It’s safe to say that Derek Fisher’s time in the National Basketball Association as a coach was not as successful as his time as a player. The former Lakers guard, who won five championships with the team, was fired by the New York Knicks after just one and a half seasons as head coach.
Fisher was hired in the summer of 2014 by former coach and current team president Phil Jackson. Star forward Carmelo Anthony gave Knicks fans even more to look forward to for the upcoming basketball season as he inked a five-year, $124 million in July of 2014.
The Knicks’ season that year was the exact opposite of what was expected. After the 2014-2015 NBA season, the Knicks were 17-65, making it the worst season in franchise history. They closed out the year with a brutal 111-80 loss to the Chicago Bulls on March 28, 2015.
This season, after losing nine out of the last 10 games, the fans at Madison Square Garden had seen enough as they booed their team in a 101-96 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 7. Fisher finished with a dismal 40-96 record as head coach, a .294 winning percentage.
The Knicks are currently 13th in the Eastern Conference sitting at 24-34. According to ESPN, the team ranks just 23rd in points per game and tied for 25th in assists per game.
Kurt Rambis is the current interim head coach for the Knicks. The organization brought him on as an associate coach in July 2014. He made his debut as head coach Tuesday, Feb. 11 where his team fell just short, losing to the Washington Wizards 111-108. Second-year guard Langston Galloway had an opportunity to tie the game, but missed a wide open three pointer at the buzzer in the fourth quarter.
With all the turmoil and questions surrounding the future of the Knicks, Anthony along with the emergence of rookie power forward Kristaps Porzingis give Knicks fans hope for the future.
With the all-star break coming up this weekend, Anthony will have a chance to rehab a lingering left knee injury. Anthony had surgery on this knee last February and it has been a cause for concern ever since. Especially due to the fact that he plays just around 35 minutes per game, according to ESPN.
According to USA Today, Rambis said, “I’ve already let [the players] know that we’ve got to find a way to get in the playoffs.” The Knicks are currently 6.5 games out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Leave a Reply