of the season for the Knicks.
Between a full training camp, practice time and a spread out schedule, this unit can still have success.
It’s far too early to pull the plug, especially looking at the injuries the Knicks have dealt with this season.
Just looking at the future projected starting five: Lin played in only 35 of 66 games and is currently hurt; Shumpert played in only 59 of 66 and is currently hurt; Anthony played in only 55 of 66; Stoudemire 47 of 66; and Chandler, while playing in 62 of 66 did so very banged up throughout the season.
Sure, it’s pulling out the excuse book a little bit, but the only way to get this thing working in the Big Apple is by getting healthy in the offseason and getting enough practice time to figure out each other’s tendencies.
Stoudemire is the one that chose to come to New York to make this team contenders for a championship. It would be nice to give him another opportunity to try and finish the job.
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Jeremy Lin: New York Knicks Desperately Need PG in Game 5 Against Miami Heat
The New York Knicks are still alive in the postseason, but the roster continues to get hit by the injury bug, which is exactly why they need Jeremy Lin for the Game 5 matchup against the Miami Heat.
Of course, Lin himself isn’t fully healthy, but there is a possibility that the talented point guard could return to action for New York.
This is huge news for the Knicks after starting point guard Baron Davis suffered a devastating knee injury in Sunday’s 89-87 win over Miami.
With Davis out, that leaves Mike Bibby and Toney Douglas to run the show. However, having Lin out there instead would be much more ideal, even if he is a little banged up.
Knicks head coach Mike Woodson told Marc Berman of the New York Post that they’ll soon find out if Lin will be able to play.
He’ll get back into the gym [today] and talk to doctors about where he is physically. Then we’ll make some decisions before we get on the plane to head to Miami.
Linsanity could be returning to the court, which would give the Knicks a big spark. Sure, Lin may not be able to perform as well as he once did, but his presence on the court is needed, and if he feels like he can play then he’s going to be a factor.
Since New York doesn’t play the Heat again until Wednesday, Lin has time to rehab his knee as much as possible in order to contribute to the team.
He’ll most likely be playing through pain, but this is something the Knicks have done before and will continue to do during the playoffs.
It’s win or go home now, and New York wants to keep playing, so now is the time to fight through it and prove how tough you are. Amar’e Stoudemire did just that on Sunday, performing really well despite the fact he really messed up his hand in a fit of anger a few days ago.
Now is the time to put up or shut up, so to speak, which is why I think Lin will return to action for the Knicks.
Bibby and Douglas are decent options for New York, but there’s no denying Lin’s ability to take control of the game and help his team win. He’ll be feeding Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony the ball early and often, as well as provide the team with great energy.
Yes, he’s banged up at the moment, but since this is the postseason, his emotions and adrenaline will be high, which means he’ll be able to persevere through the hardships simply because his team needs him so badly.
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Knicks Rumors: New York Must Not Rush Back Jeremy Lin
The knee reaper has struck the New York Knicks once again, and this time Baron Davis was the victim.
However, this latest blow to their backcourt doesn’t mean the Knicks should rush the return of fan-favorite Jeremy Lin, who tore his meniscus in early April. Lin has been sidelined ever since, but head coach Mike Woodson wouldn’t rule him out for Game 5 on Wednesday.
From Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald:
“I really can’t answer that,” Woodson said, when asked if there was a possibility Lin could play on Wednesday. “We’ll get back to the gym [Monday] and talk to the doctors and see where he is and then make a decision.”
While a healthy Lin could give the Knicks a boost, it’s not worth risking his future over what is ultimately a futile attempt at beating Miami.
Coming into this series, I thought New York would be a tough matchup for the Heat. Tyson Chandler is the Defensive Player of the Year, and Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire somewhat cancel out LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
Throw in Lin’s playmaking ability, and New York looks like they’ve got a good shot on paper. But let’s be real for a second—the Knicks have no shot of winning this series.
Miami is too good defensively. The Knicks are too inconsistent offensively, and the Heat have the two best players in the series. Also, given New York’s recent injury woes, I’d say there’s a solid chance that Lin would blow out his knee before even getting a chance to make an impact.
While it may be tempting to bring Lin back, the Knicks have to keep the future in mind. Lin’s health and the fate of their team will be much better going forward if they shut down the young point guard until next season.
