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For the first time since stepping down from the Knicks on March 14, former coach Mike D'Antoni spoke publicly about his decision and discussed briefly why he didn't want to finish the season.

In an interview with SI.com, D'Antoni confirmed that he quit and was not fired.

"I absolutely resigned," he told Sports Illustrated's Jack McCallum. "I was in my car driving to shootaround and it just came to me. That's it. It's inevitable. I have to resign. We're not going anywhere. I made the decision then and there. I called Glen [Grunwald] and told him that I was coming in to do it. Then I called Laurel [his wife] to tell her. Glen called in Mr. [James] Dolan and I met them after shootaround and told them that I was resigning."

D'Antoni also admitted that his coaching philosophy -- spread pick-and-rolls -- didn't necessarily work with how some players on the team preferred isolation and post-up plays. He didn't call out Carmelo Anthony specifically, but he directly implied it in an answer he gave on the topic.

"Look, I've coached players who post up. Heck, Amare [Stoudemire] has been a post-up player. We used to post up Boris Diaw a lot in Phoenix," he said. "There are always things that can be done by mixing it up. Now, was it the best situation for my coaching philosophy? No. But there's never one answer for why things don't work out."

D'Antoni also showed his humorous side during the interview. In a response to what his wife's reaction was when he told her he was resigning, he said, "She told me I should stop at the store on my way home because we were out of milk."

Looking ahead, D'Antoni said he would be interested in coaching again, but not for at least another year.

"I'm not making a secret about that. I want to get back," he said. "But nothing is going on now, and the smart money says that I will hang out here [at his New York home]. Michael [his son] will be a senior and to let him finish and graduate would be one good reason to stay here for a year."

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Count Carmelo Anthony among those who want to see New York Knicks interim head coach Mike Woodson back next year.

"Absolutely," Anthony told ESPN's Hannah Storm in an interview for ESPN's "Face2Face." "I'm a big supporter of what coach Woodson has done. His approach to the game, and what he gets out of all his players, even me. He holds everybody accountable and that's what we need."

Woodson took over the Knicks on March 14 when they were six games under .500 and in the midst of a six-game losing streak. Since then, the Knicks have gone 16-6.

The Knicks clinched their second straight playoff berth last week and enter play Tuesday in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, thanks in no small part to Anthony, who is averaging 31 points on 50 percent shooting in April.

The organization also announced Tuesday that interim GM Glen Grunwald will take over as executive vice president and general manager. This may help Woodson's case because both Grunwald and Woodson played together at Indiana University and remain close friends.

Anthony has repeatedly credited Woodson for holding players accountable.

He was asked again about supporting Woodson after practice on Tuesday.

The reasons Anthony cited included, "the confidence that (Woodson) instilled into everybody, the belief that he has in everybody. Just his coaching style, the way he's coached, (he's) kind of a hard-nosed coach. (He) holds everybody accountable out there, saying that everybody is responsible for their own actions. I would love to see him back around here."

Amare Stoudemire echoed that sentiment, but not to the same extent as Anthony.

"Coach Woodson has done a great job for us. He's done a phenomenal, phenomenal job," Stoudemire said. "I love his attitude. I love his coaching style. It would be nice (to have him back)."

As he has said in the past, Woodson reiterated on Tuesday that he would "love" to return to the Knicks' bench next season.

"I think when you've been given an opportunity to start something, you'd love to finish it. But again that's not my call," Woodson said. "And I think when that time comes, I'll probably have an opportunity to sit down and talk to (Madison Square Garden chairmen) Mr. (James) Dolan and management about it and hopefully it will work in my favor.

"But right now that's not my concern. My concern is finishing these (final) two games (of the regular season) and getting this team in the playoffs. ... That's what it's all about."

Dolan has said that the team would re-asses its coaching situation after the season. Many expect the Knicks to go after Phil Jackson, who won two of his 13 championship rings as a player with the Knicks. Jackson is currently retired from basketball. Kentucky coach John Calipari could also be a candidate. He has denied interest in leaving Kentucky.

If Woodson isn't retained by the Knicks, there should be several suitors for his services. But, according to two sources with knowledge of Woodson's thinking, his priority is to return to New York.

