A Healthy Deron Williams was a Recipe for Brooklyn Nets 110-99 Win Over the Knicks

For the first time as a coach, Derek Fisher stood along the sidelines as his New York Knicks faced a 110-99 loss to the Brooklyn Nets Friday night at the Barclays Center. And for fans--the game seemed like a rivalry between the two New York teams, and perhaps a win for for bragging rights, but for Fisher---the loss meant none of the two.

Fisher, a former Oklahoma City Thunder, although most known for his role on the Los Angeles Lakers has no idea of the subway match between the two teams and quite frankly he's trying to dismantle the thought of a such rivalry.

"Rivalries are not really created until there's been some playoff history and some playoff battles with teams. I know it's fun for folks to talk [and] write about, but in my experience...its not really a rivalry until you beat each other with a huge...prize at stake, and that hasn't happened just yet," Fisher told reporters at a post-game media conference.

The 40-year-old rookie coach stressed the importance of team work, and said he's still learning about the Knicks. What attributed mostly to the Knicks' loss was a healthy Deron Williams, who finished the night with a season-high of 29 points. Fisher blamed defensive communications on how the team guarded the All-Star point guard.

"I think it was a combination of some of our other defensive concepts—whether or not a guy didn't communicate on a pick-and-roll situation or if Deron Williams was isolated," Fisher said. "Deron is an All-Star player. He's healthy again. It's not about not shutting out Deron. It was a team game, and their team won.

Williams, who once played with Fisher while on the Jazz admitted that it was still a little weird seeing his former teammate suited up on the sidelines. Despite it all, he's still "happy for him."

Brooklyn Nets point guard Deron Williams

"When he played and when I played with him, he was like a coach out there on the floor. I always thought that Fish would make a great coach if he ever decided to go that route. I'm excited for him," Williams said.

A healthy Williams is looking towards the future after being injury-prone for the last two seasons. Whether or not playing against the Knicks is a rivalry, a win is a win, considering the adversity that he's faced.

"Last two years have been a struggle," Williams said. "They're behind me now, looking forward to this one and we got a great win tonight."

Spike Lee takes a pregame selfie with What's The 411TV and What's the 411Sports reporter, Crystal Lynn, at the Brooklyn Nets v. New York Knicks game at the Barclays Center.

I guess Spike didn't hold Crystal Lynn's first interview with him against her.

A great day in Brooklyn!

Carmelo Anthony Makes History

Things went so well this Sunday evening for New York Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony; he made history and led his team to victory.

That usually doesn't happen on the same night.

Anthony became the 40th player to join the NBA's 20,000 points club, finishing with a team-high 28 points to lead the Knicks to a thrilling 96-93 win over the re-branded Charlotte Hornets.

Unfortunately, the Hornets were hit with the injury bug.

A member of their young core in forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist suffered a rib contusion mid-way into the first quarter after falling awkwardly in trying to corral a rebound from Knicks guard, Shane Larkin.

I must say that I love the new look Hornets re-branding returning to the NBA because the Bobcats logo and branding was horrible.

Just seeing those Jerseys reminds me of Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning, but anyway the Knicks won.

The early ball-movement of the Knicks offense was very encouraging and along with solid team defense, the Knicks were able to build an early 15-5 advantage on an Anthony made three-pointer with 7:42 remaining in the first quarter.

More of the same ball movement trend leaked into the 2nd quarter in which the Knicks took the largest lead of the game, leading 45-30 with 4:37 remaining until halftime.

Iman Shumpert starred in the first half contributing 11 points doing most of his damage from outside.

His defensive tenacity, over-zealous at times, regulated him to the bench as he gained his second foul with 6:41 remaining in the first quarter.

He would contribute the game-changing play later in the game.

With basketball being a game of runs, it was only a matter of time until the Hornets got their feet wet and familiarized themselves with their surroundings.

As the Hornets cut the early lead to single digits, the ball-movement the Knicks exhibited throughout the first half vanished which then resulted in a game of possessions.

