Knicks coach David Fizdale is hardly shocked the Knicks finally hit rock bottom, but said he believes they will be better for it one day.
They certainly weren’t better Wednesday, when the Mavericks routed them in the second half and won a 114-90 Garden cruise that felt like a Dallas home game with game-long cheers for Dirk Nowitzki and loud cheers at the final buzzer.
“What I saw, midway through the third, we started feeling sorry for ourselves,’’ Fizdale said. “We gave in to the losing tonight. It’s eating at everyone.’’
Wednesday marked the second straight day the Knicks had the dishonor of being the NBA’s worst team. On Tuesday, Cleveland’s victory over Washington gave the Knicks sole possession of the bottom of the barrel. They stand alone at 10-40, with the NBA’s lowest winning percentage (.200).
The Knicks have dedicated this season to player development, but weren’t banking on being the worst team in the NBA.
Of course, the New York City Lottery Police want to throw a parade.
“We don’t want to be there,” Fizdale said before the club lost its 24th game in 26 outings. “I’m also a realist when it comes to where we are and what we have to go through as a team. This is just the beginning for us. It’s not something that will define us as a group. The character of this group is a winning character. I see them getting better at a lot of stuff right now, especially defensively.”
The Knicks had improved defensively the past few games before falling on their face against Dallas. Fizdale is known as a Pat Riley-esque defensive coach, but he has failed to establish that identity.
“They’re taking their lumps,” Fizdale said. “That’s fine. Somebody has to be in that spot right now and that’s us. We still have a lot of time to play and I expect us to continue to get better.”
The league’s youngest team, the Knicks are in danger of finishing with the worst record in franchise history. The previous worst is the 17-65 season of 2014-15 when Derek Fisher was in his rookie year as a coach.
Fizdale explained this group lacks the one guy who can “hide the warts,” as Kristaps Porzingis could miss the entire season with a torn ACL. Fizdale’s remark echoed a recent sentiment from owner James Dolan, who said the club is missing “a star.”
“The difference is we don’t have anyone to hide the warts,” Fizdale said. “They’re all trying to figure out who they are in this league. They’re all surviving in this league. No one there to rescue them. So you get to see all their warts. Other teams I’ve been part of, while developing young guys we had couple of guys who would take the load and pressure off them. That’s the difference with this situation.”
When the Knicks were competitive earlier this season, Tim Hardaway Jr. was that player, but he has slumped and suffered from plantar fasciitis.
As far as Porzingis, he will be reevaluated in mid-February when it is expected to be determined if he will sit out the whole season.
“We don’t have, per se, a Kristaps on the court who can relieve the pressure of these guys, especially in close games,” Fizdale said. “I know we’re suffering, it’s not easy for everyone. But the big picture, we’re seeing the warts addressing the warts. Ultimately it going to make us better.”
Being the worst team in the NBA used to have greater lottery benefits. But as bad luck would have it, this year the bottom three teams share the same odds to win the No. 1 pick at 14 percent. In years past, the worst team held a 25 percent chance.
With Anthony Davis now available on the trade market, the Knicks would likely make that pick a pawn if it means getting the Pelicans superstar.
That none of the young Knicks were picked for the Rising Stars Challenge made up of the top rookies and sophomores didn’t exactly bode well for their player-development reputation. Fizdale was known as a player-development guru when he was an assistant in Miami. However, Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, Allonzo Trier, Frank Ntilikina and Damyean Dotson all fell short.
“I feel I’m constantly growing and evolving,” Fizdale said. “This has been a new experience for me — to figure out a young group and who could do what. Who retains what, who needs to develop. All the while going through tough times to keep motivating. It’s been a great challenge for me trying to navigate and I’ll be better coming out of it.”