Derek Fisher's first year with the New York Knicks is not going as planned. The head coach came into a situation that certainly was not great, but he did not expect it to be this bad either. The Knicks have the worst record in the NBA and are showing no signs of improving. With injuries running wild throughout the roster for New York, it is only right that Fisher is not feeling that secure when it comes to his job status.
"Comfortable?" Fisher said, via ESPNNewYork.com. "The word does not exist in professional sports. There is no such thing as comfortable. My dad taught me that a long, long, long time ago -- that comfort and complacency will get you guys passed by pretty quickly."
The Knicks suffered another bad loss on Wednesday, this time coming at the hands of the Indiana Pacers on their home court. That comes after the ugly loss to the Sacramento Kings which left Fisher questioning the dedication of his players. The team has nothing left to play for at the moment as they simply are trying to keep their heads above water, but now most players are simply auditioning for a roster spot for next year.
With Carmelo Anthony and Jose Calderon out with injuries, Andrea Bargnani is trying to prove he is worth keeping around. Phil Jackson has been desperately trying to trade the power forward during this year and has come up unsuccessful every time. Now Fisher is liking what he sees from Bargnani and if he accepts a pay cut, the forward could stick around. He led the team against the Pacers with 25 points, matching a season high.
Calderon is another player that has been the subject of hundreds of trade rumors, but is hoping to stick around in New York like his contract dictates. Right now, the point guard is at risk of shutting things down for the season, but is stressing that he is committed to playing for New York.
"I want to be here, I want to be a part of this. But at the end of the day, there is nothing you can do [about it]. It's stuff you cannot control. So, yes, I want to be here after this summer for sure," Calderon said, via New York Post. "There's always going to be something that can happen during free agency, during the draft nights. ... It happens. That's what I meant about you don't know. Yes, I want to be part of this and I think they want me to be part of this but you never know."
The Knicks are looking for more elite players like Rajon Rondo, Goran Dragic and LaMarcus Aldridge. They also plan on trying to grab Kevin Love or Marc Gasol. Bargnani and Calderon simply do not fit into the plan.
