In the rare event that the New York Knicks won their final four games of the season, they would finish the year with a record of 19-63. That would still leave them as one of the worst teams in the NBA, but head coach Derek Fisher remains optimistic.
On Thursday, Fisher basically said he believes the Knicks can be one of the best teams in the league next season. When a reporter asked if the team is capable of the type of turnaround the 38-40 Milwaukee Bucks have experienced since last year, Fisher said he has his sights set much higher.
“I guess that’s possible, but we are not here trying to squeeze in, we are not here trying to go from 15 to 36,” he said, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNewYork.com. “That’s just not who we are. So it can turn around quickly. It will turn around quickly.”
If the Knicks more than doubling their win total next season wouldn’t be enough, what would?
“But we don’t really have to put a number on it,” Fisher continued. “We are 6-21 in games [decided] by six points or less this year. So we lost 21 games on two possessions. So we don’t have go from 15 to 36 next year. We can go from 15 to 63 if we really want to. But that is up to us.”
The Knicks currently have the worst record in the NBA at 15-63. They would be wise to tank the rest of the season to have the best chance at landing the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Phil Jackson has already urged fans to remain optimistic, and team owner James Dolan went Al Davis during a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“You got to believe, baby!” Dolan said when asked if paying Jackson $12 million a year was a wise investment. “I believe, I believe!”
If the Knicks score the No. 1 pick in the draft and then sign a superstar like this after next season, they might be in decent shape. But 63 wins a year from now? That ain’t happening.