Click here for the full story.

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

Just in case you had any doubt, Knicks interim coach Mike Woodson 'absolutely' wants to coach the team next season.

Since taking over for Mike D'Antoni on March 14, Woodson has led the Knicks to a 9-3 record. They enter play Thursday with a one-game lead over Milwaukee.

In an interview on WFAN, Woodson was asked about next season.

'If you're asking me, 'Do I want to come back? Absolutely. I'd be foolish not to say that," Woodson said. "Because I think a healthy team next year going through a Mike Woodson camp, I think good things can happen."

In a separate interview on ESPN 1050 New York, Woodson was asked about the job. The Knicks are expected to look into other candidates, such as Phil Jackson and John Calipari.

"That's not my concern right now," Woodson said on "The Michael Kay Show.".... (Owner) Mr. (James) Dolan and ownership will make the decision on what they want to do when this is all said and done. But right now, I'm the head coach of the Knicks and I love it, I love what I do.

"I can't look over my shoulders worrying about tomorrow if I'm going to be here as a coach," Woodson added. "I've got 13 games to try to get something done and that's what I'm going to try to do."

Question: Do you want to see Woodson back as head coach? If not, who do you want on the Knicks' bench next year?

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

It would be silly to suggest that any of the Knicks are better off without Jeremy Lin.

New York played at a different level with Lin on the floor.

Since Linsanity began on Feb. 4, the Knicks averaged 100.8 points per 48 minutes with Lin. When Lin was on the bench, the Knicks scored just 95.8 per 48.

But if there's one player who may be better off with Lin out of the lineup, it's Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony thrives in isolation and never appeared comfortable sharing the floor with Lin, whose offense was based on ball movement. The numbers bear it out.

When Anthony shared the court with Lin, he averaged 18.5 points per 36 minutes and compiled a Player Efficiency Rating (rating of a player's per-minute production) of just 16, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

With Lin on the bench, Anthony scored 23.9 points per 36 minutes and had a PER of 23. His field goal percentage remained around 40 percent whether Lin was on the floor or on the bench. But he attempted 2.5 more shots and three more free throws per 36 minutes without Lin.

Anthony himself noted time and time again that he had to make "adjustments" with Lin on the court. The Knicks went just 2-8 when both players were healthy.

“Any time you go from having the ball and me distributing and now just waiting for it to come to me ... that’s part of the adjustment for myself,” he said after a frustrating loss to Dallas in early March.

Anthony won't have to make those adjustments anymore. Lin underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and is expected to be out for six weeks.

With Lin and Amare Stoudemire (bulging disk) out, Anthony has been posting up more often and getting the ball in the mid-post, where he's most effective.

Mike Woodson made that a priority when he took over on March 14, but since Lin and Stoudemire were sidelined, it's been more of a focal point.

In the last four games, Anthony's averaging 27 points per game on 48 percent shooting. On the year, Anthony's scoring 20.6 points per game on 40.7 percent shooting.

In many circles, Anthony's inability to adjust to Lin was perceived as another example of his selfish approach to offense. Others thought that Lin (and by extension, Mike D'Antoni) should adapt to Anthony -- the Knicks' best scorer.

That argument is now moot. With Lin out, it's clear that the Knicks now need Anthony to lead them offensively.

He seems ready to do that.

"I can’t run from the challenge. It is what it is," Anthony said on Monday.

With Baron Davis running the show, Anthony's numbers have increased.

When sharing the floor with Davis, Anthony's averaging 26 points per 36 minutes and getting to the line 10.4 times. With Davis off the floor, Anthony's scoring 21.9 points per game and getting to the line for 6.8 attempts. He's also shooting four percent higher when playing with Davis.

Most of the increases can be attributed to Anthony's play in the past four games -- and his increased opportunities in the post.

Still, Anthony noted on Monday that he's comfortable sharing the floor with Davis, who will start in place of Lin.

"I know what type of player Baron is. We all know what he can do, know what he can bring when he is healthy," Anthony said. "He’s shown that."

Before news of Lin's surgery broke, Anthony realized that with Stoudemire out, the bulk of the Knicks' offensive load would fall squarely on his shoulders. He accepted the challenge then.

