Knicks’ defense worries Woody
MONTREAL — The only thing worse than the Bell Centre court on Friday night was the Knicks’ defense during a 107-88 defeat to the Toronto Raptors.
While Mike Woodson entered the third preseason game saying he wasn’t very worried that he hasn’t had his starting five together, he left it expressing major concern that the team’s injuries have put the Knicks in a scramble mode.
It’s not just that the Knicks again were not able to put their new backcourt of Raymond Felton and Ronnie Brewer on the floor. In Amar’e Stoudemire’s first game of the exhibition season, the Knicks had numerous failures at the defensive end.
“I’ve got to get him and the other four guys working together from a defensive standpoint,’’ Woodson said, referring to Stoudemire, who scored 18 points in 27 minutes. “We haven’t had enough time on the floor to do that. That’s something we’ve got to do in the next two weeks.’’
Not that it’s guaranteed to happen. Brewer hasn’t been cleared for contact after offseason knee surgery and might not play until the final preseason game on Wednesday against Brooklyn.
Until he gets on the court with the other starters, the Knicks won’t be able to get the on-court chemistry that Woodson had previously insisted could come even without his team at full strength.
In fact, before leaving for the team’s three-game trip, Woodson wasn’t at all concerned about his chemistry problem.
“That’s not a big concern for me,’’ he said. “We’ve got plenty of time. As we get down to the last two games, guys will be gearing up and getting ready for the season, especially the last exhibition game.
“I just want to make sure everybody is healthy starting out. And when it’s time to play, they’re ready to play.’’
But once Woodson saw the Raptors hit 12 threes over the final three quarters and pound the Knicks for 16 offensive boards, he changed his tune, even in a game that didn’t count.
“We kind of lost our direction in the schemes a little bit, when they started making easy baskets,’’ Carmelo Anthony said after scoring 24 points. “For the most part, it’s a learning curve for us. We still got some work to do to get back in the gym.’’
The Knicks next play Saturday in Albany against the Celtics. The Albany court can’t be any worse than the Bell Centre floor, which had numerous gaps and uneven joints that caused more than a little concern for the players.
“Thank God nobody got hurt,’’ Tyson Chandler said. “It was a terrible floor to have to play on. I’m just glad that nobody went down.’’
SAY WHAT?: Anthony had the line of the night when asked about being covered by ex-Knick Landry Fields. “He did what he does — I don’t know what that is,’’ he said. … J.R. Smith isn’t on the trip as he continues to rehab a sore left ankle and Achilles.