The New York Knicks are slowly turning around after an unexpected start to the 2019-20 season, as interim coach Mike Miller is already drawing praise for his work with the team. According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, an NBA executive praised Miller's approach while taking a dig at former head coach David Fizdale, who was fired on Dec.6 after a 4-18 start to the season.
“Mike just wants to focus on basketball,” said the executive, who is in touch with Knicks brass. “David is a lot about the glitz and glamour. He may have created some self-created distractions.”
In 11 games since Fizdale's firing, Miller has the Knicks at 5-6, already one more win through a 24-day period than Fizdale could muster through the first month-and-change of the regular season.
While the results are hard to argue against, it's smart to take the comments with a grain of salt, considering an executive in touch with the front office of Steve Mills and Scott Perry is likely to be in the same line of thought as the ones who decided Fizdale's firing.
Well-respected head coaches like Rick Carlisle, Steve Kerr, Gregg Popovich, Erik Spoelstra, and Stan Van Gundy defended Fizdale as a good coach who just got himself in a bad situation with a franchise like the Knicks, though longtime coach Jeff Van Gundy noted Miller as a basketball savant who was due for his shot at the helm.
The Knicks are expected to keep Miller through the season, especially if the Knicks manage to turn around the way they have been. At 9-24, the hopes for a playoff run are rather slim, but Miller is slowly righting the ship and helping the Knicks find a sense of identity as they flip the calendar year.
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