Now, with Lin out until at least the second round of the playoffs, the onus is even more on Anthony.

And he's OK with that as well.

"This is another challenge, a different type of challenge," he said. "It’s a challenge to go out there with key guys hurt, injured, not knowing what’s going to happen. For me to just step up and face that challenge, face to face, is a fun time for me."

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The biggest question when Mike D'Antoni stepped down on March 14 was how Mike Woodson would adjust the offense, if at all. That had been D'Antoni's baby since he took over the Knicks in 2008, and something he's always been known to care for since his days with the Phoenix Suns.

Would the Knicks' offense, which D'Antoni wanted to be fast-paced so there would be more possessions, shots and eventually points, become slower and halfcourt-oriented to suit Woodson's traditional schemes?

Well, entering Monday, the stats show the Knicks' offensive style has changed very little in Woodson's first seven games as interim head coach.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, under D’Antoni, the Knicks had 96.91 possessions per 48 minutes, while under Woodson they have had 95.43 possessions per 48 minutes (less than 1.5 fewer possessions per 48 minutes under Woodson). Interestingly, the Knicks are averaging just over four more points per game under Woodson than D’Antoni (100.9 in Woodson’s first seven games, compared to 96.7 in the team's first 42 games under D’Antoni).

Woodson has said he hasn't gone too far away from D'Antoni's system, except adding in some new halfcourt sets and out-of-bounds plays to mostly get Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire open in their sweet spots: the post and midrange. Jeremy Lin has especially noticed the changes because he's the starting point guard and has to prioritize where Anthony and Stoudemire are on the court at all times. But he said the alterations haven't been significant, a notion that supports the statistics.

"A little bit different, yeah," Lin said. "I mean, we'll be in different halfcourt sets every once in a while, but there's still a lot of our old offense still being used. So it's a mix."

Tyson Chandler also said things have felt different, which he should. He hasn't been running the pick-and-roll as much with Lin because the Knicks are going to Anthony and Stoudemire earlier in the offense where they feel comfortable catching the ball and going to work.

"It's different because it's two different coaching techniques, two different styles, but ultimately we just want to score the ball, so however you can do it," Chandler said. "Whatever's rolling, whether it's a fastbreak, whether it's pick-and-roll, whether it's post up, we've got to find ways to get everybody involved and figure out who's going at that particular time."

Now that Stoudemire is out indefinitely, expect more pick-and-rolls between Lin and Chandler. That's exactly what occurred more in the first half of the Knicks-Bucks game Monday night between Chandler and Baron Davis, who started in place of the injured Lin (sore left knee).

More importantly, the Knicks have to buckle up their offensive rhythm a bit more to erase many of the turnovers. They've had more than 60 in their past three games. There's still a bit too much freelancing going on, which, as a result, leads to some uncertainty as far as where player are positioned on the court and, therefore, more giveaways.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Jared Jeffries answered some questions about the Knicks recent turnaround since Mike Woodson took over as interim head coach during an interview on ESPN 1050’s Ryan Ruocco and Robin Lundberg Show.

Here’s what Jeffries said about the Knicks recent rejuvenated energy since Mike D’Antoni resigned last week.

“I think that whenever there’s a shakeup like that in an organization, players play harder. I don’t know why. I don’t know what happens. A lot of times when you see a player traded, or whether you see a coach fired or a there’s a GM change in the middle of the season, their play picks up. I think Woody is doing a great job of coming into a difficult situation and he’s been doing a great job of coaching and winning games.”

Jeffries sat out Friday's win against Toronto with a sore right knee after landing awkwardly in the third quarter last Wednesday night against Philadelphia. Jeffries said he will have an MRI Saturday and hopes to return to the lineup early next week. After playing Toronto Friday and Detroit Saturday, New York faces the surging Milwaukee Bucks and Monta Ellis on Monday before hosting Orlando on next Wednesday.

Jeffries missed four games earlier this month with a right knee injury and the team struggled defensively in his absence. At the same time, defense has led the way in Woodson’s first five games –all wins – holding teams under 90 points in 4 of the 5 games. Jeffries said the effort has more to do with circumstance than the new voice on the sideline.

