Knicks News and Rumors: Jeff Van Gundy Defends Mike Woodson Amid Firing Rumors; Amar’e Stoudemire Could Play Saturday Against Bucks
Former New York Knicks head coach Jeff Gundy expressed support for Mike Woodson amid speculation that the current Knicks coach will be fired soon.
The call for Woodson's firing reached a new level with fans saying that the 55-year-old coach should be fired due to a costly mistake during the final 24 seconds of their 102-91 loss to the Washington Wizards on Monday.
Woodson was criticized for not calling a timeout after Wizards sophomore guard Bradley Beal converted a go-ahead layup with 6.9 seconds left to play in the game.
The Knicks had three timeouts left, but it was not used, leading to missed potential game-winning 28-foot runner from Carmelo Anthony. After the game, Woodson admitted that he should have called a timeout, saying that "bad coaching" cost them the game.
"The thing that really irritated me was even if somebody had the opinion that it was a mistake, to then go from it being a mistake to 'a fireable offense' is ludicrous," Van Gundy said in a conference, The New York Daily News reported. "You don't cut a player or trade a player because they make a mistake under pressure in an NBA game; nor should there be an overreaction if there was a coaching mistake made."
Van Gundy, who is reportedly one of the top candidates for the Knicks coaching post if their front office eventually decides to fire Woodson, said that instead of putting the blame on Woodson, the Knicks should focus on getting healthy and playing better as a team.
"I think right now everybody has their sights set on what Mike Woodson needs to do better, but what really needs to happen is they need to get their roster intact. When they're healthy, they need to play a lot better," Van Gundy said.
The Knicks, who have been performing under preseason expectations with their dismal 8-17 record, have been slowed down by injuries all season long.
On the positive side, starting center Tyson Chandler returned to the lineup on Wednesday and made an immediate impact. The former Defensive Player of the Year tallied nine points and nine rebounds to go along with three blocks, helping the Knicks escape with a 107-101 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Amar'e Stoudemire, who missed Wednesday's game due to his ailing knee, is expected to play on Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies, according to ESPN's Ian Begley.
Earlier this week, Woodson said that Stoudemire will be out "for a while" due to swelling in his surgically-repaired knee, but the 31-year-old power forward played down his coach's assessment, reiterating that he is not injured.
"Fans, IM NOT INJURED, just want u to know I'm ONLY stay'n (staying) bk (back) bc of 6 games n 9 days w/ bk2bks (back to backs)! Body & Knees feel great!" Stoudemire posted on his Twitter account.
Stoudemire, who is playing under minute restriction as part of the team's cautious approach for his ailing knee, is averaging 7.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game this season.