NEW YORK -- The triangle offense may have a credibility problem with younger players in the NBA.
At least, that's what New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher thinks.
“There was obviously a credibility that Phil [Jackson] and his staff walked in the door with,” said Fisher, who played nine seasons and won five titles while running the triangle under Jackson with the Los Angeles Lakers. “We were all intrigued and wanted to figure out: ‘OK, they won championships doing this, we want to figure out how to win championships doing this within this format.’”
Jackson, now the Knicks' president, last won a title in the 2009-10 season. He retired from coaching after the 2010-11 season.
But Jackson's disciples haven't had as much success. Former assistants Kurt Rambis and Brian Shaw have a combined record of 84-198. Fisher is 5-34 -- the worst in the NBA this season -- to start his Knicks coaching career.
“These current players, they don’t necessarily have something to say 'This team won the championship last year or two years ago doing this; let’s try to do it that way,'” Fisher said. “We’re having to create belief that actually you can organize and run this system along with being able to just play basketball in a way that will allow you win and be one of the best teams in the league.”
The Knicks have lost a franchise-record 14 games in a row and 24 of their past 25. They have also dropped a franchise-high 11 straight games at home, a streak that could reach 12 when they play the Charlotte Hornets Saturday afternoon.
Their defense has been a disaster for much of the season, but many veteran players have said throughout the season that they are overthinking things in the triangle offense.
J.R. Smith said in Cleveland earlier this week that players were “walking on eggshells” because of the culture change brought on by Jackson and Fisher, which includes implementing the triangle.
The hope within the franchise, of course, is that the Knicks can use their cap space over the next two summers to lure free agents that fit the system.
Marc Gasol, Rajon Rondo, Lamarcus Aldridge, Wes Matthews and, possibly, Kevin Love will be among the players who hit the market this summer.
The Knicks also expect to have a high draft pick in June.
“It’s not easy to build a team so I think going forward there’s always that balance you’re trying to find between talent and character, mental toughness, physical toughness, experience, coachability, all of the different factors,” Fisher said. “And there’s no guarantee it all works out even after you do all that assessment, so it’s not easy to do it. But our coaching staff, as well as the people we have in the front office, we’re confident as we go forward that we’ll be able to find the right guys to build.”
The Knicks have added Lance Thomas and Lou Amundson to 10-day contracts.