David

Fizdale

After spending last season in a front office role with the Jazz, Fizdale will return to the bench as part of Frank Vogel’s staff. He worked under Vogel with the Lakers and had a lot of success as an assistant previously in his career. He’ll bolster a coaching staff that will look to turn a team centered around Devin Booker and Kevin Durant into a true contender.

Well, now we know that Danny Ainge doesn’t like his soda flat, because he just put some Fiz into his front office. This will be Fizdale’s first front-office job after spending 18 years as a coach and assistant for multiple franchises.

Fizdale most recently worked as an assistant on the Lakers’ coaching staff, and he had stints in New York and Memphis as head coach.

Ham has elected to bring in his own coaching staff, which makes sense for a new head coach. Fizdale, Penberthy, and Lucas were part of the old regime under Frank Vogel but will now be looking for jobs elsewhere. Fizdale’s head coaching experience should allow him to land on his feet smoothly.

Fizdale will have to quarantine for at least five days, ad then return two negative Covid tests before he is cleared to return.

Fizdale will fill the role left vacant by Jason Kidd, who departed to become the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Fizdale was previously the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2016-2017 and the New York Knicks in 2018-2019. He also spent eight years as an assistant in Miami from 2008-2016 under Erik Spoelstra, winning two championships in 2012 and 2013 with none other than Lakers superstar LeBron James. The two have had a longstanding relationship, and Fizdale is respected in NBA circles, so the marriage between the two sides makes sense. The Lakers have a laundry list of things to get done this offseason, from coaching hires to plenty of roster decisions, so making a quick hire makes sense for the franchise.

The writing was on the wall yesterday when the front office and James Dolan left Thursday’s blowout loss to the Nuggets early. Fizdale has been expected to be fired for weeks, but losing the last two games by 81 points combined made it an even easier decision. With Fizdale gone and with a new coach coming in who won’t have to worry about record as much, there could be some added opportunity for Frank Ntilikina, Mitchell Robinson and maybe Kevin Knox. Knicks assistants Mike Miller and Pat Sullivan are candidates to become interim head coach, per Woj.

Berman reports that “the coach’s hot seat is cooler halfway through this 10-game trial,” and that “indications are it was far-fetched for a change to be made this early anyway.” The Knicks have played better, and with more intensity, of late but are still just 4-11 on the season, and sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. While Fizdale was handed a roster lacking top-tier talent, he hasn’t distinguished himself as a head coach over his first 90+ games in New York.

“Every game, every game. Jim Dolan comes in and gives me a vote of confidence,” said Fizdale, “a pat on my back and really has just been incredibly encouraging over the last year and a half or whatever it’s been.” The Knicks have opened the year 4-11, and Fizdale’s wonky rotations have involved shifting franchise cornerstone Mitchell Robinson to the bench in favor of the 34-year-old and zero-time All-Star Taj Gibson, so of course, Dolan likes what he’s been seeing. What’s the definition of insanity again?

In his most recent podcast, which was recorded Sunday night, Simmons said: “Multiple people told me this, who know things. James Dolan is courting offers for the Knicks. It’s happening. It’s on. It’s go-time. He’s courting offers for the Knicks. That’s what I heard at All-Star weekend from people I trust.” However, The Madison Square Garden Company released a statement early Monday afternoon, denying the rumor. “The story is 100% false. There has been nothing. No discussions. No plans to have discussions - nothing.”