The Knicks are searching for a new coach and some interesting names are starting to pop up as candidates. It was reported Saturday that David Fizdale and Jerry Stackhouse were on the list of candidates that New York would interview. On Sunday, David Blatt and Mike Woodson were added to the growing list of interviewees, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Blatt is looking for a second shot at the NBA. His first stint with the Cavaliers saw him reach the NBA Finals, but he was fired during his second season due to differences he was having with the team. He's been a very successful coach in Europe with multiple EuroLeague titles.
New York has received permission to talk with a former Knicks head coach – Los Angeles Clippers assistant Mike Woodson, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 15, 2018
The Knicks have set up a meeting with ex-Cavaliers coach David Blatt too, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 15, 2018
Woodson wants another crack at his old job, at least that's what he told Marc Berman of the New York Post on Sunday. Woodson was coach of the Knicks from 2012-2014 where he coached New York to a 54-win season and led them to their first playoff series victory in 12 years. He is currently an assistant with the Clippers. He's highly regarded in that role and has respect around the league, but his tenure as a coach in the past isn't overwhelming.
If he were to get hired, this would be Woodson's second stint with the Knicks. His high points with may have been great, but the low points drove New York fans insane. He's a defensive-minded coach, but his Knicks teams had a below-average defense every season. For Woodson though, he views this as an unfinished job -- one that he thinks he has the necessary experience for.
"I don't want to hide the fact I'd love to be back,'' Woodson told the Post in a phone interview. "I'd like to finish what I started. At the end of the day, you want to come to New York, based on my body of work there. I want it to be mutual. I want them to want me. I hope they call me.''
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"I think in New York, it's better to have done this before,'' Woodson said. "You can ask Derek Fisher that. I like New York, but New York is a tough place to coach.''
Blatt is a successful coach abroad, but there are legitimate questions about his ability to transition to the NBA. Many believe that he was a good coach in Cleveland and was forced out by the players. Others look at the lack of respect he had with the roster, and many of the coaching gaffes he made as proof that talent was masking his faults. One thing is for sure, Cleveland was the wrong place for him to start his NBA career. Maybe New York would be different.
