The New York Knicks need to place blame for their nine-game losing streak and the first person to take a hit is head coach Mike Woodson. Naturally, the head coach is being said to be on the hot seat as the Knicks continue to fail at the start of the 2013 season. As Woodson's job security continues to be put into question, Carmelo Anthony is concerned it is becoming an unnecessary distraction.
The Knicks are currently tied with the Milwaukee Bucks for the worst record in the league, sitting at 3-13. They have lost seven games in a row at home while losing nine-straight overall. Despite the numbers, owner James Dolan had remained in Woodson's corner. He gave him the public vote of confidence, but one more loss and that might no longer be the case. Anthony is well-aware of the rumors and says the team is worried.
"Yeah, we're worried about that. But then again, we've got to worry about playing basketball, man," Anthony said, via ESPNNewYork.com. "I think that's been a problem in New York all this time. Everybody worries about what's being said on the outside. As a team, we've got to stick together. We've got to control our locker room. We've got to control what happens on the basketball court. We can't worry about the speculation that's going on outside this building and we shouldn't. And as a leader of this team, I'll try my best not to allow that."
Anthony expected these types of rumors to begin circulating. The forward says whenever a team is losing in a large market like New York, people want change immediately and the coach is normally the first to take the hit. He expects the trade rumors and firing rumors to continue until the team figures out what is wrong.
"I mean, anytime you're in a situation like this, people try to figure out what's next," Anthony said. "Right now [the speculation is about Woodson's job status]. Yesterday it might have been me. Tomorrow might be me. We've got to deal with that. We can't worry about that. Only thing we can control is what happens in here on the basketball court and go from there."
On Tuesday, the New York Post reported that Jeff Van Gundy was being targeted as the replacement for Woodson should he get fired soon. The current NBA analyst and former NBA coach is no stranger to having his name brought up with each firing that takes place. His name swirled around teams like the Atlanta Hawks and the Denver Nuggets who were both in the midst of coaching searches last year.
While the Knicks may want to bring back Van Gundy, sources tell the SI.com that he would not be interested. A source close to the coach says that if Van Gundy were to return to the court, he would do so in a situation where he would get a full training camp with a team.
