Just because Mike Budenholzer might have been the best head coaching candidate for the Knicks based on resume, it doesn’t mean he was the only good one. David Fizdale might have less of a track record than Budenholzer and have more blemishes on his record, but he is still a widely respected coach and was a good choice at the end of a professional search conducted by the Knicks front office.
Steve Mills and Scott Perry interviewed ten or more candidates, and didn’t forego many opportunities to talk to anyone that was interested in the job, spare perhaps Jeff Van Gundy. After all those interviews, they decided Fizdale was the best man for the job. Why they liked him better than Budenholzer (and David Blatt and Jerry Stackhouse) remains a mystery for now, but the decision isn’t one that is deserving of the “same ole Knicks” criticism. There’s a rational argument to be made.
Most of the focus from media reports when it comes to Fizdale is his ability to relate to players (except, apparently, for Marc Gasol). That’s all well and good but that doesn’t do any good unless he knows how to coach basketball. All indications are that he is a hard-working, young innovative head with a good knowledge of analytics that is no stranger to hard work that can grow with a young team.
Fizdale’s coaching background is what should have Knicks fans most excited. Despite growing up in a rough area of South Central Los Angeles, he stayed out of trouble and went to college. He started his professional career in the Miami Heat’s film room with Eric Spoelstra in the 1997-1998 season for Head Coach Pat Riley. Being a video coordinator is one of the most labor and time intensive jobs you can have in the league, especially when everything was on tapes before non-linear digital video editing became common place. Cutting together coach’s film for practice and film review is tedious, unglamorous and time consuming, but while you do it you learn an awful lot. David Fizdale is a basketball lifer that paid his dues at the bottom of the totem pole before.
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Fizdale is straight from the Riley coaching tree, returning to the Heat as an assistant coach after Riley named Spoelstra head coach in 2008. In between the two stints in Miami he was an assistant coach at his alma-mater San Diego State (where he previously played point guard), Fresno State, the Warriors and Hawks. He was there when the Heat won their championships with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. He eventually became Spoelstra’s top assistant in 2014 after the departure of Ron Rothstein and Bob McAdoo. His career path isn’t dissimilar from someone like Jeff Van Gundy, and he is just as much of a blue collar worker.
The second biggest thing that should get fans excited is his belief in the modern analytics of basketball. His famous “they’re not going to rook us” and “take that for data” quotes after a playoff game against the Spurs overshadow someone who understands and applies the modern theories of offense. He understands that a high volume of three point shots is necessary for a modern offense to be efficient enough to win games.
In his lone full season in Memphis, the Grizzlies shot eight more threes per game than the season before and their offensive efficiency improved by two points despite the team having less perimeter talent. They went from shooting just 22% of their shots from behind the arc in Dave Joerger’s final season (5th lowest percentage in the league) to 31% of their shots (13th in the league) from three point range in Fizdale’s first season.
Gasol was a big part of the transformation, increasing his three point attempts from 3 during the entire course of the season in Joerger’s final season to a whopping 268 in Fizdale’s first year. He understood the value of a big that can shoot the three proficiently, which should apply very well to Kristaps Porzingis when he returns from injury.
The Grizzlies also jumped from 20th to 12th in the league when it came to the percentage of their made field goals that were assisted. Fizdale focused on ball movement, spreading the floor and the three point shot, all of which are tenets of modern basketball. The Knicks offense should be in good hands.
It should also come as no surprise, due to his experience with Riley, that he coaches defense well too. He took Memphis from 19th (105.4) to 7th (104.5) in the league in defensive rating in his first year coaching the Grizzlies. The Knicks haven’t played good defense since Jeff Van Gundy left and that needs to change. It appears Fizdale can help with that.
The bright red “caution” sign hanging over Fizdale’s resume was his relationship with Marc Gasol that eventually led to his firing. The two clashed and Grizzlies ownership, to no one’s surprise, chose the star player over the coach. If the Knicks vetted that issue and determined it won’t be a problem, there isn’t much not to like about Fizdale as the next Knicks coach. (other than he is not Mike Budenholzer)
Perry and Mills conducted a professional search and wound up with a good choice. The Knicks organization should be applauded for that. A successful tenure for Fizdale is essential for the Knicks long term success as a franchise. This is the man that will groom Frank Ntilikina, and develop whatever youngsters they have and bring Kristaps Porzingis back slowly from his injury. He will also be responsible for trying to turn Porzingis from an All-Star into a superstar. It’s a tough thing to do.
Of course, the Knicks have seemed to hire the right coach before. Larry Brown seemed like a no-brainer. So did Mike D’Antoni. Both wound up fired like everyone else in the past 17 seasons. Fizdale needs better players to compete. 2018-2019 is still going to be a struggle due to Porzingis’ injury and what should be a quiet summer on the free agent market. Winning the lottery on May 15th would certainly speed things but Knicks fans have learned the hard way never to expect any luck with ping pong balls.
In other words, hiring Fizdale was a nice first step. The hardest work and the most important decisions still lay before the Knicks.
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