By Associated Press, Updated: Wednesday, March 14, 6:29 PM
NEW YORK — Maybe there’s a big-name coach out there who can bring out the best in Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks.
Mike D’Antoni decided Wednesday he wasn’t that guy. And so, he resigned, surprising even his bosses.
“It wasn’t just Carmelo,” interim general manager Glen Grunwald said. “I think it was our whole team was not playing up to where we thought they could be and I know Mike was as frustrated as anyone about that and that’s what led him to that decision, that maybe there needs to be a new approach and look at it.”
Assistant Mike Woodson will serve as interim head coach, starting with Wednesday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks’ brief resurgence in a wave of Linsanity last month has been replaced by a six-game losing streak that has dropped them into a tie for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, along of speculation of friction between D’Antoni and his All-Star forward.
D’Antoni ran the Knicks through their morning shootaround, but not before stopping into Grunwald’s office at the Knicks’ training center and telling him and fellow executive Allan Houston of his intentions.
Grunwald called MSG chairman James Dolan, who went up to the Westchester training center for what he called a “very honest” conversation with the D’Antoni. He later said the parting was mutual.
“He clearly felt it was best for the organization if he were not to continue as coach of the team. He did offer to stay,” Dolan said during a press conference. “After a long discussion, we did agree it was best for the organization to have new voice moving forward.”
Dolan made it clear that he believes in the players and still expects a playoff berth. D’Antoni said before the season that the Knicks should be a contender, but they haven’t looked like one in the last 10 games — all since Anthony returned from a groin injury.
New York is just 2-8 in that span, and D’Antoni wasn’t the only one who couldn’t figure out why the Knicks couldn’t win with their best player.
“It’s hard to explain why we have struggled and I don’t really don’t want to get too deep on that,” Woodson said. “I think what’s more important is that we move forward.”
A message was left with D’Antoni seeking comment.
He seemed upbeat after the morning practice and gave no indication of his plans. Asked the last thing he said to players, rookie Iman Shumpert said: “Well, this morning it was, ‘See you tonight.’ So like I said, it’s a shock to us.”
Anthony said after the shootaround he supported the coach “100 percent,” denying a New York Post report that he would like a trade before Thursday’s deadline.
D’Antoni acknowledged the media frenzy around the sinking club but believed the Knicks would handle it.
“You battle against it. I think we’re cohesive enough to battle through this, and we expect to do that,” he said.
His departure comes less than a month after he seemed rejuvenated by the emergence of Jeremy Lin, the undrafted point guard from Harvard who came off the end of the bench and proved to be the player who could properly run his offensive system.
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