The news of Derek Fisher signing on as the Knicks head coach should come as a shock to no one. The former Laker guard played for Phil Jackson during all five of Phil’s championship seasons and was named as a top candidate for the job, even while still suited up for Oklahoma City this post-season. Fisher’s got a great knowledge of the game but is this best move for the New York Knicks or just a case of Phil holding down his friends? Read on to find out.
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Fisher Will Coach The Knicks Phil’s Way
Derek Fisher’s known for his long run with the Lakers. As the starting point guard for Phil Jackson’s championship teams, he both bonded with the Zen Master and learned more from him than nearly anyone else. The two have such a great relationship, that Phil used to rely on Fish to lead the locker room through the years when Shaq and Kobe were the stars of the team. Why is this good for the Knicks?
For as much basketball as Phil Jackson knows, he’s very stubborn. Like any other 68-year-old man, he’s pretty much set in his ways. Who better than your former point guard to coach the franchise you’re in charge of, if you’re Jackson? Fisher gains coaching experience and the two will easily work together. The Knicks need that kind of stability.
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Fisher Can Handle Pressure
And there will be a lot of it as the head coach of the Knicks. As a player, Fisher famously hit a jump shot with 0.4 seconds left in a game to beat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals. He also had a dramatic, tear-jerking performance as a member of the Utah Jazz in the 2007 Semifinals, hitting a game clinching 3-pointer after being police escorted to the game in the third quarter, fresh off a flight from New York City where his then 11-month-old daughter was being treated for an illness.
Players remember that type of mental toughness. And so does the press. Fisher will have a lot to prove as a coach, no doubt. However, he comes to the Knicks with a lot more respect than others might.
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Kobe Bryant Trusts Him
That might not sound like a lot, but Kobe rarely trusts anyone. Hell, he even told one Laker teammate not to talk to him — ever. You know how much Bryant must respect Fisher as both a person and a player to have become close friends with him? More importantly, Fisher’s ability to get a notoriously bullish Bryant to work him speaks volumes. If Fish can break through that barrier, he can reach anyone. That said, connecting with and understanding how to reach his new players should be a piece of cake.
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It Worked For Jason Kidd
Just this season, we saw the Brooklyn Nets take a newly retired Jason Kidd and make him the head coach. Things were a bit rocky in the beginning, but once the team learned to trust him and all the players got healthy, they made the playoffs and made it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Knicks have a long way to go before they start winning. They made it to the second round last season for the first time in over a decade.
But if Fisher can get them to the playoffs, that’s progress. Not to mention, Fisher has more playoff victories than anyone else in NBA history (161).
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Fisher Becomes The Seventh Black Head Coach In The NBA
Not that race matters in terms of coaching ability, but Derek Fisher becoming the seventh African-American coach in the NBA is a big deal. For a league that’s well over 80% black, and after the Donald Sterling incident with the Clippers organization, it doesn’t hurt that one of the leagues most visible and premier franchises is now coached by an African-American. Good for the league to have D-Fish in such a good position.