The Hornets cut the Knicks early double digit lead and trailed by two points, going into halftime down 50-52.

It was homecoming for the Hornets All-NY back-court, Lance Stephenson and Kemba Walker who did everything in their power to spoil the Knicks second home game of the year.

With the Knicks unable to preserve their early lead and the Hornets evenly matching up with their opponents, the second half of this game produced plenty of gut-wrenching moments for both fans of both teams.

It was a back-and-forth affair. You score, I score.

The biggest lead held by either team in the second half was three points.

That explains it all.

The Knicks can never win comfortable and give their fans an easy night off.

Everything the Knicks do is designed to provide a difficult task for themselves as well as their fan-base.

From that perspective, they definitely delivered.

Al Jefferson plagued the Knicks all night long scoring inside with ease with the only capable defender being Samuel Dalembert, who troubled Jefferson by forcing the low-post scorer to his left.

Due to Dalembert's defense, Jefferson was taken out of the game offensively as he produced a scoreless fourth quarter.

It was all up to the back-court hailing from New York City, who both came up short in the deciding quarter.

Stephenson was less aggressive and played the role of facilitator while Walker was limited to a two-point fourth quarter courtesy of Knicks reserve guard, Pablo Prigioni's defense.

There's a reason why he's still on this roster.

Even with the limited production of the Hornets back-court, the Knicks struggled to put the Hornets away and found themselves in a hole with the game hanging in the balance.

A made jump-shot by Hornets reserve guard Gary Neal and a Walker reverse lay-up granted the Hornets a 93-90 lead with 2:49 remaining.

It was make or break time for the Knicks and they chose wisely, executing timely hoops which proved to supply the damage necessary in order to achieve the victory.

Down by three, Knicks guard Iman Shumpert connected on a three-pointer which tied the game at 93-all with 2:06 remaining till the end of regulation.

All the Knicks needed now was a stop: Check.

How about a basket to put the Knicks ahead by someone who was brought here for these moments worth $122 million? Check.

Anthony has provided clutch baskets throughout his career and did not disappoint the Knicks fans in attendance tonight.

Guarded by Hornets forward Marvin Williams, Anthony sank an elbow jumper from the triple-threat position giving the Knicks a 95-93 lead with 1:24 remaining in the fourth.

Game-over.

Other than Anthony's historic night, Amare Stoudemire displayed flashes of his old-self adding 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Larkin also played well contributing nine points, five assists and two steals.

For the Hornets, Walker finished with 16 points while Stephenson compiled 14 points, 8 assists and 9 rebounds, two assists and one rebound away from a triple-double.

If Stephenson can improve his outside shot, he will be scary.

The Knicks shot 50% from the field and totaled 23 assists.

Last year, this would have been a game that the Knicks would have lost without a doubt.

This year's team is much improved.

My biggest takeaway from this game was the coaching.

Knicks Head Coach Derek Fisher has a presence and is pushing the right buttons early on.

No less than 30 seconds off the clock in the 4th quarter and Fisher elects to call a timeout as Hornets center Cody Zeller rose for an uncontested dunk.

Fisher was disgusted with the defense and showed no tolerance for the defensive effort on that play specifically.

That's what the Knicks need.

They need to be held accountable.

All in all, the Knicks are 2-1 and their next opponent is no walk in the park as the Knicks will host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

That means the explosive exploits of guard John Wall and forward Paul Pierce, Knicks public enemy no.1.

The road gets tougher but for now Anthony is the 40th member of the NBA's 20,000 point club.

Congrats.

WATCH VIDEO: Is New Orleans Pelicans Anthony Davis MVP caliber?

Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant certainly thinks Anthony Davis is MVP caliber.

Do you agree?

Could Anthony Davis beat out New York Knicks forward, Carmelo Anthony for the title of MVP?

Or, perhaps, could LeBron James make another run at NBA MVP?

The Melo-Drama is Over

The What's The 411Sports panel Chris Graham, Gregory Alcala and Glenn Gilliam discuss New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony's decision to stay with the New York Knicks.

