Mike Woodson had a front-row seat Thursday to see what happens when the star player turns on his coach.
Woodson was the beneficiary of such a relationship in New York with Mike D’Antoni resigning after failing to reach star player Carmelo Anthony, who did not fit into his former coach’s speedball offense and decided not to play defense as a result. And Woodson has been riding the Anthony wave to a 9-3 start as Knicks coach, the same way Stan Van Gundy has with Dwight Howard and the success the Magic coach and star have enjoyed. The same way Mike Brown did with LeBron James with the Cavaliers before they fired the coach when James became a free agent in order to entice the star to stay in Cleveland.
But Howard isn't happy anymore. And Van Gundy laid the Magic’s dirt in front of the media Thursday, confirming a report that Howard has asked brass to fire the coach. In a surreal scene, Howard then came out and put his arm around Van Gundy not knowing what was just said.
It’s a prime example of how NBA teams view star players in comparison to the men in charge of coaching them. And it furthers the idea that Woodson’s time in New York will only be as long as Anthony allows it to be. So, why would any big-name coach like Phil Jackson, or John Calipari if you consider him that, come to the Big Apple knowing how much pull Anthony would have with owner James Dolan and the Garden bigs?
Who’s got the point?
The Knicks season started poorly because of a lack of a point guard, and now with 10 games left they find themselves in the same predicament.
Jeremy Lin is out until the playoffs with a torn meniscus and myriad Baron Davis injuries make him a poor second choice, but the one the Knicks will have to live with. Mike Bibby should not be playing at all, and Iman Shumpert has been impressive as a starting small forward, but is still woefully miscast at the point because of his predisposition toward shooting.
So, it’s Baron or bust. The smart money is on bust.
Like he was back in Cleveland
Whenever the LeBron James late-game choking argument comes up, my mind wonders back to Game 5 of the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals.
That’s when James put the Cavaliers on his back and scored their final 25 points in an upset of the Pistons for a 3-2 series lead on their way to a six-game series win. With Dwyane Wade for the Heat out Tuesday against the 76ers, James returned to take-over mode, scoring 15 of the Heat’s final 17 points in the 99-93 win.
Just a reminder what he is capable of.
And they still wish he was back in Cleveland
The Cavaliers youth has hit a stone wall in the strike-shortened regular season.
After being in the mix for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, led by No. 1 pick Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers are now playing like one of the NBA’s worst teams. Following a three-game winning streak, highlighted by upsets in Denver and Oklahoma City, Cleveland has dropped 12 of its past 13 games. Before a nine-point loss in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, they had lost seven straight by double digits.
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