Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire seeks discipline from Derek Fisher
Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire and his wife, Alexis Welch, attend Game 3 of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Madison Square Garden on June 9, 2014. Credit: Getty
Amar'e Stoudemire wants Derek Fisher to be a disciplinarian.
Fisher, who was introduced as the Knicks coach Tuesday, has no coaching experience, so Stoudemire said the most important thing he needs to establish with his new team is discipline.
"For the young players who are not as professional as they should be, I will look for him to put his foot down and really be firm about his teaching strategy and even for veteran players who don't want to buy into it, you got to put your foot down," Stoudemire said Tuesday in Manhattan where he signed copies of his new book, "Cooking With Amar'e: 100 Easy Recipes for Pros & Rookies in the Kitchen."
The Knicks' veteran power forward said he doesn't believe Fisher will have a problem getting the respect of players because he's a "Phil Jackson guy." Fisher played on five NBA championship teams with the Lakers under Jackson.
"I think with Phil having his back, that gives him more of a role of sort of being a disciplinarian," Stoudemire said. "Whatever Phil thinks works, I'm all with them and on board with it. Phil has a pedigree of winning and if he feels that's what's needed to win, then I'm down for it."
Stoudemire said he has no concerns playing for a coach who was recently an active player with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"For some guys, it might be an issue, but with me, I'm just a pro who wants to play the game of basketball at a high level," Stoudemire said. "At this point, I know what it takes to be successful and to win."
Part of learning how to win, coincidentally, came from Stoudemire watching Jackson, Fisher and the Lakers when he was a member of the Phoenix Suns.
"I used to battle against both these guys, in the Western finals, just going at it," Stoudemire said. "To have both of those guys now on my side, it's going to be a lot of fun. [Fisher] was a solid point guard who knew the game of basketball. He did all the intangibles to win. He was a true pro who came in and got his work done."
Stoudemire expects Fisher's work ethic to translate over to coaching.
"It's going to take some time for him to get around the organization and the team a little bit and figure out how everything works," Stoudemire said. "But once it's time for training camp, we should be able to kick it in full motion."
The Knicks are expected to play the triangle offense, which Jackson favors and Fisher has plenty of experience with.
Stoudemire said the triangle suits his game well.
"I'm down to play in the triangle offense, for sure," he said. "I think there really hasn't been an offense that I've been put in with that I wasn't able to be successful in."
