Former New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson has criticised team president Phil Jackson for his decision to trade Tyson Chandler to the Dallas Mavericks.
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Jackson arrived at the franchise last season and immediately began to make changes to the roster and the coaching staff as he wanted to change the culture.
That process has continued through this season in what has been an utterly forgettable campaign for Knicks fans, but he is confident that they are on the right path to becoming competitive in the seasons to come.
However, Woodson still doesn’t agree with his decision to let Chandler leave, with the towering center seen as a rock of the team and its spiritual leader during his stint as coach at Madison Square Garden.
“Had I stayed on board, I probably would’ve pushed to keep Tyson and keep the core group together because that’s what won the 54 games two years ago. But people change. You got to live with it. They’ve had a tough season so far,” Woodson said, the New York Post reported.
“Hopefully they can rebound this summer and put some pieces together and get back to winning basketball games.”
While the move has arguably worked out well for all concerned given that the Knicks were able to move Raymond Felton’s contract in the deal and Chandler has proven to be a success in his second spell in Dallas, Woodson’s criticism perhaps isn’t warranted.
However, the Los Angeles Clippers assistant has a point in that Chandler was a key piece for the Knicks during his time with the organisation and their lack of presence in the paint and rim protection has been a key reason as to why they have struggled.
Jackson will undoubtedly be looking to strengthen in that area this summer, and he will want to acquire a player that is capable of leading the team for a number of years rather than the shorter window that Chandler will have offered.
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