According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Mike Woodson should join the Knicks “somehow”. The Knicks have not formally announced his hiring, but it makes sense. Woodson is a CAA client and has been in good grace with Leon Rose, Carmelo Anthony’s agent, for his work as New York head coach from 2012 to 2014, where he led the team to the playoffs twice and the second round in 2013 .
Fast forward to 2020, and Leon Rose manages the Knicks, and Mike Woodson is looking forward to returning to New York following his unceremonious release in 2014.
Mike Woodson was Doc Rivers’ assistant in Los Angeles for four years, and it was expected that he would be Igor Kokoskov’s principal assistant in Phoenix during the 2018-19 season. A deal did not materialize, leaving Woodson out of the game for two seasons.
Despite his absence from the game, Woodson would have been a terrific addition to Tom Thibodeau’s staff as an assistant. Like Thibodeau, Woodson is a defensive mind who pushes his teams to play hard-nosed defense.
However, one of Tom Thibodeau’s biggest criticisms is his relationship with the younger generation of NBA players. Woodson, who is well-liked and is considered a player coach, could potentially help Thibodeau in that department. While Woodson may not seem like the kind of coach that 19 and 20-year-olds can be about, his resume shows that players love and respect him.