David Fizdale’s first 15 years an NBA coach resulted in nine playoff berths and two NBA titles. His one full year as an NBA head coach led to the postseason.
He isn’t used to losing, certainly not to the extent he has as the Knicks’ first-year head coach. He’s not used to having a roster full of youngsters, a team that currently includes just two veterans, three rookies and 11 players 24 years of age or younger. So, yes, the eternally positive coach does get frustrated at times. He does get down. But when that happens, he reminds himself what his purpose is this year.
“It’s not about me, and that’s when you snap yourself back into reality,” Fizdale said. “My job is to serve these guys and to grow these guys.”
Those guys, in fact, are what keeps him positive despite the team’s ugly record, despite a recent franchise-record 18-game losing streak, despite dropping 18 straight games at home. Even in the midst of the lowest of lows this season, those players have arrived to the Madison Square Garden Training Center early and left late. They didn’t let the losing beat them down.
When asked how he keeps a rosy outlook, Fizdale smiled and said: “Easily.”
“They make it easy for me, they don’t shortcut me in here,” he said. “They come in here every single day with the right mindset and they compete hard against each other, they still root for each other, they still work with the belief that this is going to pay off. I can’t be negative, I can’t be down. It energizes me and my staff to come here every day and give them all we got.”
That credit, the players say, goes to Fizdale and his staff. Fizdale builds players up. He doesn’t tear them down. He rewards good play with extended minutes. He meets with players one-on-one. He accentuates the positives.
“He doesn’t allow players to get down on themselves, no matter what,” guard Emmanuel Mudiay said. “One thing about the locker room, even though we have lost some games, it doesn’t feel like it because when you walk in everybody’s in a positive mood.”
Of course, it helps when you win a few games, as the Knicks have recently. After losing those 18 games in a row, they have picked up three wins in four contests, and two in a row at home over the Spurs and Magic. It shows the work they are doing is paying off, even in a small sample size.
“It feels good because when we turn on the film and you see that the stuff that you’ve been doing in here is the stuff that actually transfers over to the court,” Fizdale said. “That’s when you start to feel good about yourself, because you see the work is not just for [nothing].”
Nevertheless, the Knicks are obviously not in the clear. Three wins in four games doesn’t solve their many problems. More losses will come. Their youth will show. And Fizdale will have to remind himself what this season is really about.
“I take myself out of it, my opinions and all of that, being disgruntled,” he said. “If they screw it up a lot of times with this group I’m sure it’s the right agenda, and it’s just about us teaching them the right way and getting them to a place where they can do it consistently.”