The Knicks’ latest setback, a home loss to the Wizards, does what every New York loss does: It intensifies the public scrutiny on Mike Woodson.
But within the walls of Madison Square Garden, that’s not necessarily the case.
First of all, who knows what James Dolan is thinking? There’s little sense using logic to guess how he’ll run his team.
And another key Knicks decision-maker isn’t ready to publically chastise Woodson or reveal any behind-the-scenes discussions about the coach’s future. Carmelo Anthony, via Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com:
What else is Melo supposed to say? Whenever someone has only one reasonable way to answer a question, I don’t usually put much stock in the response. This is no exception. Even if he has heard from management that Woodson might be fired, Melo isn’t going to admit it now.
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Melo will always publically support the Knicks’ coach, because once Melo stops, that person will no longer be the Knicks’ coach. It’s a superstars’ league, and Melo yields a particularly large amount of power – especially entering free agency this summer.
This wasn’t a public endorsement, but Melo is allowing Woodson to continue with his job for now.