[ot-caption title=”Fans attend the Houston Rockets vs New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on January 8, 2015 in New York City. (via James Devaney/GC Images)” url=”https://pcpawprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/461225102-e14210390365481.jpg”]

Those of you that watch professional basketball are aware of how pathetic the performance of the New York Knicks has been this season. How can it be that the Knicks, in a popular area like New York City and with a higher salary cap than most teams, can have such a dismal season?

They brought in new coach Derek Fisher who has led the team to a 5-35 record and a shot in the dark to make the playoffs now. Some may say it’s Fisher’s fault, being a first year coach with no experience or true coaching ability.

But basketball legend Phil Jackson, the new Knicks President of Basketball Operations, brought Fisher in, and blames this on himself.

“This is a mea culpa. I take responsibility for it,” Jackson said (per ESPN.go.com), “Obviously I didn’t do the right thing in picking the group of guys that were here. A lot of it was etched in stone, we had guys with guaranteed contracts. But in anticipating that we were going to be better, that we were giving hope to our fans that maybe there’s a possible playoff opportunity here, you know, that goes on me. We now have to take responsibility and move forward and make things happen, that also goes on me. Now I have to do the job that I was brought here to do.”

Jackson spoke on how he hopes that fans do not simply blame Fisher after this rough year.

“The fans, I want them to leave Derek alone in this regard. He’s doing the best job possible. It’s not his fault,” Jackson stated (ESPN).

As poor as this season has been for an organization like the Knicks, fans do have reason to get excited. After this season, New York is most likely going to have a very high draft pick come June (possibly even the number one overall pick) and about 25 million dollars saved up to sign a big name.

Fans will wait and see if the Knicks can somehow turn this season around in a weak Eastern Conference where the bottom 2 seeds to make the playoffs most likely will not have a .500 record, giving almost any team hope.

Source: ESPN