Knicks links: Mike Woodson on the verge of new deal; could Mike D'Antoni land with Magic?
Published: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 9:10 AM Updated: Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 9:48 AM
Stan Van Gundy may have put the final nail in Mike Woodson's coffin with the Atlanta Hawks in 2010, but now the man Woodson replaced with the Knicks, Mike D'Antoni, is a candidate to replace Van Gundy with the Orlando Magic.
The circle of life, as it applies to NBA coaches, is nearly complete.
Mike Woodson's run as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks ended in 2010 after his team was swept by Stan Van Gundy's Orlando Magic in the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. But on Tuesday Woodson, who was 18-6 during the regular as the interim coach of the Knicks, was on the verge of an extension, according to Newsday's Al Iannazzone, while Van Gundy was being fired in Orlando.
Meanwhile, rumor has it that Mike D'Antoni, who Woodson replaced this season, is a candidate in Orlando as well as his former boss with the Knicks, Donnie Walsh.
Here to straighten out this game of musical chairs is NJ.com's aggregation of Knicks news from around the web:
• Newsday's report is probably reliable as the paper is owned by Cablevision, which owns the Knicks. In other words, Iannazzone wouldn't be writing this unless it were 100 percent true: "The Knicks officially are expected to remove the interim label from Mike Woodson's title this week, according to multiple sources. The two sides are working on a long-term deal, the sources said, and something could be done within the next couple of days... Woodson, who had discussions about a contract extension with Knicks management during the playoffs, received strong endorsements from general manager and former Indiana University teammate Glen Grunwald toward the end of the season. Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler all backed Woodson's return."
• Marc Berman of the New York Post confirmed the report with one of his own sources: "The Knicks are expected to announce Mike Woodson’s new contract as coach sometime 'this week,' according to a source familiar with the situation. Lawyers began hammering out details on the pact last week and are committed to getting it done before Memorial Day weekend... Woodson could get a three-year contract — which is the length of time left on the pacts of Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler."
• Mike D'Antoni told Sports Illustrated's Jack McCallum that it was he who quit, but the Knicks didn't exactly try to stop him: "I absolutely resigned. I was in my car driving to shootaround and it just came to me. That's it. It's inevitable. I have to resign. We're not going anywhere. I made the decision then and there. I called Glen [Grunwald, the Knicks' general manager] and told him that I was coming in to do it. Then I called Laurel [his wife] to tell her. Glen called in Mr. Dolan [Knicks owner James Dolan] and I met them after shootaround and told them that I was resigning."
• As Frank Isola of the New York Daily News pointed out, you can't always believe it when someone claims to have resigned from the Knicks: "Seven years earlier, Dolan fired Lenny Wilkens midway through the season despite a 40-41 record over parts of two years... The Knicks originally refuted a Daily News report that Wilkens was fired but years later a high ranking official admitted Wilkens was in fact fired and did not resign."
• The New York Times' Joanne C. Gerstner discussed the late Bob Boozer's legacy, which included a few seasons with the Knicks: "He was remembered for his humility and kindness as a person, and his outstanding talent as a 6-8 forward. Oscar Robertson, his Olympic and Bucks teammate, had an enduring close friendship with Boozer, speaking to him a few days before he died."
• Jeremy Lin will be a member of the USA Men's Select Team, wrote Steve Popper of The Bergen Record: "Lin played just 35 games for the Knicks this season, starting 25, before he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee. He tried to come back in the postseason, but never got back to full strength. The Select Team, which also includes NBA Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving of the Cavaliers and John Wall of the Wizards, will assemble in Las Vegas for a practice July 5 and then train with the National Team for six days."
• Even though he denied interest and denied speaking with the Orlando Magic, D'Antoni could be a candidate to replace Van Gundy, while former Knicks president Donnie Walsh is in the running to replace departed Magic general manager Otis Smith, wrote Howard Beck of the Times: "Now that the Orlando Magic have purged their front office, after a season soaked in drama and dysfunction, two experts in the field, both with New York ties, could lead the list of replacement candidates... Mike D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh, who each left the Knicks within the past year after wearying of the team’s perpetual drama, are expected to be top candidates in Orlando, D’Antoni for the coaching job and Walsh for the general manager position."
• Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com wrote a piece on how Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler can play better together: "Let's face it: The hefty contracts of Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler -- which equal $53 million next season and give the Knicks little salary-cap room -- wouldn't get as much attention if the Big Three played better together... When all three were on the court, their collective plus-minus was minus-9, and the team's field goal and 3-point percentages were only 45.1 and 26.8. The spacing on the court was sometimes jammed -- mostly based on Chandler and Stoudemire occupying similar space -- which slowed down ball movement and limited good shots from downtown."
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