New York Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. says head coach David Fizdale getting fired on Friday “caught everybody by surprise.”

New York is 4-18 on the season. They have the worst record in the East.

Knicks president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry addressed the media for several minutes before Fizdale’s press conference following the team’s home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 10. Mills said he and Perry weren’t happy with how things were going, saying he expected the Knicks to be better.

After missing out on stars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency, the Knicks used their cap space on Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson, Marcus Morris, Wayne Ellington, Elfrid Payton and Reggie Bullock. That’s a lot of power forwards on one team and guys who don’t really move the needle.

It appears Fizdale was the fall guy in New York, even though guys like RJ Barrett and Bobby Portis have showed their support for Fizdale. At this point, it probably doesn’t matter who is coaching the Knicks. Their roster just isn’t good enough to compete, and it doesn’t help that James Dolan is universally recognized as the worst owner in the NBA.

Smith is averaging 5.7 points and 3.0 assists on the season in 15 games. He's shooting 33.7 percent from the field.