The 411Sports team thinks it was a good decision for Carmelo to stay with the Knicks. Chris thinks Lance Stephenson would be a good addition to the team to help Carmelo Anthony. However, Greg is not sold on the idea of Lance Stephenson. Greg also thinks it was good the Carmelo Anthony did not sign with the Chicago Bulls. Greg doesn't trust that Chicago management would keep Head Coach Tom Thibodeau for as long as it takes to win an NBA championship or that Derrick Rose will be healthy.

VIDEO: Check out conversation about Carmelo Anthony here

One Door Closes, Another Opens

The New York Knicks announced that it waived forward Lamar Odom and re-signed Cole Aldrich.

Overall, the What's The 411Sports team likes the New York Knicks' move to re-sign Cole Aldrich.

Aldrich, 6-11, 245-pounds, averaged 2.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 46 games for the Knicks this past season after originally signing as a free agent on September 24, 2013. The four-year NBA professional is currently playing for New York's entry at the 2014 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, NV.

However, What's The 411Sports reporter Glenn Gilliam is lamenting over Lamar Odom's release from the team.

Odom, 6-10, 221-pounds, was originally signed as a free agent on April 16, 2014.

How could Lamar Odom blow this opportunity to play in his hometown and for veteran coach Phil Jackson?

VIDEO: Conversation about Cole Aldrich and Lamar Odom

Phil Jackson Selects Derek Fisher to Coach New York Knicks

June 10, 2014 signaled a date in New York Knicks history that we can actually acknowledge as the start of the Phil Jackson era, finally.

As we all know by now, Jackson was appointed the President of Basketball Operations for the Knicks earlier this year. As good as it felt to have the knowledge that Jackson, the owner of 11 championship rings as a coach was joining the Knicks in a management role, overseeing basketball operations, there is still a bit of uneasiness. Yes, there is nervousness because we have no evidence that his great coaching will translate into great management.

Although, Jackson relieved then Knicks Head Coach Mike Woodson as one of his first orders of business. Hiring Woodson's replacement was a little problematic, as Jackson's first choice, Steve Kerr, a TNT basketball color analyst, bowed out and signed on with the Golden State Warriors.

But, June 10, 2014 signaled a day when Jackson stepped forward into the future of the Knicks franchise making his presence felt in NY besides occupying a seat at an occasional Knicks home game. He hired a coach. He hired someone he could trust. He hired someone who knows his basketball philosophies. He hired someone he has coached and he hired someone he has won championships with. He hired Derek Fisher. On June 10, 2014 it became official that Derek Fisher would become the newly minted Knicks floor manager from the bench,

It makes sense. After failing to lure Kerr, his initial target, Jackson went with the next best thing. In seeking the right candidate to fill the shoes that Jackson has mastered as a head coach, Jackson required a young mind, someone he has ties with and is also comfortable with, and most importantly, someone who understands the triangle offense, the coaching strategy that Jackson has implemented throughout the duration of his head coaching career.

Fisher fit the bill. Is this hiring a result of the success that first-year head coaches have enjoyed in most recent times? It's difficult to dismiss what Jason Kidd has accomplished in the neighboring borough of Brooklyn. Kidd steered the Nets to 44-38 finish, earning a second place finish in the Atlantic Division, as well as a trip to the second round of the 2014 postseason.

How about Jeff Hornacek in Phoenix? He transformed a team that only won 25 games during the 2012-13 Season into a team that won 48 games this year. Not to mention David Joerger who spearheaded the Memphis Grizzlies attack, exceeding Hornacek with 50 wins. Those are just a couple of examples, but I think in the eyes of someone like Jackson, he seems like the kind of guy who will do exactly what he wants to do, and in adding Fisher he did just that.

