Mike Woodson about Knicks: I scared them into playing – NBA Update
The New York Knicks have just beaten the Los Angeles Lakers and with a 17 – 5 record, they are now two games clear of their closest Eastern Conference rivals and defending NBA champions Miami Heat.
All of sudden, the Knicks have become great, and all the negativity of last season is gone. However, one man has not forgotten anything, and he is the same man responsible for this fantastic turnaround at the Madison Square Garden.
He is Mike Woodson, the current head coach of the Knicks, who took over the reins of a faltering 18-24 side last season, one which did not know how to play as a team.
"When I took over the team, maybe I scared them into playing," Woodson said, before his Knicks took on the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. "I don't know. I had some things that I had to get off my chest being back in the driver's
seat as the head coach. I kind of stated what I wanted and what I expected from guys, and who I was going to hold mostly accountable, which was Melo, Amar'e and Tyson (Chandler) at that particular time.
"They kind of knew where I was coming from. They bought in and we've been playing some pretty good basketball since then. So that's all I can attribute it to, I guess. Maybe I scared them into playing, I don't know."
When Woodson took over, the Knicks were struggling to live up to their billing. Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire were struggling to co-exist, Tyson Chandler was prolific on the D, but the offensive numbers were way short, and
the Jeremy Lin phenomena had just taken over the league.
In short, there was chaos and then came the injuries to Stoudemire and Lin. Woodson still managed to guide his side into the playoffs, only to be flushed out by the rampant Heat in the first round.
However, during the off season Woodson found time to work on his team, and in that stretch, he changed the very philosophy of it. The Knicks have been sensational so far, and the scary part is that they have done so without Stoudemire.
There is a definite urge visible in this unit, and should the Knicks continue to play like this, a championship is bound to come pretty soon.
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