It's (going to be) official: Mike Woodson is the Knicks' newest assistant coach. Alan Hahn (as did Howard Beck, in his own way) twat the news, and here's a full report from Marc Berman. Folks (the Knicks especially) are backing away from calling Woodson a "defensive" coach, but this is ostensibly the Official Mike D'Antoni Begrudging Addition To The Staff So As To Appease The Powers That Be that's been rumored ever since he was in Phoenix. How they'll delegate offensive versus defensive stuff remains to be seen, as does Woodson's ability to improve New York's dreadful D (Dreadful D, or perhaps Dreddful D, would be a great name for a terrible rapper). I don't really see much use in projecting his work in Atlanta on the Knicks' tooootally different roster, and would rather just wait and see what happens, then overreact. Of course, I invite you to do otherwise.
Mostly, I'm excited to have this guy in the organization because he's really fun-looking and has a really shiny head and because there are now two "Mikes" on the coaching staff. The more Mikes the merrier, as they say. And, like I've said before, I'm quietly stocking up on "Mike and Mike" headlines for the future. Can't wait.
Welcome, Coach Woodson!
Update, via Brian Mahoney: "Mike Woodson on conference call going out of his way to make clear he's not only a defensive guy. "I'm just a coach" he says a few times."
He's in for quite a surprise when he's contractually forbidden from touching a basketball, using the word "shoot", or so much as facing the opposing basket.