NY Knicks' Coaching Staff Has a Lot of Work to Do Right Away
In Derek Fisher Knicks fans must trust.
The first-year head coach, in his first practice of training camp, spent 2.5 hours on defense, something N.Y. must improve on in order to be a contender.
Unlike in past seasons, there appears to be a purpose and plan in place this year. But before expanding on what's to come, let's take one last look at the 2013-14 NBA season and give the organization a final grade.
Harsh Truth: F
Not to place salt on any wounds, but the Knicks played some of the worst basketball in franchise history last year, and a lot of that blame falls on their coaching staff at the time.
Players must be held accountable, but Mike Woodson and his staff did little to veil New York's inadequacies or maximize its strengths. His defensive policy, which revolved around switching at all costs, consistently forced his players into mismatches and left them vulnerable to poor defensive rotations due to their lousy defensive awareness.
The team closed out poorly and did little to keep its opponent in front of it and out of the paint. New York was even more questionable on the offensive end, having to rely on Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith to bail the organization out of a stagnant offense and inapparent game plan.
That won't be the case this year, but there are some headwinds facing Fisher and his staff.
Roster in Flux
Phil Jackson is still in the process of rebuilding, and the roster undergoing more turnover is to be expected.
The Knicks, as they are currently structured, are a few pieces away from fielding a team full of read-and-react players that can thrive in the triangle offense.
Some good components exist currently, like Tim Hardaway Jr. and Cleanthony Early for instance, but overall a lot of stopgaps are present during this transition period—i.e. Travis Outlaw, Samuel Dalembert, etc.
J.R. Smith could potentially thrive in the triangle, but his focus and shot selection for the time being are still in question. If he sticks to Fisher's plan, Smith will find consistency on offense. If not, he'll be phased out of the organization.
N.Y.'s frontcourt isn't the most desirable when considering the lack of size and number of injury-prone players present, but if health is on the Knicks' side, Amar'e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani could excel with help from assistant coach Kurt Rambis.
Rambis, familiar with the important role big men play in the offense, will be a solid guide for Bargs and STAT, as well as Cole Aldrich, who may struggle at first adjusting to quickly reading and reacting to what the defense is displaying.
Lineup
Via Marc Berman of the New York Post, Fisher said, "The only person I know for sure who is going to be starting is ‘7’," referring to Melo. Fisher also added:
"Putting together a starting lineup is not just about individual guys.
It’s the five guys who work well together as a unit. Those decisions can’t be made until we observe as a coaching staff. It will start to crystallize and formalize.
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Fluidity in the triangle offense will play a part in who the staff decides to start.
The adjacent video shows the Knicks practicing the triangle in training camp and, at first glance, it appears that Fisher and his staff are articulating their mission quite well.
Via Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, Amar'e Stoudemire believes he could log 30 minutes per game.
If healthy, Stoudemire could be worthy of starting, but that all falls on how quickly and efficiently he plays on both ends of the court—the same could be said for every player on New York's roster.
Fisher wants to instill a clear message in his players, and unlike in past years, he's demanding maximum effort from his athletes on both ends of the floor.
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