Derek Fisher

Derek Fisher
Derek Lamar Fisheris an American basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as the head coach of the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association. He played professionally in the NBA for 18 seasons, spending the majority of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he won five NBA championships. He has also served as president of the National Basketball Players Association...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBasketball Player
Date of Birth9 August 1974
CityLittle Rock, AR
CountryUnited States of America
We got off to a good start, but we couldn't sustain it. We've experienced that several times this year and we've experienced it against this team before. We haven't been able to put together a good complete game in quite sometime. It's frustrating.
I've played some good games in this building, and when I play here I always push it.
There's still a possibility, and that's what we're playing for. This game felt really good. This was some of the best balance we've had in a long time. It's nice to win one of these games without Jason having to score 99 points.
That's the key for us. Being able to really tap into this team's scoring potential, figuring out the sets that we have and the offense that we run, how to be more efficient. Against good defensive teams, you can't game in and game out take difficult shots with guys flying at you and having to get into the lane and create your own shots every time.
We know that we aren't playing our best basketball, but we've done enough to win games. What would feel real good is to get the game in Chicago. I think that would really show a lot of growth on our part if we can stay focused and disciplined enough to get that game.
I feel like it's my job to step up my game to whatever level is needed for the team to be successful while guys are out. I don't know if I'm better; just different.
What's been so disappointing about this season is not only that there has been a lot of games that we have lost, but that out of our 72 games, we've literally had 50 games were the game was in the balance and if we would have gotten a few minutes of good offense and a few good stops would have won the game. There has been a lot of games that we lost just like we lost today's game.
Life for me outweighs the game of basketball.
We had an opportunity to win. That's what you want to do in this league. You can't plan on how you're going to get to the end of the game - whether you're going to be up five, down five, up 15 or down 15.
You see arguably our best player going out there to do everything he can possibly do to win a game even though his ankle is probably still a little bit sore. I hope that it does make the rest of us feel like we have to do something to help.
In the past it's come up maybe in the middle of the year, after we'd lost some games, or been frustrated. The fact that we haven't played a regular-season game yet makes it different.
People feel like we've brought it to the point where a position has to be made: OK, what are we going to do? Are we going to win and make the playoffs? Are we going to make a trade? Who's going to be coach?
Everybody just looks at his scoring, but as he's developed into that player he is now, a lot of it is just his presence. That helps our team. It gives us energy and gives us aggressiveness, gives us the ability to do certain things out on the floor.
That's the type of personality he has. But he does it in a way that's respectful of his teammates. He's never trying to show someone up.