Woodson: Don't feel need to audition
— -- NEW YORK -- Mike Woodson may have been sending a message to Phil Jackson on Saturday morning.
The embattled New York Knicks coach said that he doesn't feel the need to audition for his job over the final 16 games of the regular season. There has been widespread speculation that Jackson will fire Woodson and hire his own head coach for the 2014-15 season.
"I don't think I need to prove anything as a coach. I've never felt that way. I try to do my job the best I can do, and if you're gonna judge me on 16 games, then that's on you," Woodson said before the Knicks (27-40) beat the Bucks on Saturday for their sixth straight win.
Woodson acknowledged that Jackson would likely be making changes, but never addressed his own future.
"When someone new comes in he has his own thought process and philosophy in terms of how he feels and how the shape of the team should be," Woodson said. "And until he gets here you just have no idea what he's thinking and which direction he wants to go."
"It's basketball. Teams, they try to reshape, they go through changes, and this is no different," the coach added. "You bring in a great basketball mind into your organization and eventually it'll be reshaped. So how and who and when, only time will tell."
Woodson, who is under contract next season, has said that he'd like to sit down and discuss basketball philosophy with Jackson, with whom he doesn't have an extensive relationship. Woodson coached against Jackson's Lakers and spent time with him last season when Jackson was in town to celebrate the Knicks' 1973 championship team.
As he has in recent days, Woodson again expressed respect for Jackson on Saturday.
"Anytime you can get a great basketball mind that comes into your organization, I mean, it can't do nothing but help," Woodson said. "I mean, Phil's been through the ringer. He's won titles. He's dealt with players individually. He's dealt with players as a team. I mean, there's probably not a lot he hasn't seen from a basketball standpoint, so I think it's got to be a plus."
Woodson was asked after the game how much time he expected Jackson to spend working with players.
"I can't really answer that question. Because this is gonna be new for Phil. Phil's always in the locker room coaching, and he's teaching normally," Woodson said. "As a general manager, you gotta be able to teach and support and build and do all the things necessary to get your team put together and hopefully that teams plays at a high level and win. That's everybody's dream. But I don't know what to expect, I don't."
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