Woodson: Next season, Carmelo must shape up

MIKE WOODSON’S message to Carmelo Anthony this offseason will have a familiar ring to it: Improve your fitness.

Despite being one of the NBA’S elite scorers, Anthony has seen his weight and conditioning get criticized in the past, and Woodson wants his best player to address those issues this summer.

“I’ve got to push him to be in better shape when you start the season,” Woodson said Friday. “Everybody’s got to be in better shape. There’s a lot of things that’s got to be changed, not a lot of things, but there’s got to be some changes for this team to really get to the next level.”

The Knicks trail the Miami Heat 3-0 in their first-round playoff series and have lost an Nba-record 13 straight postseason games. Woodson is not a lock to return as coach, although his 18-6 record to close out the regular season makes him the odds-on favorite to retain the job.

If the Knicks sign Woodson to an extension, he knows that there will be more pressure on him, Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler to win.

“Expectations are not going to change here in New York and they shouldn’t,” Woodson said. “Rightfully so. Melo is going to have to raise his game. He’s got to do some things this summer to better his game as well as Tyson and Amar’e and all the supporting cast that might return.

“If I’m the head coach here I’ve got to make sure that happens because that’s the only way you’re going to get out of the rut in terms of him (Anthony) being a first-round exit. He’s got to change that.

“Us not winning a playoff game, that’s got to change on my part along with the guys that return.”

Woodson at first said he didn’t want to address his job status, but then made a strong case for why he is the right man for the job.

“My thing is I was given an opportunity,” he said of replacing Mike D’antoni in midMarch. “We were in a bad position when we started this process, 18-24. Guys picked it up, they played and got us to this point. I’ve got to look at this season over the long haul.

“Had we handled our business earlier in the year, we wouldn’t be in this predicament. We probably would be hosting first round at home.

“That’s where we’ve got to get this team.”