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Jeremy Lin Injury: New York Knicks Shouldn’t Rush Star PG Back
The New York Knicks need to be careful not to rush Jeremy Lin back into the lineup while he continues to recover from his injury—a slight miniscus tear in his left knee.
They may be more inclined to do so now more than ever before after they lost Baron Davis to a dislocated right knee in the middle of Game 4 (h/t ESPN.com), but the smart move is to make sure Lin is fully healthy before they let him in the game for full-speed playoff action.
For basketball players, there aren’t many body parts that are as important to their performance as knees, and many a career has been dashed due to knee injuries.
It was only a few days ago that Lin spoke to the media about his progress, via NBA.com, and he talked about not being ready for Game 4:
I don’t think the timing—I’ll probably get one more day of contact maybe in between now and the next game, and I haven’t been able to really load it or jump or explode or drive by somebody the way I want to. So it’s going to be longer than that.
Lin is stil experiencing significant pain in that knee, and as he put it stoically the day after a recent workout the pain level, “wasn’t the worst, it wasn’t the best.”
That doesn’t sound like a player who’s ready for playoff basketball.
When he was asked about whether or not he’d be ready for Game 5, Lin responded, via NBA.com: “I don’t really want to say I am or am not, I just want to take it day by day. Game 4 doesn’t look great. I mean, Game 5, I have no idea.”
Lin is only 23 years old. He has his entire career ahead of him, and it would be stupid for the Knicks to take a short-sighted view on this situation. He needs to be 100 percent healthy before they allow him to play in a real game.
As much as they don’t want to admit it, the Knicks don’t have a chance to win the series against the Miami Heat. Sure, they pulled off a sweet victory at home in Game 4, but they don’t have enough firepower on offense to overcome the stifling defense of the Heat—especially in Miami.
They won’t win with Lin or without him, so the best thing they can do is keep him on the bench and let him fully recover for next season.
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NBA Playoffs 2012: New York Knicks Streaky Enough to Make History Against Heat
With the way the New York Knicks have played against the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs, you would never think they could even win a game in this series, but New York’s 89-87 win proved otherwise in Game 4.
The Knicks up-and-down season continues with their latest win and with that, they keep themselves alive for a Game 5 and a chance to make history.
No NBA team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit in a playoff series, and the chances that the Knicks can do that against an elite team like the Heat are about as likely as LeBron James scoring zero points in a game.
And especially with the way New York has played throughout this series, it’s even less likely than that. Not to mention, Baron Davis’ knee injury will sideline him, shortening the Knicks’ roster by another player.
That is, of course, unless Jeremy Lin can make his return, which was originally slated for Game 4 of this series before soreness in his surgically repaired knee ended that hope.
But one thing the Knicks do have working for them is how streaky they’ve been all year long. New York has had numerous peaks and valleys during this condensed season with very little middle ground in between.
One minute they look like NBA Finals contenders and like bums the next minute.
In the first three games of this series, the Knicks looked like bums. But after this win, the Knicks are looking like they could be peaking at the right time while the Heat are struggling.
That combination is deadly for the Heat and although the Knicks still have a huge mountain to climb, they no doubt have the ability to turn things around and climb it towards history.
One thing’s for certain: with their first playoff win in over a decade, the Knicks have absolutely no pressure on them any longer while their opponents have the pressure squarely on their shoulders.
Look for that to work to the Knicks’ advantage as they attempt to win Game 5 and push this series back to Madison Square Garden. Only then will this series pick up and get truly interesting.
However, before that can happen, the Knicks need to take care of business in Miami.
If there was ever a team to turn an 0-3 deficit into a historical comeback, it’s a streaky team like this year’s version of the Knicks.
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New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat: Live Reaction, Analysis from Game 4
The Dallas Mavericks became the first NBA team to be eliminated from the playoffs Saturday night. Can the New York Knicks avoid becoming the second?
LeBron James and the Miami Heat are looking to advance to the second round after opening up a 3-0 series lead on Carmelo Anthony and company heading into Sunday’s Game 4 matchup.
The Knicks have lost a league-record 13 straight postseason games; a streak they will look to end as they face a first-round series sweep for the second straight year.
Join me for tipoff at 3:30 p.m. ET, as we embark on what will hopefully be an entertaining contest, as it is one that is laden with implications that stretch far beyond the playoffs.
