NBA / Sep 14, 2011 / 12:30 pm

When The Lockout Ends, The Knicks Will Be Ready To Play Defense

By

Amar'e Stoudemire

Amar'e Stoudemire (photo. King Lawrence)

Already having one of the most offensively-gifted minds in the game in D’Antoni, the Knicks’ second plan of action this summer was to appoint a defensive-minded assistant coach. That move came a few weeks ago when Mike Woodson was hired to the staff.

While some might see Woodson as a future replacement for D’Antoni, for the short term it can be viewed as a one-two punch much like the situation in Boston last year with Doc Rivers and Lawrence Frank. A little help goes a long way.

Woodson, a former first-round pick of the Knicks, perfected his craft under the tutelage of Larry Brown. After winning a championship in 2004 with the Pistons, he took over as the head coach in Atlanta. Although he coached the Hawks to a top-10 defense in almost every season he was there, his failure to make adjustments in a 2010 playoff series against the Magic led to his demise.

Despite his failures in Atlanta, an assistant job will give him the capability to concentrate solely on his bread and butter: defense. Sure the Knicks don’t have the defensive pieces that the Hawks had, but with plenty of cap space and a new team attitude, Woodson might be just what the Knicks needed to put them over the top.

To be competitive on defense, two of the most important things to have are a tough mentality and quality coaching. Obviously, the Knicks were lacking in this department over the last few seasons. But with Donnie Walsh out the door, a new Knicks regime plans on being dedicated on this front. One thing for sure though is that the 2011-12 New York Knicks will be much better prepared for each and every game that they play. Combined with their prolific offense, they will once again be a force to be reckoned with.

What do you think?

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  • George W Kush Sr

    I fucking hope so

  • sh!tfaced

    when pigs fly
    when hell freezes over
    when the lockout ends

    …the knicks will be ready to play defense. hah!

  • http://www.dimemag.com Aron Phillips

    Haha. Not with ‘Melo, Amar’e and someone else sporting an apostrophe in their name.

  • beiber newz

    people sleeping on the knicks. i saw flashes at the end of last season and that group had little to no practice with each other. practice is more so predicated on helping offense but with the help of new coaches and a better mindset, the knicks will be BETTER at D. the title makes it sound like you saying the knicks will be an all time defensive squad. and judging by the comments, that is exactly how people took it. don’t read too much into it. the knicks will be better at least and that’s for sure. whether they will be phenomenal is what’s in question.

  • kevin

    i hate when ppl dog carmelo for not playing defense. i remember a certain paul pierce who “never played d” either until ray allen and kg came on board. now pierce is known as one of the better defending small forwards in the league.

  • http://facebook papi1emc

    Listen, I love it when so many people doubt whats happening in NY, its like you don’t want to beleive it or someting. The Knicks can’t be good, like it never happened before, like it won’t ever happen again. In a high profile, media run world, ask yourselfs one thing? What stage is bigger than the Madison Square Garden, what? You think Amare and Carmello are the only two people who want to do it big in New York? Where looking at history in the making folks of epic propotion, who’s going to be a part of the team that bring the championship back into the Garden? You don’t think that’s not like the ultimate achievement, if you balled, you would NOT want that on your resume? Of course they gonna play defense and they gonna get better players when this lock out ends, I heard Crawford might want back in to the Garden. Can you imagine him as your six man, on a team with Amare and Melo, WHOA… Wake up people, NY is too high profile of a place and the mission is clear, We want the next Campionship Bannor swing over the Garden floor and its gonna happen. So let it go, there’s about a thousand other reasons you can find to hate on NY or get your kicks out of laughing at NY but this one won’t be there much longer

  • beiber newz

    ayyyyyyyyyyy papiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

    good thesis or whatever. the knicks are back.

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