?They got the best coach on the market, in my opinion,?? Billups said.
?I?d be happy if I was him,?? Billups said of Porzingis. ?[Fizdale] knows the game, is relatable, a contemporary and has coached great players and has a championship pedigree [with the Heat].??
Pierce was also effusive in his praise for the new hire.
?That?s one of the toughest jobs in the NBA coaching the Knicks, being that they?ve had four coaches in the last five years,?? Pierce said. ?He?s well-qualified for that job. The New York media is tough, the fans are tough. If it?s one guy who can deal with it, it?s Coach Fiz.??
While Rose said Mark Jackson would?ve been just as good a choice, the former Pacers and Knicks guard said Fizdale is going to be the ?right fit for New York.?
?He?ll be ready for the pressure that comes with the media, the fans and the expectations, especially being in Miami under [team president] Pat Riley,? Rose said. ?He?s developed a level of tough skin. He?ll be able to turn them around and make them respectable.??
Rose said the Knicks, though, will finish in the draft lottery next season because of Porzingis needing time to rehab from his ACL injury. In fact, Rose suggested Porzingis not come back next season. Sources have indicated he could be back by Christmas, though owner James Dolan didn?t rule out him missing the entire season in an interview with The Post last month.
?Porzingis won?t play,?? Rose said. ?I wouldn?t put him out there in any way, shape, or form.??