$5 Biggest Positives For New York Knicks\' 2015-16 Season$

5 Biggest Positives For New York Knicks' 2015-16 Season

By Chipper Murphy

The New York Knicks were 22-22 in Jan. and holding onto hopes of a playoff berth. Since those surprising first 44 games, the Knicks have been humbled, going 9-24. They fired embattled head coach Derek Fisher and faced the reality that they are a mediocre team still far away from competing in any way. Even with a team like the Knicks there are still positives to be found in each season. These are the 5 biggest for 2015-16.

$5 Biggest Positives For New York Knicks\' 2015-16 Season$

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Derek Fisher's Gone — Fisher largely escaped blame for winning just 17 games in his first season, but the pressure was on in 2015-16 after the addition of several key players. He was exposed as a poor coach and fired on Feb. 8, after the Knicks had lost 9 of 10 games. Fisher's career record with the Knicks was 40-96.

Lance Thomas' Improvement — Lance Thomas' good fortunes from behind the three-point line were shocking to Knicks fans. Thomas didn't attempt a three-pointer during his entire college career at Duke, and only attempted 45 in his first four NBA seasons combined. He must have worked hard on his shot. In 59 games, Thomas has launched 109 from downtown, hitting 44. Making threes at a 40.4 percent clip has made Thomas one of the Knicks' most valuable bench players.

Jerian Grant's Potential — Grant made his first career start against the Nets on Friday, playing 28 minutes. He recorded 14 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds on 6-of-13 shooting. The flashes of potential that Grant has shown this season amid inconsistent playing time finally came out in a long stretch.

Robin Lopez Is The Center Of The Future — The Knicks needed to overpay to get Robin Lopez to commit to being their center for the next four years, so naturally there was some concern about him. Thankfully, that was all for nothing because Lopez has given the Knicks all they could have hoped for and more. He's their most vocal leader and a truly selfless player.

Kristaps Porizingis Is A Franchise Player — Phil Jackson had high hopes for Kristaps Porzingis when they drafted him, but even he couldn't have predicted that the rookie would've come along this fast. Porzingis is a human highlight reel who has put on an a show for the entire league to see.

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New York Knicks

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