On the evening of December 6th, 2019, The New York Knicks fired David Fizdale as head coach after a 17-65 season last year and starting this season 4-18 (losing the last 2 games by a combined 81 points). Was this the right move for the Knicks? With the firing now in place, what will the Knicks do for the remainder of the season?
David Fizdale Fired: Was it the Right Move for the New York Knicks?
Thoughts on the Firing
To say the move to fire Fizdale was right or wrong is definitely up for debate. Some believe it was the right move because of the way he coached the Knicks’ offense. According to NBA.com, the Knicks are last in the NBA in points per game, assists per game, and field goal percentage.
With the offense looking stagnant, many blame Fizdale for not making plays to move the ball around. Some would say it was the wrong move because Fizdale was put in a bad situation when he came on board.
Fizdale was never given a chance to develop good team chemistry because of the decisions made by the Knicks’ management, which is often called into question.
Knicks fired coach David Fizdale, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 6, 2019
What Should the Knicks do this Season?
With Fizdale fired, the Knicks should find a way to fill the position as soon as possible. There’s a possibility that assistant coach Mike Miller will take over as interim head coach. There is also a possibility that they could hire someone during the season, but that seems unlikely.
The Knicks will most likely let the interim head coach play out the rest of the season and then search for a permanent head coach in the offseason so it won’t disrupt the team in terms of who to follow as a leader.
Head Coach Candidates
After this season is over, the Knicks will definitely look into finding a new head coach. One candidate that would be a good fit for the team is Mark Jackson. Jackson not only gives the Knicks a coach with experience, but he is also a former Knick who was born and raised in New York – something the team and the fans can get behind.
Another good candidate for the job would be Dave Joerger. In his final season with the Sacramento Kings, he was able to lead the team to their best record since they last made the playoffs.
The Knicks could also stick with the possible interim coach in Mike Miller. Miller was able to win the G-League Coach of the Year in the 2017-18 season.
Looking Forward
Whoever is going to be the new head coach is going to be placed in a horrible situation. With a subpar roster, and what is possibly the management any NBA franchise has seen, the new head coach will have his or her hands full.
One thing to note about this firing is that it’s going to prove who was really the problem with this team. Was it really the coaching of Fizdale that was the problem, or was it management and the decisions they have made?
If the dysfunction in New York continues, then we will see that management is and has been the problem. If the Knicks improve, then we can say that is was definitely Fizdale.
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