Hoops Habit
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Ranking the NBA’s 30 Head Coaches

By Jake Hyman

May 2, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich in the first half of game seven of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
May 2, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich in the first half of game seven of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 13, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher talks to guard Ricky Ledo (11) against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 13, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher talks to guard Ricky Ledo (11) against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

30. New York Knicks HC Derek Fisher, One Season (17-65)

Outside of Phil Jackson, you could make the case that Derek Fisher had the highest basketball IQ out of any affiliated Laker in the 21st century. Translating his extensive knowledge of the game, however, will take longer than just one year for the former point guard.

Taking on the task of rebuilding the New York Knicks, Fisher struggled mightily at the start of the season. When new President Phil Jackson traded two of the teams few legitimate NBA rotational talents in J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to Cleveland, there was no recovery.

Fisher endured a 17-game losing streak, which dropped New York’s record to an unsightly 5-36 at one point during the season. The Knicks trotted out journeymen and anxious, yet raw, talent once Carmelo Anthony hit the shelf following the 2016 All-Star Game. On a promising note, Fisher avoided last place in the league going 3-3 to end the season.

Despite setting a franchise-record for losses (65) Fisher received much-needed support:

"“Most coaches have been extremely respectful and appreciative of all the injuries, the guys we’ve been missing, all the turnover,” Fisher said, per nydailynews.com’s Peter Botte. “They’ve had good things to say about what we’re trying to do still. I think coaches are seeing that our guys are still playing hard and this appears to still mean something to them.”"

If anything was evident last season, it was Fisher getting his talent-lacking unit to play with effort and to forget about the standings. With frontcourt additions in C Robin Lopez and PF Kristaps Porzingis, and Aron Afflalo and Derrick Williams on the wings, Fisher’s coaching abilities will be easier to gauge with the influx of talent.

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