“I don’t think that Mike Woodson and Mike D’Antoni are that different,” he said. “Really, it was a matter of circumstances. He had four years here in a tough market. New York’s tough and there’s a lot of friction because we wanted to win. Guys wanted to win. We wanted to win now. We knew this team could win and I think Mike felt that. I think Mike did a really good thing in recognizing that maybe things weren’t going the way he wanted and by him stepping down, the result is we’re winning games.”

Jeffries said he is sure that D’Antoni will coach again and tried to dispel the notion that Carmelo Anthony has been playing harder since D’Antoni stepped down.

I think it’s unfair to say that Carmelo, one way or the other, has picked up his play that much and that’s why we’re winning and why we were losing. That’s unfair.”

For the entire interview and Jeffries thoughts on Jeremy Lin, click here.

You can follow Christopher Hunt on Twitter.

Mike Woodson's noticed that Carmelo Anthony's been energized on the defensive end over the last three games. And, naturally, he's pleased with that.

But the Knicks interim head coach is at a loss to explain why Anthony didn't have the same energy level before Woodson took over.

"I can't explain that. I can't," Woodson said before the Knicks-Raptors game on Tuesday night. "I wish I could. We probably wouldn't be sitting in this position that we're sitting in today, fighting for a playoff spot."

The Knicks (21-24) enter play Tuesday a half-game ahead of Milwaukee for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. They've won three straight since Woodson took over for Mike D'Antoni, who mutually agreed to step down as head coach last Wednesday.

New York has thrived on the defensive end under Woodson, holding opponents to 39 percent shooting in the past three games.

Anthony told reporters at practice on Monday that he's playing with energy -- on the defensive end in particular -- that's been missing for most of the season.

"I think in the last three games, my focus just was having energy that I haven't had so far this season, especially on the defensive end," Anthony said at Monday's practice.

"Everybody on this team, and everybody in the world, knows I can score the basketball, so it's not that important to me. As far on the defensive end, just showing my teammates that the effort is there, giving that extra effort and, as a result, everybody's been feeding off of that."

Many took those comments to mean Anthony hadn't played as hard under D'Antoni. The Knicks were 2-8 in D'Antoni's final 10 games on the bench, which were played with a healthy Anthony in the lineup.

In D'Antoni's final 10 games, the Knicks allowed 12 more points per 100 possessions with Anthony on the floor than with him on the bench.

Prior to that stretch, New York had won seven of their previous eight, with Anthony on the bench nursing a groin injury.

Woodson was asked if he found anything "troubling" with Anthony's assertion that he's played with more energy in recent games.

"I'll say to you and I'll say to Melo: He's got to bring the energy now," Woodson said. "I'm the head coach and I can't speak for what's happened. I was a part of it. But, he's got to play harder and Amare's got to play harder. Everybody's got to play harder to get us where we need to go. And that's the only way it's going to happen.... It's my job to continue to push. And i'm going to do that."

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

Every weekday throughout the season, ESPNNewYork.com will tackle a burning question about the Knicks in our "Opening Tip."

Today's Burning Question: Can the Knicks maintain their effort on defense under Mike Woodson? Or is it a short-term uptick?

The Knicks are 3-0 under interim head coach Mike Woodson, showing a renewed vigor and defensive intensity that had been missing in the final days of the Mike D'Antoni Era.

And the numbers back it up.

In Woodson's first three games, the Knicks have allowed 93.4 points per 100 possessions. In D'Antoni's last 10 games on the bench, New York gave up 103.7 points per 100 possessions.

The Knicks have also improved their opponent's field goal percentage under Woodson (39 percent), compared to 46.7 percent in the last 10 games under D'Antoni.

Woodson said on Tuesday after the team's shootaround that he faced a "big" challenge in trying to maintain that intensity on defense.

"That's with any ballclub," Woodson said. "I know from past experience, if you defend and rebound you put yourself in position to win every game you step out on the floor."

Carmelo Anthony has bought in. So has Amare Stoudemire.

"I think in the last three games, my focus just was having energy that I haven't had so far this season, especially on the defensive end," Anthony said at Monday's practice.

