Schmeelk: Derek Fisher Was The Difference In Knicks' Win Over Cavaliers
By John Schmeelk
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The Knicks would not have beaten the Cavs last year. Not with Mike Woodson as their head coach. Not in a million years. Throughout the game Charles Barkley had fun mocking the triangle offense, and how the Knicks were winning the same way they won last year: with one-on-one isolations.
He wasn't even close to being right. If Barkley was right, why did the team record an assist on 30 of its 37 made field goals? In the second game of Derek Fisher's tenure (a game on the road and on the second day of a back-to-back), the team had more assists than it did in any game last season. The triangle will result in one-on-one situations, but it's the movement and spacing it creates before those opportunities that make all the difference.
It was never clearer than at the end of the game, a situation that Woodson mismanaged time and time again last year. Many have said the Knicks won on Thursday night because Carmelo Anthony hit a tough contested jumper over LeBron James in a one-on-one situation, and because J.R. Smith hit a floater after beating his man off the dribble a possession earlier. Those shots were huge, but they would not have gotten those opportunities last year where and when they got them on Thursday night.
Woodson's late-game sets had Anthony catching the ball behind the three-point line on the wing in a slow, developing play. It would allow multiple defenders time to set themselves up to stop Anthony with limited time on the shot clock. The result was often a ridiculously difficult contested shot. Last night, Fisher put Anthony into a pick-and-roll situation as a screener for Pablo Prigioni. That simple movement got Anthony the ball 18 feet away, and in a position where there was not a ton of help-defense and he could go to work in a much easier spot on the floor.
Anthony's late-game success actually started the night before, thanks to Fisher. When the Knicks were getting blown out by Chicago, Fisher limited Melo's minutes to 29. Against the Cavaliers he only played 34, and in neither game was he working as the team's offensive engine like he did in every game last year. Last season, Anthony played fewer than 35 minutes just 14 times (not counting games he left early due to injury). He was often exhausted at the end of games, which resulted in his 38 percent field-goal percentage in fourth quarters. On Thursday night he had fresh legs, and it showed.
On J.R. Smith's made shot, Anthony and Prigioni ran the same weak side pick-and-roll action, forcing the defense to react and giving J.R. Smith the ability to make his move because the defense wasn't set. Those types of simple and subtle movements that result in one-on-one situations make it so much easier for the players to score in those important spots at the ends of games. The essence of coaching is putting your players in the best possible position to succeed. Fisher is doing that.
Fisher's other impact came on defense, where there were far fewer uncontested layups and open threes than Knicks fans have seen for years. The Cavaliers scored just 90 points and shot under 46 percent from the field. Fisher didn't start Amar'e Stoudemire and gave some of his minutes to guys that earn their keep on the defensive side of the floor, like Quincy Acy and Cole Aldrich. Shane Larkin tallied five steals in 28 minutes and Tim Hardaway Jr. played less than five minutes because of his issues on the defensive end (and J.R. Smith's strong play.)
Fisher actually held players accountable and wasn't scared of putting out lineups that appeared unorthodox to get the matchups he needed. At one point in the fourth quarter, the Knicks had Prigioni, Iman Shumpert, Acy, J.R. Smith and Aldrich on the court together. In the second quarter he played Larkin, J.R. Smith, Travis Wear, Anthony and Aldrich. In both situations, the Knicks increased their leads.
One thing Fisher will eventually have to do is shorten his rotation. He won't be able to keep his team or players in rhythm if he plays 12 players every night, like he did on Thursday. His adjustments and mixing and matching worked well, but handling his players that way will make it harder to develop consistent units. Once he figures out who plays well together, the rotation should get down to nine-to-10 guys.
The Knicks won on Thursday night because -- for the first time in a long time -- they did fundamental things well. They defended, moved the ball and rebounded. Those are all things that they did not do well under Woodson last season.
Fisher is making a difference. It might not have shown against Chicago on Wednesday, but it's why New York beat the Cavs.
You can follow me on Twitter @Schmeelk for everything Knicks, Giants and the world of sports.
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