Phil Jackson: Knicks have a ‘loser’s mentality’
The New York Knicks are off to an abysmal 4-18 start to the season, and Phil Jackson doesn’t think his team’s struggles have anything to do with a lack of talent.
According to the Zen Master, the Knicks have the physical tools needed to win games. They just think like losers.
“It’s about a loser’s mentality,” Jackson said Monday, per Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “It’s not about the skill or the talent level.”
The Knicks lost their eighth consecutive game on Sunday. Despite all the losses, New York isn’t getting blown out. Their last four losses have been by five points or fewer. That’s little consolation for a team that has just four wins more than a month into the regular season.
“Obviously, we’re disappointed,” Jackson added. “… I think guys understand what we’re trying to do. Hopefully, they’re getting to be more compliant. There’s some resistance to discipline and order and culture change and things like that. I will call it a crucible for what we’re going through here. The process, maybe the heat, is going to refine some of the stuff so that we come out and be a pretty good team after all is said and done.”
Jackson signed a five-year deal to serve as the president of the Knicks, so I’m sure he didn’t expect to come in and dominate the Eastern Conference right away. That said, the Knicks have been so bad that even the commissioner hasn’t been able to resist having fun at their expense. Things can’t get a whole lot uglier in New York than they are at the moment.