"Everybody on this team, and everybody in the world, knows I can score the basketball, so it's not that important to me. As far on the defensive end, just showing my teammates that the effort is there, giving that extra effort and, as a result, everybody's been feeding off of that."

But can it continue? Remember, Woodson served as an assistant under D'Antoni and has been essentially coaching the defense all season, through its rough stretches and periods of success.

Which leads us to our question:

Is the Knicks' defensive intensity a product of a new voice momentarily energizing players? Or can it be sustained? What do you think?

Let us know in the comments section below.

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

Carmelo Anthony says the Knicks are having more 'fun' over the last three games under Mike Woodson It's been well-documented that they're playing stronger defense as well. Here are some statistics to back it up, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Informations Hillary London.

In Woodson's first three games, they Knicks have allowed 93.4 points per 100 possessions.

In Mike D'Antoni's last ten games on the bench, they gave up103.7 points per 100 possessions.

They've also improved their opponent's field goal percentage under Woodson (39 percent), compared to 46.7 percent in the last 10 games under D'Antoni.

They've allowed an average of 37 points in the paint under Woodson, compared to 42.8 in the last 10 games under D'Antoni. And they've forced 60 turnovers in the last three games.

Of course, Woodson was coaching the defense under D'Antoni, so it's unfair to give Woodson all of the credit for the turnaround. Jared Jeffries and Tyson Chandler are back in the lineup after brief absences in D'Antoni's final days. And three games with Woodson on the bench is a small sample size.

But Jeremy Lin senses the team putting forth a greater effort on the defensive end since D'Antoni and the Knicks agreed to 'mutually' part ways last Wednesday, though he didn't equate it to D'Antoni leaving.

"It's everything from defensive rebounding to rotations to blocked shots to talking," Lin said after Friday's win over Indiana. "I've known every screen that's been coming pretty much in the last two games. I've heard it from the big men. They're calling it out. They're active, so it's very collective right now and when that's going, it's scary."

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

Carmelo Anthony believes the Knicks are a different team since Mike D'Antoni left.

After the Knicks' win over the Pacers on Friday, Anthony said the Knicks "came together" and found a renewed sense of purpose after D'Antoni and the Knicks agreed to a mutual parting of ways on Wednesday.

"I think with the change, we had to come together as a team and really find out and ask ourselves what we really want," Anthony said. "Right now, we want to win basketball games, we want to get to them payoffs. And why not start now and bring that intensity?"

The Knicks have won two in a row since Mike Woodson took over as interim head coach. D'Antoni left amid speculation that he and Anthony did not get along.

Anthony denied that rift, saying there was never any 'bad blood' between them.

D'Antoni's system never seemed to suit Anthony. Anthony thrives in isolation and D'Antoni's offense is predicated on ball movement and spacing.

"I had to sacrifice for the system, for Mike D'Antoni's system," Anthony said. "I had no problem with that."

The Knicks also struggled on defense for most of D'Antoni's tenure -- particularly at the end. They allowed 103.7 points per 100 possessions in D'Antoni's last ten games on the bench. In Woodson's first two, they allowed 89 per game.

"Unfortunately, sometimes it takes something dramatic to open up guys' eyes," Tyson Chandler said. "And I think guys now are responding to everything that has happened. Now we're trying to make a positive out of negative."

Anthony said the Knicks talked about having a sense of urgency after the coaching change and have played with more intensity over the last two games.

"We came together (and) we told ourselves, 'We've got to get it going, especially defensively.' We showed that the last couple of games," Anthony said, adding, "We came together these last couple days as a unit. We know our time is now."

Mike Woodson made one thing clear after shoot around on Friday morning: Jeremy Lin is still his starting point guard. But questions remain over how Lin's role will change in Woodson's offense.

"Jeremy is a big part of what we do. He's our starting point guard," Woodson said. "He and I are on the same page. I thought the other night he played extremely well. We played well as a group."

Lin's role will likely change under Woodson's system, which features more isolation and fewer pick and roll sets. Pick and rolls were a staple of D'Antoni's offense. Lin generated many scoring opportunities off of pick and rolls.

That means Lin will likely take fewer shots in Woodson's set. Some have speculated that Baron Davis could even usurp Lin as the Knicks' starter. But that won't happen -- yet.

