Despite the Knicks having their best year since the 1990s, their coach, Mike Woodson, is on the hot seat, writes ESPN Insider Amin Elhassan [subscription only]. Elhassan goes through five coaches entering the 2013/14 campaign on the hot seat, where their team's success could determine whether they're brought back for the 2014/15 season.
The other four coaches mentioned include Mike D'Antoni of the Lakers, Monty Williams of the Pelicans, Tyrone Corbin of the Jazz, and Randy Wittman of the Wizards.
Conversely, when Roderick Boone of Newsday spoke with new Nets coach Jason Kidd, the new face in Brooklyn told him there was "exciting nervousness" as the team entered training camp. It will be the first training camp for Kidd as a head coach and the first training camp he hasn't begun as a player since the summer before he entered the league in 1994.
Kidd went on to explain to Roderick why he's lucky to start as the coach with the veteran-laden Nets:
"The nice thing about this opportunity with this team is guys being able to sacrifice," Kidd told Boone, "and that's another thing with these guys. Maybe sacrifice a shot or two. Maybe even some of the younger guys will say, 'Yeah, I don't mind not playing the fourth quarter,' and that's sacrifice. It's less minutes and less shots and it gets us a win."
Here's more from around the top-heavy Atlantic division…
- Woodson's challenge with the Knicks this season could be even harder if they don't get healthy as Al Iannazzone writes about for Newsday on the eve of training camp.
- ESPN New York's Ian Begley has a power forward preview for the Knicks. Though Carmelo Anthony played a lot at the 4 last season when the Knicks went small, all their offseason moves — acquiring Andrea Bargnani in a trade with the Raptors, picking up Metta World Peace after he cleared amnesty waivers and signing Kenyon Martin as a free agent – mean the Knicks will have a lot of depth to spell Anthony while also avoiding injuries for their reserves.
- Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal has more on the Knicks' decision to promote Steve Mills to GM while demoting Glen Grunwald.
- The Sixers had a low-key first day of practice as they opened training camp today, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Tom Moore of the Intelligencer agrees that new Sixers coach Brett Brown was smart to start things slow in his first official practice as coach.
- The Sixers aren't expected to compete for anything but a lottery pick this season after trading Jrue Holiday to the Pelicans on draft day, but at least they have a plan opines Pompey.
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