Rowan Kavner
NEW YORK CITY – Mike Woodson’s used to taking the court at Madison Square Garden, but not in this role with the opposing team.
Woodson, now an assistant coach with the Clippers, stepped onto the court at Madison Square Garden as an opposing coach Wednesday night for the first time since leaving the Knicks, where he served as head coach from late in the 2011-12 season through last year.
“It’s good to be back,” Woodson said. “I’ve kind of moved on. Two years ago was a great run for our ball club and a lot of things have changed since then. All I can say is that I wish them nothing but the best and I truly mean that when I say that. I don’t wish losing on anybody as a coach.”
It’s been a rough year for the Knicks, who own the NBA’s worst record, in Woodson’s first season away from the team.
Woodson took over as head coach in New York in March 2012 and closed the year by winning 18 of the team’s final 24 games. The next season, he took the Knicks to the playoffs again with a 54-28 record before being let go after a 37-45 year last season.
“The bottom line is we had a tough season,” Woodson said. “We had a lot of injuries as well my last year and I couldn’t get around it. I lost guys at pivotal times throughout the season and it was tough to rebound from it. Once we started to get bodies back toward the latter part of last season, we made that big push to get the eighth spot but fell short.”
Woodson said when Phil Jackson arrived as team president, Jackson “had his mind made up based on what he wanted to do,” and Woodson said he respected that decision but that he wouldn’t downplay what the Knicks accomplished in his time there.
“I’m pretty happy about our play and the style of play we had here,” Woodson said. “It’s not easy winning 54 games in this league … you can’t take anything away from that team. That team was very competitive and won a lot of games for us.”
While his last season in New York didn’t go the way he would’ve liked, Woodson doesn’t look at returning to Madison Square Garden with any contempt or disdain.
“I had an opportunity here and I didn’t get it done, I guess, so I had to move on,” Woodson said. “I’m happy as hell to be in L.A. with Doc (Rivers), a friend of mine who I’ve known for many, many years. He’s given me an opportunity to help him try to get the Clippers to the Finals and perhaps win a title. That’s what it’s all about.
“It was a good three years for me. I was blessed to be able to come in here and get an opportunity. This is where I was drafted and played my rookie year and to be able to circle back and be given an opportunity to be a head coach of the team, it was fantastic. I just tried to make the most of it, and sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t. I have no hard feelings toward anybody in New York. I mean, it was a good run.”
It was a run as a head coach he hopes to one day get to experience again.
Woodson said he’ll “push in that direction” at some point to see if he’s “able to get back in the driver’s seat” as an NBA head coach. But for now, he’s enjoying being an assistant once again. Woodson’s been a head coach for two teams and now an assistant coach for six teams.
Rivers believes Woodson will eventually become a head coach again, but he’s enjoying having Woodson as an assistant in the meantime.
“Things change quickly,” Rivers said. “I’d love Woody to still be coaching. He is, but with me. He’s a head coach, and he’ll be a head coach again. We know that. Things have changed (for the Knicks). They had to make a decision. If you’re building in the right direction, you keep building. If not, you try to tear it up and get it right. I think that’s what they’re doing and that’s what they’re going through.”
The Clippers would go on Wednesday night to beat the Knicks by 31, marking their largest margin of victory ever at Madison Square Garden, and Woodson was in the players' thoughts.
"The coaching profession as we all know is a very fickle thing," said J.J. Redick. "The second you’re hired, you’re on your way to being fired - that’s what it seems like. There’s a lot of turnover year to year. I thought what Woody did was great. He had some great teams. The team that won 54 games was the best team they had in a long, long time. He has a lot to be proud about with his time here.”
