New York Knicks: Damyean Dotson praises head coach David Fizdale
New York Knicks shooting guard Damyean Dotson offered praise for head coach David Fizdale and the culture that he plans to create at The Mecca.
As the 2018 NBA Draft nears and free agency sits impatiently behind it, it’s easy to lose sight of what the New York Knicks have already done to facilitate the rebuild. Phil Jackson landed a legitimate franchise player and a defensive ace, and Scott Perry hired a respected head coach.
With a strong foundation in place, recently hired head coach David Fizdale is committed to creating a healthier culture—and the players are already taking notice.
While Frank Ntilikina was the heavily publicized Jackson selection in 2017, Damyean Dotson has become a fan favorite in his own right. He appeared in just 44 games for the Knicks, but thrived down the stretch and embraced the long missing defensive-minded mentality.
According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Dotson praised Fizdale for planting the seeds for a healthier and stronger culture to blossom.
"“Coach is a great guy,” Dotson told The Post in a phone interview. “He knows what he is talking about. Very detailed and makes sure everyone is on the same page, feeding off each other and together. He’s big in to making sure we come together, play together and believe in each other. That we produce, play hard and scrappy. All the things that you want a coach to do. He inherited that mindset from [Pat] Riley and [Erik] Spoelstra. He has instilled a great culture in himself and wants to put that into our team.”"
Fizdale is still new to the job of head coach of the Knicks, but he’s already creating a connection with some of his most essential players.
Fizdale recently took Dotson, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Ntilikina to watch Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals. It was a bonding experience for the coach and three of the most promising players on the current roster.
Perhaps more importantly: It was a chance for Dotson, Mudiay, and Ntilikina to experience the postseason atmosphere that they’ve yet to find themselves in.
While many would be in awe of LeBron James‘ leadership of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Knicks were given a chance to see what worked for an overachieving Boston Celtics team.
Boston reached the Conference Finals despite the season-ending injuries sustained by Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. It did so by emphasizing ball movement, energy and physicality on defense, and won with a young core that thrived within a positionless style of play.
Fizdale plans to embrace a similar approach in New York, as well as the standard of elite physical conditioning that Pat Riley long held his players to.
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It will be a process, but David Fizdale, Steve Mills, and Scott Perry are already creating a new culture for the New York Knicks.