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Mike Woodson will say stuff sometimes, but he's not going to sit here and say it. He's made that clear since he worked for the Hawks, and he reiterated it on the day he signed on as a Knicks assistant coach:
"I'm not going to sit here and say that I'm just a defensive coach. I think I can help Mike offensively as well. I'm just a coach."
In two and a half years since joining the team, Woodson has consistently not sat here and said things. He's made not sitting here and saying things a hallmark of his tenure as coach, along with not kicking people to the curb.
4/21/12- Woodson on getting a full-time extension on his interim head coaching job:
"Depending on where this team goes, I want to be the guy who's in charge running the show and finishing. That might not be in the cards. I don't know. But I'm not going to sit here and complain about that."
12/18/12- Woodson on Carmelo Anthony's recovery from an ankle injury:
"I'm not going to sit here and rush him."
1/9/13- Woodson on Amar'e Stoudemire's return from knee surgery:
"This is a long haul, guys. I'm not going to sit here and jeopardize STAT's situation."
5/15/13- Woodson on hardly using Pablo Prigioni during the Knicks' series against the Pacers:
Asked after the game why he gave Prigioni so little run, Woodson said, "He played under 4 minutes. I'm not going to sit here and explain it."
Woodson not sitting here and saying things has only increased this season.
12/17/13- Woodson on reports of a rift between him and J.R. Smith:
"I didn't read a report," Woodson said before Monday's game. "So again, guys, I'm not going to sit here and air out things that go on in our locker room. J.R. and I are fine.
Again, guys.
12/27/13- Woodson on coaching his team through injuries:
"I'm not going to sit here and complain," Woodson said. "I mean, we've had a lot of injuries. I can't control that. But what I can control if we do have a full deck, I can control how we play. We have not had a full deck. And I'm talking about key guys that have been out. I'm just anxious, my staff and I, to see where we are. I know if we do have a full deck we've got a chance to win basketball games. I truly believe that."
1/23/14- Woodson on his job security and rumors of losing his team:
"I am not going to sit here and let the media tear up our team inside with what we are trying to do. My thing is I got to keep guys in place, keep guys playing hard and believe we can still make the playoffs.''
2/4/14- Woodson on the Atlantic Division standings:
"I don't think any one of us can sit here and beg and hope that somebody loses."
Oh, so now other people can't sit here either?
2/12/14: Woodson on the potential of a deadline trade:
"I like the makeup of our team," Woodson said. "We just haven't been assembled very long together on the floor based on the all injuries that we've had. Again, I'm not going to sit here and discuss what we do in-house."
2/17/14: Woodson on everything going on right now:
"I'm not going to sit here and jump on our team,'' Woodson said. "I came into this season thinking I can win with this team. And I still feel that way based on all the injuries we had and the ups and down we've had with our team."
It's contagious, too. J.R. Smith won't sit here and tell you he's the white angel. Even our own Joe Flynn won't sit here and tell you what to do.
And it's not that Woodson doesn't like sitting. He just isn't going to sit here. So where is "here", exactly? Where won't Mike Woodson sit and say things? Is it right on the floor at Knicks' training center? In the press conference room? In his office?
In fact, as he told Marc Berman, "here" is a boat:
"Guys, I'm not in that boat to sit here and talk about my job status."
Again, guys, he's not going to sit here:
(Original Photo: Jeff Hanisch US Presswire)
UPDATE: He'll lie down in the boat, though.