This seemed like a longtime coming.
According to SheridanHoops.com, New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson is expected to be fired sometime between now and the NBA’s All-Star Break coming up next weekend.
One year removed from earning the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and losing in six games to the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks are just 19-30 and are on the outside looking in at the current playoff bracket. Thirty losses through the first week of February matches the team’s total from the entire 2012-13 season.
Madison Square Garden Executive Chairman James Dolan met with member of the team after the Knicks lost to the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday night. According to a report by the New York Daily News, the meeting included All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony and at least one other play and in a discussion about the state of the team and if a coaching change was necessary.
On the topic, Anthony said: “At this point, I don’t really know what’s going to happen, if something’s going to happen. If something was to happen then it’s out of my hands.”
Following the loss to the Trail Blazers, a handful of Knicks privately told ESPN New York they were growing tired of Woodson and his questioning of the team. The report indicates players were frustrated with Woodson and have been since the loss to crosstown rival Brooklyn on Jan. 20.
On Thursday afternoon, Woodson told ESPN New York 98.7 FM’s “The Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show” the year had been a disaster after the team fell to 11-17 at the Garden.
“This year has been, for me, it’s been kind of a disaster from a coaching standpoint in trying to get players to compete and play at a high level,” Woodson said. “That’s the frustrating part about it, because I know we’re better than what we’ve shown and we’ve still got a chance.”
Should Woodson get the axe, it is expected that Herb Williams will take over as interim head coach, according to the Bergen Record. Williams served as the team’s interim coach back in 2005 after Lenny Wilkins resigned. All of the other Knicks assistants are expected to be fired alongside Woodson.
