What Hiring Mike Woodson Would Mean for Knicks

Reports surfaced this week that the Knicks are prepared to hire Mike Woodson as a defensive assistant.   This led to speculation as to whether or not Woodson could be a possible candidate to replace current Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni who’s entering the final year of a four year contract, which will pay him $6 million next season. 

My reaction….     Who cares?   

Whether he's the head coach or not, the team has alot more issues to worry about when it comes to being more effective defensively.

Let’s stick with the here and now if you’re a Knick fan.  Play it year by year.  Those are the cards the team has been dealt.   No superstar, sure fire head coaching candidate is available NOW or rumored to be available by the end of the 2011-12 season (and please stop the nonsense with the Phil Jackson rumors unless you can GUARANTEE that Dwight Howard will be a Knick uniform).  No Dwight Howard means no Phil Jackson.     

Will Mike Woodson help the Knicks defensively?   It certainly can’t hurt, but I don’t expect any dramatic results until I see some dramatic changes to the ROSTER of the team; particularly in the frontcourt.   

I’m of the opinion that regardless of schematics, game-planning, adjustments, etc. a team will NOT be good or solid defensively unless it has:

1.        Size to be able to rebound and defend the paint area, and

2.        Their best players dedicated to putting in the EFFORT on the defensive end (and not the "fake hustle" that those of us who know the game can see with one eye)

There are obviously a lot more on these two bullet points, but I highlight these two as it relates to the Knicks because even if the greatest defensive coach in the history of basketball was on the bench for THIS roster that the New York Knicks have, you’re not going to see a substantial change in the results on the defensive end of the floor.  

Is a package of Mike Woodson coming along with Tyson Chandler or a Robin Lopez?    Samuel Dalembert? 

If not, the D will continue to be underwhelming for the ‘Bockers regardless of who the head coach is, or what genius defensive Einstein is by his side.