HOPE AND GORY
Woodson, Knicks dead in water
While the Nets are making history, the Knicks are making a mess.
It’s all over but the “Fire Woodson’’ chants. Those surely will make a return Monday at the Garden if the Knicks fall behind the Mavericks.
A spiritually broken team returns from a disastrous fourgame Southeastern trip that has placed its playoff chances in the longshot category with 26 games left and the club 5 ¹/₂ games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Woodson wasn’t put out of his misery after Saturday’s latest fiasco in Atlanta, as owner James Dolan has shown the patience of a priest. Dolan has contemplated making a coaching change since early December, but has shown the type of restraint that allowed Don Chaney to coach through parts of three losing seasons.
Even Dolan can’t really believe Woodson can turn this around amid renewed talk about Woodson’s defensive system having flaws with continuous rotations and switching. Woodson isn’t a strong lategame coach, but Dolan understands the team is playing very hard almost every game. But recent losses to the Bucks and Kings, followed by the recent disaster, should be evidence Woodson’s message isn’t getting across. He’s on borrowed time — whether it’s next week or at season’s end.
A Woodson firing would only be a punitive measure. It’s hard to imagine an interim coach such as Herb Williams being the elixir for a roster perpetually injured and hitting a new lowwater mark of 14 games below .500.
It was interesting to note, though, that on the trip, assistant general manager Allan Houston had an increased rapport with the players, huddling in deep conversation with Jeremy Tyler and Pablo Prigioni.
Considering the high expectations from Dolan, who told The Post he thought this unit was better constructed than the 54win club of 201213, and considering Carmelo Anthony’s uncertain future, this season looks as bleak as any during the Scott Layden/Isiah Thomas eras.
Adding to the Knicks misery is not having their firstround pick in this deep draft — or even a secondrounder. Anthony likely will miss the playoffs for the first time in his career and the Nuggets will profit again from the trade with a lottery selection.
It’s tough to blame this on new president Steve Mills, who once hired Thomas. But he has been more millstone than goodluck charm. He left in 2009 before their three straight playoff seasons. Now he’s back in time for this catastrophe.
But everyone’s to blame for this disgrace — no one more than Dolan, who sent a sickly message to his players by firing general manager Glen Grunwald four days before training camp began. The man who built the roster and wooed free agents such as Metta World Peace and Beno Udrih wasn’t deemed fit enough to continue. Rahrah.
The Knicks are finalizing a buyout for their two significant signings, World Peace and Udrih, banished by Woodson in a decision that backfired and embarrassed World Peace, a New York City schoolboy/ St. John’s star.
Among Woodson’s other problems is getting the players to believe in his defensive strategy. Point guard Raymond Felton is the latest Knick to explain how it can be exploited after Magic rookie point guard Victor Oladipo and the Hawks’ Jeff Teague surged into the paint relentlessly. Tyson Chandler, World Peace and Anthony have touched on a similar theme.
“They understand our defensive schemes,” Felton said Saturday. “They watch film like we watch film. They see what we like to do defensively and try to move the ball real fast and get that corner shot.’’
This 2135 season has left everyone speechless.
“I’m not even trying to think about that at this point,” Anthony said about the possibility of not making the playoffs. “We still have a lot of basketball left. Till that time comes, that’s the furthest thing from my mind.’’