The New York Knicks have been off to a terrible start this season and with nine losses in a row coming after a loss to the Pelicans, the seat under head coach Mike Woodson is getting very hot and new reports say that Jeff Van Gundy could be his replacement if James Dolan decides to fire the top man.
The Knicks have been stuck in a losing streak for quite some time and James Dolan looks to be getting impatient and with the equally disappointing Brooklyn Nets hosting the team on Thursday, a loss there could send Woodson packing. When Woodson came in he immediately had an impact and then last season he led the team to 50 wins and division title, but this season has been a total disaster and now the reports are continuing to come out about his job security.
According to SI.com and the New York Post, Van Gundy is the top option is James Dolan decides to fire Woodson, as he is familiar with the franchise and has long been considered a prime coaching candidate despite his happiness in the broadcast booth. The report says that if the Knicks lose on Thursday to the Nets, which could be when things go down. The report also details the talk Dolan had when the losing streak was at two, with Dolans saying that he had confidence in Woodson, but with the streak now at nine, that could all be different.
The Post reports that Van Gundy is a favorite for the job IF Dolan makes a move and one of the main reasons he may do that is the way the team is playing. It isn't just that they are losing, but the effort and attitude does not seem to be right and Dolan may end up putting that on the coach. Iman Shumpert has come up in trade rumors since the streak began and the team was close to trading him for Kenneth Faried. The loss of Tyson Chandler has been huge for the team to overcome and now it looks like Van Gundy could be in line for a new job.
The Post wrote about the past issues with Van Gundy and Dolan, but that was years ago and general manager Steve Mills has a relationship with him as well that could help. The Post also writes how Van Gundy had a "mea culpa" moment when he quit the Knicks and that could be the first step in him making a comeback to the franchise, as the coach said he "regretted" that decision "to this day". The report also says that Patrick Ewing could come to return as his top assistant coach, but obviously before any of that can happen, Mike Woodson needs to be canned.