For those who do not know Derek Fisher, he is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. He played collegiate basketball at the University of Arkansas for four years and is a member of one of the most celebrated draft classes in NBA History. Fisher holds a career average of 8.3 points and 3.0 assists. Fisher didn't exactly light the world on fire during the NBA season, but the reason why he is a household name is because of what he was capable of producing when the lights shined the brightest. I'm referring to the NBA postseason. That's how I will remember Fisher. Fisher possesses NBA records of 259 playoff games played, winning 161 of those games. He has five rings to serve as evidence. Some would even argue that other than Shaquille O'Neal, Fisher played a pivotal role in aiding Kobe Bryant to secure the championships he won early in his illustrious career.

For all the key defensive stops, steals, big shots and breakout performances Fisher has accumulated throughout the NBA postseason, one particular series of events stands out more than most. The 0.4 shot. During Game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs, Fisher, then suiting up for the Los Angeles Lakers, down 73-72 caught an in-bound pass from teammate Gary Payton, only to catch the ball, turn and force a shot up all within 0.4 seconds to give the Lakers a 74-73 win, and a 3-2 series lead.

Fisher delivered a 100% effort every night he stepped on the court whether it was defensively, doing the dirty work or guarding the opposing teams best perimeter player. When called upon he responded, and there's no reason why I feel that he won't do the same as a coach. Fisher was tough, strong-minded, a character guy and a competitor, all characteristics we can expect will allow Fisher to make a smooth transition to the bench, this time around wearing a suit. Fisher is well respected around the league, and beloved by all of his peers.

"He's a smart guy, smart mind," says Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant to Marc Berman of the New York Post. "He's a great motivator, great speaker and can really relate to a lot of guys and demands that respect from everybody," Durant continues.

"I think he can be a great coach," TNT analyst Reggie Miller expressed during the Spurs and Thunder playoff series.

As Fisher is small in stature, his heart made up for his lack of size displaying an all for one team basketball inspired play that generates interest and support. If that doesn't influence your belief in the job that Fisher is capable of doing, look no further than his introductory press conference held by the New York Knicks at their training facility.

"I look forward to sharing my experiences with my players, and helping to reestablish a championship culture," says Fisher while addressing the NY media in attendance.

Here's another one. "This is not for Phil and I to just hang out again as friends," says Fisher, in which he concludes that statement by adding, "We want to add more banners to this ceiling here."

How Fisher and Jackson will go about their business in doing so is intriguing and yet worrisome, but the power, sternness and matter-of-fact tone in which Fisher articulated throughout his press conference leads me to believe that he will do just that. I'm encouraged. The only problem facing Fisher is the obvious fact that he has never coached before on any level. He has never occupied the bench as an assistant head coach or even as an intern.

Jackson made it clear that in the beginning of Fisher's tenure in New York, he will be very hands-on, most notably participating in their training camp where Jackson expressed that a co-op operation will be in effect. Fisher has to gain the respect of his players.

He's Fisher and certainly not Kidd. See Fisher wasn't a superstar in this league the way Kidd was. As head coach, Kidd received near instant credibility from his players. Fisher will have to earn his. I believe he can do it. I believe in Fisher. I believe that he can mold the Knicks to play like champions like he once did. I believe a Fisher coached team could exhibit the same characteristics that Fisher displayed while he graced the hardwood as a player in being strong, tough, defensive minded, as well as, adopting and instilling an all-team mentality.

It's hard to not believe in a guy who has won at the highest level attainable not to mention five times. When a deal like this comes into focus and becomes official, I have only one question for Jackson: Why wasn't Fisher the initial candidate?

VIDEO CONVERSATION: Johnny Manziel, Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan, Pam Oliver and more

What's The 411Sports Episode 3 featured a discussion of the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers losing season; Phil Jackson coming to New York, Michael Jordan's earnings for 2013; the NFL contemplating allowing the use of medical marijuana; Michael Sam declining an invitation to the White House Correspondents Dinner; who's going to win the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship; and where will Johnny Manziel land in the 2014 NFL Draft.

The featured interview was with Fox Sports Analyst, Pam Oliver. The interview took place at Media Row during the NFL's Super Bowl media week.

What's The 411Sports is hosted by Bianca Peart and Glenn Gilliam.