Lin and Woodson talked on Friday and the coach told the second-year guard that he remain the team's starter.

"He said that’s not going to change. He told me not to worry about anything just play my game," Lin said after conferring with Woodson to make sure it was OK to answer a reporter's question about his role.

Woodson also told Lin to "continue to initiate the offense, be aggressive. He’s said there’s going to be a lot of spacing and still the opportunity to play pick-and-roll. But at the same time we’re going to utilize the post as well."

Mike Bibby, who played for Woodson in Atlanta, said Woodson's offense is 'totally different' from D'Antoni's. A point guard's role in Woodson's offense, Bibby says, is to get the ball in the hands of the team's scorers.

"Just make plays and knock down shots," he said.

Lin had been relied upon to score more under D'Antoni. He took 14 shots per game when D'Antoni was coaching.

Woodson's new offense should give Carmelo Anthony more opportunity to operate in the post, meaning less shot opportunities for Lin. But Anthony thinks it's premature to predict the end of Linsanity.

"Lin is Lin. I don’t think Lin is paying attention to any of that stuff that is going on right now. Lin is about winning. LIn is about this team. Lin is about doing things to help this team win," Anthony said. "As far as the Linsanity thing goes, it’s still there. That’s not going nowhere."

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

Every weekday throughout the season, ESPNNewYork.com will tackle a burning question about the Knicks in our "Opening Tip."

Today's Burning Question: What are your expectations for this team now that Mike Woodson has taken over?

For the first time in three seasons, the Knicks decided to stand pat at the trade deadline. That means Mike Woodson's expected to win with the exact same crew that Mike D'Antoni walked away from.

Woodson has to help the Knicks dig out from five games under .500. They enter play Friday tied for eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

New York rolled past an awful Blazers team on Wednesday night in Woodson's debut. But now comes the hard part.

The Knicks (19-24) will play a home-and-home against Indiana, starting Friday night at Madison Square Garden. In all, 13 of the final 23 games are against teams over .500. That includes two against Indiana, two against Orlando, two against Atlanta and one each against Boston and Miami.

Which leads us to our question.

What are your expectations for this team over the final 23 games of the regular season? Eighth seed? No playoffs? Have your expectations changed now that Woodson is the interim head coach?

Let us know in the comments section below.

The end of the Mike D'Antoni Era may also signal the end of Jeremy Lin taking 15 shots a night.

During his introductory news conference on Wednesday, Mike Woodson said he'd make "changes" to D'Antoni's system.

He mentioned that he'd try to get Carmelo Anthony more opportunities in the post and get the ball to Amare Stoudemire in the paint.

One veteran Eastern Conference scout also thinks that will mean fewer shots for Lin, who had been taking 14.6 shots per game under D'Antoni since Feb. 4.

"I think Melo will probably get more touches and I think Jeremy's touches will probably go down [under Woodson]," the scout said.

In Atlanta, Woodson ran an offense featuring more isolation sets, which Anthony thrives in. The Knicks offense under D'Antoni was predicated on ball movement and isolation.

Lin said after Thursday's practice that he's prepared to make sacrifices in Woodson's offense. He expressed confidence that he could make those adjustments, but at the same time called D'Antoni's system "perfect" for him.

"It's going to be a different style," Lin said of Woodson's offense. "We still need to figure it out because we don't have it all figured out right now."

"I've just got to learn and sacrifice and be a part of this team," he added, "Roles are going to change again. This is the adjustment process."

Lin led the Knicks to eight wins over a nine-game stretch in mid-February. Anthony sat out for seven of those games with a strained groin injury.

After Anthony returned on Feb. 20, the Knicks lost eight of 10. Advanced statistics over that 10-game stretch indicated Anthony wasn't at his best while sharing the floor with Lin.

The Knicks were scoring 109.8 points points per 100 possessions with Anthony on the bench and just 97.6 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor.

Anthony acknowledged on Wednesday that he had to make "sacrifices" in D'Antoni's offense. He said on Wednesday that players were comfortable running Woodson's offense during the Knicks' 42-point win over Portland.

