During many era’s, the New York Knicks were unfortunately the laughing stock of the NBA especially during the Isaiah Thomas era and the Phil Jackson era. Now that Scott Perry is running the show as the general manager, and David Fizdale along with his staff are developing the young guys, things seem different, almost like a new culture is being established. After Knicks hired Fizdale last season, Scott Perry states,
“I think the big thing that we found — and that’s obviously terrific that some of the game’s greats recognized David for who he is as a man and as a coach — but the players that are not that, just the guys 1 through 15, the reviews coming back on him were all very consistently similar”. “That he invested in us, that he’s going to develop you, he’s going to challenge you, he’s going to hold you accountable. And so I think that’s the important thing, that David has shown the ability to relate to a number of players across the board, not just the star players.”
One Knick player turned himself into the most important young talent on the current developing roster. That is starting center Mitchell Robinson. The young impressive Knick Center received praise from Joel Embiid after a hard fought loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Mitchell Robinson is a huge part of the defensive foundation being built in New York City.
After a Knick loss at MSG against the Utah Jazz, Rudy Gobert gives the young Knicks talent a little praise for their efforts.
When opposing coaches around the league warn their players about slacking and not bringing their A-game against the New York Knicks last season, it speaks volumes on how hard Knick coach David Fizdale had the youngsters playing on both ends even though they were lottery bound. Even though they were blown-out of some games, the Knick bench was fully engaged, sponging every moment and opportunity to learn. They certainly played hard not even caring what the score was during games against more talented teams.
James Dolan has made plenty of enemies in the media throughout the years, therefore, certain media outlets bash the Knicks any chance they get. The Knicks are no strangers to disrespect and the only way to fix this in my opinion is by continuing with development of the young talent along with shaping the foundation and culture. If done correctly, this methodical rebuild will eventually lead to winning and making the postseason in the near future.