David Fizdale is trying an outside-the-box tactic to try to motivate the New York Knicks and wake them up from their current slump.
The New York Knicks are really struggling right now. They’ve had some bad losses to bad teams and some really bad losses to some really good teams. Coach David Fizdale knew he had to do something to get his squad back on track.
Every great coach has a great motivational tool. Some go on angry tirades, some give heartfelt speeches, some throw rosin bag grenades while crawling behind the pitcher’s mound. David Fizdale’s motivational tool is closer to that last option.
So according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, he brought an ax to work today. He used the ax as a prop to ask his team to “chop down a big tree”, stating that, “If you keep paying attention to if the tree is falling, you’re never going to get that tree down. We signed a covenant as a group.”
Well, consider me motivated.
As dorky of a gimmick as this may be, Fizdale isn’t wrong. The Knicks are at least a year away from being a competitive team and the young core has to focus on taking steps forward every day rather than felling the tree immediately.
That’s right. I know lumberjack terms.
This rebuild is going to be a long process if it’s done right. We’re gonna see some pretty ugly games from a young team learning to compete at the highest level.
We’re also gonna see the young players that fans love so much bud into NBA stars and high-quality role players acting as a cohesive unit. This core has all the potential in the world to be one of the most special units the Knicks have ever seen.
If Fizdale can get everyone to buy into his one chop at a time motivational ploy, Knicks fans can expect to see positive signs even in the worst of losses. The ax will remain with the team indefinitely which seems weird because bringing an ax into an opposing team’s stadium is typically cause for concern.