"Tonight, it was a different system," Anthony said on Wednesday night. "Everybody felt comfortable out there tonight. Ya'll saw it out there, everybody was smiling, having fun."

As for Lin, he thinks he can adapt to Woodson's system.

"I've got to continue to be aggressive, but it's going to be in different ways," he said after his first full practice with Woodson. "Different ways to initiate offense, different ways to score and create. It's going to be definitely a change. There will be challenges for all of us."

Lin was "very emotional" on Wednesday when he heard D'Antoni had stepped down.

The point guard got a chance to exchange text messages with D'Antoni on Thursday.

"It was good, a lot of appreciation on my behalf," Lin said. "He told me to stay aggressive, keep working hard, the kind of things he had been telling me about and preaching to me while he was here."

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

NEW YORK -- Ex-Knicks point guard Raymond Felton entered the Garden on Wednesday night playing under a rocky head coach situation. In fact, his sideline boss, Nate McMillan, was fired on Thursday.

On top of that, Felton, currently a member of the struggling 20-23 Trail Blazers, was entering an arena where his former team was also dealing with head coach drama. Earlier that day, Mike D'Antoni, who coached Felton last season in New York, resigned.

Addressing reporters following the Knicks' 121-79 blowout win, Felton said he didn't know why D'Antoni had stepped down, but he credited the head coach for helping his game. In fact, Felton said he "loved" D'Antoni's system and saw "nothing wrong with it." Before he was sent to the Nuggets in the Carmelo Anthony blockbuster trade on Feb. 21, 2011, Felton was averaging a career-high 17.1 points and 9.0 assists in 54 games.

"Obviously I don't know what they had going on over here or the issue was, but the system worked," Felton said. "Look at what it did to [Jeremy] Lin. I mean, it made Jeremy Lin into Linsanity, so I don't think there's anything wrong with the system. But when I was here, I loved it and I enjoyed it, and I think everybody who I was playing with at the time loved it and enjoyed the system. And it works."

Felton said Lin has done a great job making plays for himself, but he still needs to work on getting the ball to the Knicks' two primary scorers, Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. That's especially true now that Mike Woodson plans to work his offense more through both All-Stars. Felton said you can never tell how fast players are going to build chemistry -- "sometimes it doesn't take a day at all," he said -- but made it clear that experience is essential.

"It's all about how you use them and it's about how you learn how to get the ball to them," Felton said. "[Lin] hasn't had enough time to really learn how to get the ball to them. You can't expect him to come in and just do everything right away. He got himself going, so now it's his job as a point guard to make sure those guys get it going and do that for himself.

"There's not enough time in this season. He's only been here a short amount of games to do that, so you can't put that much pressure on him for him to do that."

With the upcoming changes, now that Woodson is at the helm, Lin is preparing himself by being just as aggressive initiating the offense and creating scoring opportunities. He knows that players can't let up during the shortened season, which presents limited practice time.

"We're not going to use lack of time as an excuse because there's plenty of other teams who are going through changes and stuff like that," Lin said.

"We'll be ready."

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Mike D'Antoni walked into the Knicks training facility on Wednesday morning knowing he no longer wanted to coach the team.

Before shoot around on Wednesday, he talked to interim GM Glen Grunwald, informing him that he'd been thinking about stepping down.

Grunwald was caught off guard.

"I said, 'What do you really want to do, Mike?' And he clarified that he thought it was best for the team," Grunwald said.

Grunwald called MSG chairman James Dolan, who went to the Westchester training center for what he called a "very honest" conversation with D'Antoni. He later said the parting was mutual.

"He clearly felt it was best for the organization if he were not to continue as coach of the team. He did offer to stay," Dolan said during a news conference. "After a long discussion, we did agree it was best for the organization to have new voice moving forward."

Dolan and assistant general manager Allan Houston arrived at the team's training center after the shootaround to speak with Grunwald and D'Antoni.

Grunwald called D'Antoni's decision to step down "a selfless move."

"I think he felt that he had done all he could and he didn't really see another way for him to really positively affect the team," Grunwald said, adding, "He felt that maybe it was time for another voice, another approach."

Mike Woodson took over as the Knicks interim coach on Wednesday night. He led the Knicks to a 121-79 win over Portland.