GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Mike Woodson does not believe comments by Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony about the New York Knicks being outschemed and exploited in Monday's 103-80 loss to Brooklyn were attacks on his coaching.
"Absolutely not," Woodson said Tuesday. "I think when you win games things are OK. When you lose games things seem to creep in. I don't ever air and don't like players airing [problems]. Tyson and I, we spoke. I don't know exactly what was actually said from Tyson, but at the end of the day I have to coach and I have to get players playing harder and smarter. That's their job to do that."
The Knicks dropped their fourth straight game Monday after the Nets bludgeoned them at home. After the loss -- in which the Nets shot 49.3 percent from the field -- Chandler questioned the team's defensive strategy to constantly switch on pick-and-rolls.
"I think we came to play. They outschemed us," Chandler said. "They played to our defense as far their offensive scheme, knowing our rotations and knowing what we wanted to accomplish. Kind of putting us in vulnerable situations."
Anthony also praised former Knicks and current Nets coach Jason Kidd for capitalizing on matchups. The Knicks couldn't stop Joe Johnson, who scored 25 points.
"They played to the mismatches," Anthony said Monday. "That's something that Jason does well, even when he was here. That was his big thing: Play to the mismatch."
Woodson stressed Tuesday that he prefers players keeping issues within the team, but he did not criticize Chandler or Anthony for voicing their opinions.
"Sometimes it's healthy when players get upset; it means they're ticking a little bit. If they want to lash out at me, that's fine. I'm not a coach that takes things personally," Woodson said. "At the end of the day we got to meet at a common ground and win ball games. That's what it's all about and that's what I'm trying to be about. I still have to stay positive and I still have to coach and push this team to play at a high level, and that's what I'm going to try to do the rest of the way."
"I'm not kicking Tyson to the curb. I'm not going to kick Melo or anybody to the curb, because at the end of the day we're all in this foxhole together and we've got to figure it out."
Despite the critiques from players and the Knicks' 15-26 record, Woodson again said he's not worried about his job status.
"This is 30 years I've been around this business. It happens to coaches. But my focus is not on that," Woodson said. "My focus is trying to salvage this season with 41 games left to get us back to the top. That's the only thing I'm focusing on and I'm going to continue to think that way."
Chandler said Tuesday his comments were not a shot at Woodson. The former defensive player of the year with the Knicks is undoubtedly the team's best defender. His criticism of their defense would carry more weight than if another Knicks player was to state his problems with the defense.
"I think we were just discussing the game and what we saw. They weren't shots at coach. We were just saying what we saw and that's that," Chandler said of his and Anthony's remarks.
"We were frustrated with both ends. When you're losing, nothing is fun. Then you have to make changes, you have to make adjustments when you're losing because obviously things aren't working. So that wasn't meant to be a shot. It was being truthful."
The center said everything is fine between him and Woodson. The Knicks return to the court Wednesday at home against Philadelphia.
"Anything I say, as long as I'm here and as long as I'm playing the game, I'm not going to take a shot at one of my teammates or coaches. Anything I say, I say to them, to their face," Chandler said. "But I will be honest about what I saw in the game. But that's not meant to nitpick at anybody or send any messages. I'll send my messages directly."