Derek Fisher: New York Knicks can win 8-10 more games

Apr 8, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Derek Fisher (6) drives past Sacramento Kings guard Ray McCallum (3) in the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Derek Fisher (6) drives past Sacramento Kings guard Ray McCallum (3) in the second quarter at Sleep Train Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks suffered through a terrible 2013-2014 season.

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One year after finishing with a record of 54-28, the second-best mark in the Eastern Conference and defeating the Boston Celtics in six games in the first round of the NBA playoffs before falling to the Indiana Pacers in six games in the second round, the Knicks went 37-45 and missed out on the postseason.

Fisher believes the Knicks can win 8-10 more games this season.

“In my opinion, I believe that success and failure are not as far apart as people think. It’s pretty close. And when you think about [the Knicks] winning 37 games a year ago, there are a number of things that you can isolate with the same exact roster that can provide 8-10 more wins without a change of any kind,” Fisher said last week, in an interview on ESPN NY 98.7 FM’s “The Michael Kay Show” via Ian Begley of ESPN New York.

“You can make more free throws. You can have a player miss a few [fewer] games due to injury by handling some things smartly due to practice time, recover time, nutrition, etcetera. There are a number of things that are the difference between winning and losing.”

Fisher went on to say he is not “down on the roster” and he believes “in a lot of the guys on this roster.”

Obviously, this talk hinges on the Knicks retaining Carmelo Anthony, who is set to opt out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent. The Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets are considered the favorites to land Anthony.