Patrick Ewing: Lockout Has Taken Toll on Derek Fisher

New York Knicks legend and current Orlando Magic assistant coach, Patrick Ewing, believes the lockout has negatively affected Derek Fisher’s play, Mitch Lawrence, New York Post. Fisher was busy this summer and as president of the players union, he spent nights trying to figure out a way to work with the league.

“I almost expect Derek to have a tough time, with all the negotiating he had to be a part of,’’ Ewing told the Daily News recently. “Too much negotiating and not enough work on the court — that’s what happened to me during the lockout. Too much talking and not enough training.”

Ewing was the president of the players union during the 1999 NBA lockout, and he admitted to being a little off once the season started. As a result of the long, hard work, Ewing dealt with a left Achilles injury for nearly the entire 50-game season.

So far this season, Fisher has been struggling and his perimeter shot has not been there. In the 2011-12 campaign, the Lakers point guard has averaged 5.2 points, two assists and 26 percent from three-point range.