Amar’e Stoudemire: Knicks Need to Become a Defensive Team

Amar’e is excited about the hiring of defensive-minded assistant coach Mike Woodson, and says that the Knicks will need to lock people up if they intend to become title contenders. From the NY Daily News: “Mike D’Antoni won’t label Mike Woodson as a defensive coach, but Amar’e Stoudemire suggested that Woodson has a clearly defined role on the Knicks bench. ‘I think it’s great,’ Stoudemire said Wednesday. ‘It’s definitely what we talked about, improving defensively. With the help of Mike (Woodson) it’s going to be really positive for us. But it’s up to us as players to take that commitment and implement it. After the Knicks were swept by Boston in the first round last April, the front office ordered D’Antoni to alter his coaching staff and focus more on defense. ‘For us to win a championship, defense has to be a primary force,’ Stoudemire added. ‘It has to be something that we focus in on. Everyone has to buy into it and everyone has to become much better.'”