As always, feel free to leave your comments below or send them to me through twitter @danfavale.
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NBA Playoffs 2012: Why New York Knicks Must Trade Amar’e Stoudemire in Offseason
This New York Knicks’ 2011-12 season has been a roller-coaster ride.
Never before have we seen the type of ebbs and flows the 2011-12 campaign produced, and it ironically transpired in a shortened, compressed 66-game schedule.
Unreasonable expectations dissipated quickly as it became quite apparent the Knicks had a number of pieces to a puzzle that simply did not fit.
In fact, the Knicks would have missed the playoffs entirely if it weren’t for the midseason heroics of the exciting and endearing Jeremy Lin.
Yet amidst all the chaos of Linsanity, one fact has remained constant—Amar’e Stoudemire hasn’t been the same explosive Amar’e Stoudemire since he injured his back while performing an ill-advised trick dunk in a pregame warm-up of Game 2 of the 2011 playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
In fact, he may not have been the same player since Carmelo Anthony was inserted into the starting lineup following the blockbuster trade last season.
To be fair, there are several pieces of this Knicks roster that are discombobulated. However Stoudemire is the primary culprit and the Knicks’ 14-6 record without him validates this theory.
Let’s delve into why this is.
Amar’e Stoudemire has lost a step. He is not explosive, can’t finish at the basket, doesn’t have the same lift on his jump shot and continues to play atrocious defense in every aspect—help defending, closing out and rebounding.
It is crystal clear he has not been the same player he was the last season.
The reason is not only the back injury (which could have been avoided), not only the inane decision to add 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason (which could have been avoided), but also Mike D’Antoni’s decision to run his star player into the ground in the early stages of last season.
Remember when Amar’e averaged more than 30 points a game for two weeks in a row?
Remember when there were MVP chants echoing throughout the Garden?
Well his current ineffectiveness is the residual effect of D’Antoni’s system. It’s unbelievable. Just when you thought they had gotten rid of the seven-seconds-or-less offense for good, Mike D’s system rears its ugly head again.
It’s like a cockroach that just won’t die.
There are other reasons he should be traded, in addition to the wear-and-tear he suffered from last season.
I’m tired of hearing the excuses of not having a full training camp to prepare and mesh as a team. Anthony and Stoudemire have had more than enough time to figure this out, but they haven’t.
Stoudemire can blame Knicks management when they should have traded for a part that fit, a guy that can run the pick-and-roll and a guy that plays the point.
Well, there was no one available that would have been ideal, but…wait! Yes, there was! Deron FREAKING Williams! Another blunder by Knicks management, but this article is about Stoudemire, not about the poor decision to trade for Carmelo, so we’ll continue.
Carmelo Anthony clearly is more offensively efficient at the power forward position, and he has enough wherewithal to play adequate, sometimes great defense against guys who don’t have the athleticism most 3’s have.
The Knicks are at their best when Carmelo Anthony is at his best.
He has to be the most offensively efficient and all-around best player on the floor. Stoudemire’s presence severely encumbers Anthony’s offensive potency because he pushes Anthony to a position he does not thrive in and clogs a space from which Anthony likes to score.
Anthony likes being THE guy, and Stoudemire doesn’t allow him this luxury. Unfortunately, Stoudemire simply does not possess the skills now, and I’m not sure he ever did, to play championship basketball.
He is a one-dimensional player (and yes, Carmelo is too sometimes) who is unable to fit into a defensive system. Can he ever win a championship in a different set of circumstances? Of course he can, but not as the best or second-best player on the team.
At this point in his career, he can be extremely successful as a sixth man, but does not have the ability to be a reliable starter on this Knicks team as it is currently constituted and certainly not on a championship team that plays stout defense.
Finally, the last problem is the baggage that he brings.
Yes, you have to commend him for his courageous decision to be the first free agent to sign in New York and stimulate a reactionary interest from stars who would like to play in the Big Apple, but he has now hurt the team two years in a row when they needed him the most—in the playoffs.
This latest incident of slicing his hand in a state of rage and frustration following a Game 2 loss in Miami was egregious.
Self-inflicted injuries have caused the Knicks to reassemble their lineup, revamp their strategy and reassess their offseason decisions after a sweep at the hands of Boston last year and what is likely to be a sweep tomorrow afternoon against Miami.
