The 2014 NBA MVP Kevin Durant was asked about his teammate Derek Fisher, and what he thought of his potential as a head coach in the NBA. Durant had great things to say about Fisher, who is a leading candidate for the New York Knicks coaching job.
Via Marc Berman of the New York Post, Durant was very forthcoming when asked about the possibility of Fisher as head coach:
When asked Tuesday by The Post if he felt Fisher had the attributes to be a solid coach, Durant said, “Without a doubt. He’s a smart guy, smart mind. He’s a great motivator, great speaker and can really relate to a lot of guys and demands that respect from everybody. He’s a great locker-room guy. I’m sure he’ll do a great job.”
Fisher has insisted all season this will be his last, and he plans on retiring when the playoffs are done. After losing Steve Kerr to the Golden State Warriors, Phil Jackson has lined up a list of candidates he thinks can be groomed to run the triangle in New York. Fisher is reportedly at the top of the list, as Jackson waits for him to become available.
It would be the second straight season where we would see a point guard transition directly from playing to the sidelines, with Jason Kidd of the Brooklyn Nets as last year’s example. The Knicks situation makes sense for Fisher, because he already has a working relationship with Jackson and would be open to his tutelage while he gets his feet wet working the sidelines.
But another coaching vacancy got a lot more interesting on Tuesday. That would be the Cleveland Cavaliers, owners of the first overall pick in the upcoming draft and suddenly a very attractive opening for any coaches looking for a job. General manager David Griffin may prefer to hire someone with more experience, given the immense pressure from owner Dan Gilbert to return to contention immediately. But if Griffin values finding a coach who can develop a relationship with his franchise player, Fisher would be an intriguing option to pair with Kyrie Irving.
Where do you think Derek Fisher should go?
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