NBA Q&A: Derek Fisher

Courtesy of Darnell Mayberry

Question: Where do you feel like you are right now in terms of your performance?

Answer: “I feel like overall I'm good in terms of just coming in trying to impact the game on a nightly basis. Sometimes it'll be hitting a couple of shots. Other nights it'll be defending well, creating some havoc on that end and just providing energy and toughness. In the role that most of us play for this team, you shouldn't really measure yourself by percentages or how you're shooting or whatever. It's really about how are you impacting the game and if you're making a positive contribution. We don't have a problem scoring points. So we don't need another guy worried about how many shots he's making. We need more guys worried about how many shots we're going to keep the other team from making.”

Why do you think you haven't been shooting the ball well?

“It's just kind of part of the game in terms of the ups and downs of a season. I'm obviously adjusting to a shorter role than I'm accustomed to playing overtime and over the years. So playing 12, 13 minutes a game, you have to really be ready to go right at it in terms of playing the game. But when I go in the game I'm not thinking just offense. Sometimes a shot shows up and you make it or you miss it. But as long as you're taking good shots at the basket I'm not worried about it, my teammates aren't worried about it and I'll keep taking those. I don't know many teams that will just leave me open as time goes on.”

On the defensive end, is that part of your game to the level that you would want it right now?

“I think overall it's pretty good, in particular team defense-wise. I'm guarding a lot of off-guards or wing players. And so being off the ball while Reggie (Jackson) is on the ball it's really important to be active on the weakside when Nick (Collison) is rotating over to take charges or some of our other guys are doing some things on the ball; cracking back, boxing out big guys, getting long rebounds, deflections, getting in the passing lanes, those are things that I think guys like Nick Collison do every night for our team. And so the more guys we have doing those things I think it'll just elevate our team game.”

When you came back, did you know this was going to be your role?

“There was really no expectation laid out in terms of here's what we're going to be able to provide for you. I knew coming in I'd be basically the third smaller guard or point guard on the roster. Reggie had been playing well in the opportunities he's had to play. So I didn't really expect to come in and play a certain amount of minutes but really just bring the mentality that whatever the coach or the team asks of me I'll be prepared to do it. So that's what I'm trying to do.”

Are you aware of your slump?

“I'm aware I haven't made a shot in a few games or so, but I'm not measuring myself by whether or not I go 0-for-2 in terms of how I'm playing, or whether or not our team is developing the way it needs to develop.”