Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

The New York Knicks are 4-0 under new coach Mike Woodson. There haven’t been a lot of new offensive sets — they still run a lot of Jeremy Lin pick-and-rolls with Tyson Chandler, although Carmelo Anthony gets a few more isolations. The defense has improved.

What has been the difference? Carmelo Anthony is trying.

Credit it to Woodson holding ‘Melo accountable or whatever else you want, Anthony said he’s giving a better effort. Here is the quote, via Newsday.

“I think in the last three games, my focus was to have an energy that I haven’t had so far this season, especially on the defensive end,” he said. “Everybody on this team knows, everybody in the world knows I can score the basketball. It’s not that important to me.”

He will spin it another way, but is there another way to read that other than “I’m trying harder.” Coaching changes will bring a new energy to a team, but if you are the star of a team, the leader, it shouldn’t change the effort level.

Mike D’Antoni is more of a players’ coach — he’s not a screamer, he expects players to act like professionals. That worked great with a Steve Nash led locker room — he’s about as self motivated a guy as there is in the league.

That strategy did not work with the Knicks. Woodson, he gets in guys faces. Anthony said he welcomes that.

“When he got the job, I told him, ‘Hold me accountable,’ ” Anthony said of Woodson. “I don’t have a problem with criticism. If I can do something to help better this team, let me know. And he’s been doing that.”

(Story Continues…)

WRITTEN BY Kurt Helin & FULL STORY HERE