Derek Fisher wasn't exactly impressive during his first year as head coach for the New York Knicks but, of course, the appointment came as a surprise.
Even though he just finished the 2013–14 season with the Thunder, it was unclear if he would continue to play ball for one more year or make the big leap to coaching. As it turned out, Phil Jackson was able to persuade Fisher to accept the coaching gig in New York.
Fisher is a Jackson disciple so it wasn't surprising that he would be expected to instill Jackson's philosophy in New York. A team that is backstopped by someone like Carmelo Anthony does seem interesting, although it could be a long process.
As things stand now, the Knicks are undergoing that process, although not many are impressed with where the Knicks are at the moment.
Fisher bares though that he is more comfortable now than last year and rightfully so. In a way, his appointment came unannounced. He was obviously unprepared back then, but now the scenario is pretty much different.
Sans that celebrated issue involving him and Memphis Grizzlies player Matt Barnes, the Knicks did turn out an impressive performance against the Milwaukee Bucks. It may have helped that the Bucks were depleted, although a win still reflects on Fisher's resume.
Looking ahead, Fisher has a long season to go through. There are no big expectations from the Knicks this season but such could be to his advantage because that means less pressure.
But then again, Fisher may want to buckle down to work all the more to see what things he needs to address. This includes areas of improvement on players and the team as a whole as he tries to grow into the position that he so badly wanted two years ago.
Jackson has faith in him and so do his players. Right now he is in the pilot's seat and as some people would say, the job is his to lose.
