James Dolan can say he supports Mike Wooson as the head coach of the New York Knicks, but as the losing streak continues, fingers are being pointed. The Knicks cannot use players as the escape goats for the team's struggles, so Woodson is starting to take the hit. As questions begin to rise over just how secure his job is, Woodson is reportedly hurting trade negotiations.
The Knicks are not hiding the fact they are shopping Iman Shumpert in a trade that could help them get some defensive presence on the court in the wake of Tyson Chandler's injury. However, Shumpert has seen a drop in numbers this season, resulting in stalled negotiations with other teams.
Throughout the nine-game losing streak, Shumpert is averaging just 6.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists when on the court. He rarely touches the ball on offense anymore, fueling the fired that he might be misused. Not to mention, he has not done a great job of hiding his frustrations. He was caught arguing with Carmelo Anthony and was later benched, not returning for the remainder of the game.
According to ESPNNewYork.com, Woodson is being blamed for the struggles of Shumpert. General manager Steve Mills is using the poor coaching excuse when attempting to trade Shumpert and explaining why his numbers are down. "They're saying that Shumpert's a better player [than he's shown] but Woodson isn't using him right," one league source told the site. So, yes, the Knicks could be throwing Woodson right under the bus when it comes to trade negotiations.
Woodson has never appeared to favor Shumpert. He pushed the guard much of the offseason, challenging to see whether or not he could be a true starter for the team over JR Smith. He questioned whether or not Shumpert had improved his maturity and questioned whether he could be a productive offensive player.
"This thing is buzzing around out there that I don't like Iman," Woodson said. "I have a great deal of respect for Iman. Last year, nobody said that when J.R. was the guy that we challenged last year and it worked out pretty well for J.R., I think. Iman, being a younger player, is a guy I see a lot of potential that I'm trying to push to get it out of him."
Several teams appear to be in play for Shumpert. The latest reports say the Cleveland Cavaliers are interested in a deal for Dion Waiters. All signs point to Shumpert being gone by the deadline, the only question is whether or not Woodson goes with him.
