After a recent skid that has the New York Knicks at 23-31 after being 22-22, the organization has decided to part ways with head coach Derek Fisher. He was 40-96 during his tenure with the Knicks.
Although Fisher has the Knicks in a much better situation than last season, this was the right move for the long-term future. With the offseason acquisitions the Knicks had, expectations were a little higher for this team. They were 22-22 at one point, but have lost five in a row, which ultimately leaves the blame on the head coach.
The future for Fisher with the Knicks always seemed in doubt after last season. There were times during the season that the team seemed a little distant from him. The Knicks front office clearly wants this team to be more respectable, and the firing of Fisher made that evident.
The interim head coach for the Knicks will be Kurt Rambis. Sometimes a new head coach will give the team a better vibe. A new voice is sometimes all they need. For a long-term replacement, the Knicks will look at Brian Shaw and Luke Walton. Both Shaw and Walton are respectable coaches in this league. We have seen Shaw’s ability to coach when he has the right pieces around him. Walton was able to coach the Warriors to a 39-4 record while Steve Kerr was recovering from back surgery. Jackson is smart to look for coaches that once played in the triangle offense.
Once again, a coach has been fired after improving his team from the season before. But in the NBA, it has shown that any coach can lose their job, no matter what the team’s record is.
While a head coaching change may have been necessary, there are other problems that the Knicks need to address. They need a younger and more pure point guard. Expect to see them make pushes for Jeff Teague as the trade deadline nears. If that does not work out, expect them to make a strong push for Mike Conley during free agency.
