Capn'O wrote:BOOMbip wrote:When Woodson took over this team was in full tank mode and everyone said it was full of parts that couldn't play together. He only went on to have the best first 100 games in Knick history and one of the top 3 records of all teams currently in the same time frame that he took over the team.
He may not be 'a list' but he sure is getting close with that performance. Add in how he's handled the roster of egos and old guys he's almost guru level as far as player relations in some respects. If he can get the Knicks to compete with the Heat in the ECF he can be considered 'a list' and if by chance the Knicks beat the Heat he's not just on the list, he kicked in the door of that club and made it rain on dem hoes.
I still have some concerns about his rotations and adjustments at some points but I'm keeping an open mind to be shown that he has and can still improve. He already has shown some improvement so I don't see why he can't continue to. He might not be 'a list' yet but he has shown me he's on the next tier down with what he's done so far.
Boom - this is an excellent evaluation of Coach Woody. I've always said that player relations is his biggest strength. His work with JR has to be at the top of that list. He just knows what kind of instruction each player needs to improve and sticks to that plan. He JR, he simply believed in the guy like nobody else did and finally he responded (2010's "Wood & Son" reference). It just worked.
Amar'e needed step by step critique. He's a man. He can handle it. Cope needed to be reigned in, hone his skills, and released at the right time. Melo needed to be both trusted and pushed. Ray needed a clearly defined role. Shump needed patience and a role that would expand as his performance improved.
Wood has treated each guy as an individual and brought in vets that would have his back in achieving these goals.
He still has some things to prove this playoffs but with a strong showing in the ECF he'll earn the right to be here for a long time.
Well thanks for the props. There are a few issues with him I wish could change. He doesn't like young players very much it seems, even the 'rookies' the Knicks got were old as hell. I would like some youth infused and developed even with the win now mode the Knicks are in. At least a couple young vets in the 22-25 range to work with would be nice even if it's not one and done college kids instead of a gaggle of geezers alternating being injured. I know he's not the GM but I'm sure he gets a big say in what he wants.
I also don't always agree with him letting his pet players do whatever they want on the court sometimes but I have to say it somehow has worked out for the team. I don't like it but it's hard to criticize when it got results. Then there is the aforementioned in game adjustments that can make me scratch my head. Sometimes he calls a time out and the Knicks turn it into a forced shot iso and I'm like....why? A time out for that?