It really is a shame, but the Knicks must say goodbye to the former crowd favorite if they’d like to move closer to that elusive championship. Actually, let’s think smaller here…that elusive playoff win.
Most NBA executives are speculating that he is untradeable because of the massive contract (three years, $64 million owed), diminishing skill set and uninsured knees.
Most executives would be right, but all it takes is one team to bite. One team to decide this guy is a marketable enough star and would be a smart business investment, even if he doesn’t provide a lot of basketball value.
If the Knicks find that most GMs would rather put out a campfire with their face than trade for an aging, overpaid head-case, then they must get creative.
How, you say?
Attach Linsanity to a deal and ship them to a team in need of a point guard. The Knicks would have to sign Steve Nash in this scenario, but eliminating Stoudemire would be addition by subtraction. Adding Lin to sweeten the pot would most likely bring back a capable player or two that may fill the scoring void.
Although the Knicks must be scrupulous about this process, they must ensure they do not continue a trend that has been occurring since 2001, the year they last won a playoff game—and that is acquiring players that do not fit their system or gel with the current roster.
Picking the next one-dimensional, overpaid and overrated star out of a hat is not a strategy I would advise. But either way, they must go to great lengths to eliminate Stoudemire from the lineup if they want any chance to compete next season.
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The New York Knicks Won’t Win a Championship with Carmelo Anthony
Knicks‘ fans have seen this before. Their team is headed for an early playoff exit, again. Their team is under performing, again. Their team looks unprepared, again.
Does anybody have Phil Jackson’s phone number?
At the center of their meltdown is Carmelo Anthony. I know, Anthony didn’t gash his hand open punching through glass. I know, Anthony didn’t get the flu. He didn’t get hurt.
None of that matters. Carmelo Anthony is the Knicks’ best player.
Carmelo forced his way out of Denver, longing for the bright lights of the Big Apple. Carmelo got his way—he is now playing on the biggest stage on basketball. Unfortunately, Carmelo is proving what I said almost a year ago—he isn’t a max level player, and he isn’t capable of leading his team to an NBA championship.
A lot of people disagreed with me then. Well, Anthony is shooting 34 percent from the field, putting up 21 points and eight rebounds per game during this series against the Heat. Playing on the same court as Dwayne Wade and LeBron James, two elite superstars, Carmelo looks oddly out of place.
Carmelo is a ball-hogging, ball-stopping presence in the Knicks’ offense. The beautiful motion and ball movement that the team enjoyed with Mike D’Antoni and the “Linsanity” era? Long gone.
Carmelo is a gifted scorer with an arsenal of moves, but his greatest strength and his greatest weakness on offense is that he shoots a lot. When he’s hot, this is a good thing. When he’s not, he kills his team.
He is that proverbial “he’ll shoot you in the game, or he’ll shoot you out of the game” player.
And unlike stars of a generation long gone, there is little else to his game to carry him on a night when his jumper isn’t falling. Larry Bird would try to rebound more. Magic Johnson would pass the ball more and try to get his teammates involved. Michael Jordan could shut his man down defensively.
I know what you’re saying, “Carmelo isn’t those players. His game is different.”
That’s my point! He isn’t those players. He isn’t the kind of player that can lead a team to a championship, and he will be 28 years old next year. Does it look like he is going to get there in the next two or three years?
I don’t think so.
In the LeBron-Durrant-Rose NBA, there is no room for a Carmelo Anthony championship. So it looks like, once again, the Knicks are back to square one in their quest for their first NBA Championship since 1973.
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New York Knicks: 5 Reasons They Must Listen to Carmelo and Keep Mike Woodson
The Knicks’ play on the court and overall attitude as a team has clearly improved greatly since Mike Woodson took over as head coach.
Last week, Carmelo Anthony came out and praised his new coach:
“I’m a big supporter of what coach Woodson has done. His approach to the game, and what he gets out of all his players, even me. He holds everybody accountable and that’s what we need.”
Even though Woodson went 18-6 in his 24 games as head coach this season, his job is certainly not secure.
Speculation has already started as to who the Knicks will target next.
CBS Sports even reported that the Knicks are ready to make a HUGE offer to legendary coach, Phil Jackson.
Here are five reasons why the Knicks should listen to Carmelo Anthony and keep Mike Woodson next year instead.
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