Knicks' Mike Miller trying to keep his players in a routine during suspended NBA season
Knicks interim head coach Mike Miller talks during a press conferenced before a game against the Washington Wizards on March 10, 2020. Credit: AP/Luis M. Alvarez
Before the NBA season came to a sudden halt, Knicks interim coach Mike Miller was focusing on the task at hand.
Now that the coronavirus has shut down the season, with no immediate plans for resumption, Miller is doing the same thing.
"We have tried to maintain a routine where we do certain things,’’ Miller said in an appearance on the Knicks’ Twitter account. “Certainly exercise is a part of that every day. Having a chance to touch base with our players, we actually have stayed pretty busy with that.
“Our staff is in communication daily. Between all our coaches and our staff, we’ve done a good job of making sure throughout the week our players hear from us almost on a daily basis — from the training staff, our performance staff, our support staff and our medical staff. They have been very well connected with us to make sure everyone is safe.”
Miller took over as Knicks coach on Dec. 7, just 22 games into his first season on the NBA level after serving as the coach of the team’s G League affiliate. After a 4-18 start to the season under David Fizdale, the Knicks went 17-27 under Miller, but he still has the interim title.
Leon Rose officially took over as team president March 2, and just six games later, the Knicks' season was suspended. What Rose is thinking about Miller’s status remains a mystery, as the new team president has yet to speak publicly. With Rose given the clean slate to bring in his own people, Miller is not expected to remain the head coach.
In limbo, Miller has been doing basically what he did during the season — immersing himself in film and readying for the next game, whenever that may be.
“Outside of [the communication with players], I’ve been watching a lot of videotape of our team,’’ Miller said. “The different phases, from the offense to the defense and the situations we’ve been in. We’ve had a chance to evaluate things and really take a good look at it."
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
