Knicks' Derek Fisher closing in on starting five
Knicks head coach Derek Fisher speaks to the media during training camp in Christi Arena at West Point on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014. Credit: Andrew Theodorakis
Derek Fisher started Shane Larkin, Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Smith and Samuel Dalembert in Friday night's final preseason tuneup.
Insert Jose Calderon for Larkin, and that likely will be the Knicks' starting five in Wednesday's opener against the Bulls.
"Pretty close, I think so," Fisher said Friday morning. "We're still kind of identifying specific groups of guys that work best together. I think it would be safe to say that'd be pretty close to it. Over the next four or five days, hopefully we'll be able to get some more work in and get that group of guys comfortable playing with each other."
Calderon sat out of Friday night's game against the Raptors to rest his calf strain. The Knicks also were without Andrea Bargnani for the sixth straight exhibition game because of a hamstring strain and his status for the opener is up in the air.
If Bargnani were healthy, he may have been the Knicks' opening-night power forward, although Fisher said he hadn't predetermined that. Bargnani did start in the first preseason game.
Smith was signed in the offseason and is a good fit for the triangle because of his ability to play multiple positions and knock down open shots.
Amar'e Stoudemire will back up Dalembert and Smith, and give the Knicks some scoring punch off the bench.
The Knicks waived D.J. Mbenga and Orlando Sanchez.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
