Still it's a serious issue. Melo was obviously not in top shape and it seems that was a huge part of the problem this year with him slumping, getting his shot blocked at an alarming rate and his nagging injuries. He came on late in the year after pushing himself, but that's got to stop!!!

Woody also includes others but really STAT wasn't cleared to workout until very late. I don't remember when Melo was cleared to workout but I don't remember him being as bad off as STAT.

Mike Woodson’s message to Carmelo Anthony this offseason will have a familiar ring to it: Improve your fitness.

Despite being one of the NBA’s elite scorers, Anthony has seen his weight and conditioning get criticized in the past, and Woodson wants his best player to address those issues this summer.

“I’ve got to push him to be in better shape when you start the season,” Woodson said Friday. “Everybody’s got to be in better shape. There’s a lot of things that’s got to be changed, not a lot of things, but there’s got to be some changes for this team to really get to the next level.”

The Knicks trail the Miami Heat 3-0 in their first-round playoff series and have lost an NBA-record 13 straight postseason games. Woodson is not a lock to return as coach, although his 18-6 record to close out the regular season makes him the odds-on favorite to retain the job.

If the Knicks sign Woodson to an extension, he knows that there will be more pressure on him, Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler to win.

“Expectations are not going to change here in New York and they shouldn’t,” Woodson said. “Rightfully so. Melo is going to have to raise his game. He’s got to do some things this summer to better his game as well as Tyson and Amar’e and all the supporting cast that might return.

“If I’m the head coach here I’ve got to make sure that happens because that’s the only way you’re going to get out of the rut in terms of him (Anthony) being a first-round exit. He’s got to change that.

“Us not winning a playoff game, that’s got to change on my part along with the guys that return.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/mike-woodson-carmelo-anthony-shape-season-article-1.1072906#ixzz1tyutzUlO

This guy doesn't take the game seriously, if he did he wouldn't have half assed it the entire season. He is making 18MM a year, training for a couple of hours a day is a pretty easy thing to do. He got in shape one season and dominated, it's about time he does the same.

If the worse owner in the sport can raise tickets after two sweeps and no improvement, the coach can demand his over weight diva small forward dedicates himself.

Bonn1997 wrote:
Starmelo is next. Maybe someone with more time can crop his face on this pic.

Wait, you mean that isn't Carmelo?

Overweight and underachieving, I can hardly tell the diff.

The thing is Melo did make an effort to get in shape during the offseason- he was definitely thinner during the lockout. Unfortunately, as the lockout dragged on, he started putting the weight back on again, and then when he sat out due to all his injuries in the middle of the season, he put on a bit more weight.

Uptown wrote:Why wouldn't a coach demand that his players be in shape at the start of the season? This quote from Woodson also stood out to me, [i]"There’s a lot of things that’s got to be changed, not a lot of things, but there’s got to be some changes for this team to really get to the next level.”[/i]

I think this is an indictment of the previous coach. We all know MDA was laid-back, non-confrontational players coach. Since MDA has been here, we also get off to slow starts, partly because guys were probabaly out of shape (remember how fat Felton was at the start of the season) and MDA never demanded it. This is also the reason why this team is much better defensively under Woodson than they were under MDA, because Woodson is demanding it and is holding players accountable. I love Woodson's approach and hope he signs an extention. He's not afraid to call out hiss players, stars included....

You think that a coach famous for having the fastest teams in the league that usually ran teams out of the building isn't demanding players be in shape??? What can he actually do to a player to force him to be in great shape anyway? Everyone knows you had to be in great shape to run SSOL. Shame on any player that isn't self motivated to be in the best shape possible. As for Felton he was even worse after leaving the Knicks. Melo was pretty much the only one not taking it seriously so you can't blame a coach for his lack of dedication to being the best!!!

BasketballJones wrote:How dare Woody say that. Fire him now.

I hope Woody sticks around, after Phil is hired. He's the kind of coach that represents NYC. Thick skin, not afraid to challenge his players or speak his mind.

My old boss once told me something very true....You have to put your job on the line every once in a while....Something MDA never did.

blkexec wrote:My old boss once told me something very true....You have to put your job on the line every once in a while....Something MDA never did.

This isn't really a big knock on MDA IMO. Every coach is different in how they handle such things. Tony Dungy and Lovey Smith both excelled as coaches with a laid back style!!!

Tony Dungy bests protege Lovie Smith ... discussing daily the laid-back personalities and Christian faith they share, as well as their groundbreaking success.