The Knicks won 17 games last season, so the fact that they are no longer an unmitigated laughingstock has engendered an understandable measure of satisfaction among the team and its fans.
But as Coach Derek Fisher made clear on Friday, the Knicks have not been content to be seen as a pleasant surprise this season. They hope to be a strong team, and that will take some more work.
“We’ve had a little bit of success, and sometimes that leads you to believe you have it all figured out,” Fisher said just before the Knicks withered against the Miami Heat, 97-78, at Madison Square Garden.