The Knicks are in the midst of another dreadful season but one Western Conference scout tells Ian Begley of SNY.tv that the team has more talent than its 4-16 record indicates. So why does the team have a worse record than it did at this point last year? “Some of the blame [for the Knicks’ struggles] has to be put on [David] Fizdale,” the scout said.
The Knicks have trailed by at least 20 points in seven of the team’s 16 losses and Fizdale’s future with the club is far from certain, with reports last month suggesting that the front office was laying the groundwork for his dismissal.
As of this writing, Fizdale remains the coach of the Knicks, so let’s take a look at more notes from New York:
- Despite the struggles this season, Knicks players are still supporting Fizdale. “He can’t go out there and play for us. Obviously, everybody points at the head coach with that. But it’s on us to go out there and perform well,” Bobby Portis said (via Begley in that same piece).
- Former Knick Enes Kanter recently said that he and owner James Dolan are “text buddies” and reiterated that Dolan gets too much criticism for the team’s struggles and lack of free-agent signings, as Begley relays in the same piece. “I got no problems with him. Some other people have problems with him, but I have no problem with him,” Kanter said. “And I will say this: it’s terrible they blame it on this guy every time. I feel like he has done nothing to do with it.” Kanter said in September that he believed a negative perception of ownership is a factor in free agents not considering the Knicks, but has suggested he doesn’t necessarily share that perception.
- Fizdale will not be judged solely on the team’s win-loss record but also by the progress he makes with the team’s young talent. Marc Berman of the New York Post ranks the importance of each young player on the team in terms of player development goals.
The Knicks continue to be the Knicks. They’ve thrown so many people under the bus you’d need a second bus to carry them
“Fizdale will not be judged solely on the team’s win-loss record but also by the progress he makes with the team’s young talent.”
That might be worse for him.
The team’s guard rotation is shallow. Two of their three point guards are currently out or day-to-day. Their starting shooting guard is a rookie. Their bench shooting guard is a 2nd rounder in his 3rd season.
I mean, I think Fizdale deserves a ton of blame for his bizarre rotations and the way he undermines the confidence of young players (IMHO). But it’s not like Gregg Popovich could win a championship with this team.
The consistent ability to hang with just about anyone only to consistently lose to everyone has to be put on the coach.
If they aren’t tanking on purpose they need to find a coach that makes the team better with his in game coaching and Fizdale does not. I think they’re tanking on purpose because they aren’t really trying from a management or a coaching standpoint.
One shot blocking center and basically one functional point guard at any given time is on management.
So how many coaches are we gonna blame before we look at the roster? Fizdale, Woodson, Fisher, Rambis?
I’ve been a Knicks fan since the championship years and continued to love the team play and comorodery that was during that time the team was known for their ability to play tough defense but now its offense. The system of winning at the Garden has changed that why We love Patrick Ewing. Before him Bernard King offensive machine. These guys were as good as it get. But to fast forward today’s game is three point shooting and defense with a couple of future Hall a Fame players some potential all star players. There is not a consensus all star on the team like Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant Giannanis antekoumpo someone who is unstoppable Paul George. That why the clippers are now in the playoffs. The Toronto Raptors did not play to out gun the Golden State Warriors they play awesome defense and had the confidence to play their game with one guys they couldn’t stop with high shooting performance and everyone else stepped up their game. The Knicks are one superstar and defensive mindset and trust the coach. Defense cover a lot of the weaknesses of the team.
Right or wrong the FO is going to fire his ass because theirs are next. Fiz doesn’t have a clue out there, time to face that music too.