Derek Fisher Focused On Bigger Picture
Derek Fisher is having a tough time in his first season as head coach, but he insists the New York Knicks are taking the longview.
“For me, it’s just the beginning,” said Fisher. “For our team and organization, in terms of what we’re trying to build and where we’re going, it’s just the beginning.”
Fisher went straight from playing to coaching, unlike another Phil Jackson disciple in Brian Shaw. Jackson advised Shaw to get away from the game for a year before trying to become a coach.
“Given time and the right personnel, I think that he’ll get things in order," Shaw said of Fisher. “Phil Jackson has a track record of success, though this is his first time in this role. Once they get the pieces they need and the type of players that they need in that system, I think they’ll be fine.”
“He’s a guy that’s always cool, calm and collected, regardless of what the situation is,” Carmelo Anthony said. “He’s our leader, so if he’s discombobulated, then everybody’s going to be discombobulated. I think he’s doing a great job kind of staying the course and going through the journey with us.”
“It’s tough for him,” Stoudemire said. “He’s coaching a team where most of the guys are on the last year of their deals. So some players are playing for egos, some players are playing for different personal reasons. It’s tough to manage those types of personalities when it comes down to that type of contract structure.”