Coach change gives Melo energy boost

Carmelo Anthony is doing all the right things now. He is playing defense. He is listening to his coach. He's not complaining about how many shots he gets, or where he gets them. He is playing with the kind of energy that says he wants to win, and he wants to win now.

So why wasn't he playing this way before Mike Woodson replaced Mike D'Antoni as Knicks coach?

"I can't explain that. I can't. I wish I could," Woodson said before last night's game against Toronto. "We probably wouldn't be sitting in this position that we're sitting in today, fighting for a playoff spot."

What Woodson stopped short of saying, but clearly implied, is that Woodson wouldn't be sitting where he is sitting -- up on a stage talking to a roomful of reporters -- if Anthony had played with this kind of energy when D'Antoni was coach.

The Knicks improved to 4-0 under Woodson with a 106-87 win over the Raptors. Anthony had 17 points in a balanced offensive effort. The defense also had another solid performance, allowing 88 or fewer points for the third time in four games.

"Right now, we're playing at a very high level, a committed level," Anthony said after the game. "It seems that guys are taking every possession seriously."

Before Woodson took over a week ago, there were signs that Anthony wasn't all that serious about giving his best effort on the floor. After he returned from a groin injury, the Knicks lost six in a row and eight of 10 before D'Antoni stepped down.

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At Monday's practice, Anthony admitted to reporters that he was playing with more energy since the coaching change.

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

"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 as on the defensive end, I'm just showing my teammates that the effort is there, giving that extra effort, and as a result, everybody's been feeding off of that."

Anthony's teammates say it has been an inspiration to see how well he is playing.

"He's been playing phenomenal," Amar'e Stoudemire said. "He's been facilitating. Teams have been doubling him, he's done a great job of finding guys when they're open. He's playing great defensively. That's something we look forward to as well.''

Before the game, Woodson was asked if he was troubled by Anthony's admission that his energy hadn't always been there.

"I'll say to you and I'll say to Melo, that he's got to bring the energy now," Woodson said. "I'm the head coach and I can't speak for what was happening. I was a part of it.

"He's got to play hard and Amar'e's got to play hard. Everybody's got to play harder to get us where we need to go. That's the only way it's going to happen. You can't have lackluster performances out of anyone who steps on the floor. It's my job to continue to push. I'm going to continue to do that."