David Fizdale is high on the New York Knicks’ list of coaching candidates, but he may have some explaining to do before any potential offer is extended.
Marc Berman of the New York Post reported on Sunday that the Knicks would like to know what went wrong with the relationship between the ex-Memphis Grizzlies coach, who was fired last November, and star center Marc Gasol.
Per Berman:
According to a source close to Fizdale briefed on the Grizzlies’ decision, it was ownership having to make a choice — trade their All-Star center Marc Gasol, who has fallen in love with its small-market city, or fire the coach. Their relationship had gotten that bad.
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Knicks brass wants to know what happened to his relationship with the Spanish center and reports he benched Gasol in the fourth quarter of what turned into his last game just to mess with him.
It is a fair question for them to ask — freshly-fired head coach Jeff Hornacek did not always see eye-to-eye with his players, and the Knicks obviously have their own star European big man in Kristaps Porzingis who has a history of clashing with management.
Fizdale is scheduled to interview with the Knicks later this week, and Berman adds that he checks off “a lot” of the boxes that they are looking for. But if the team ultimately chooses to go in another direction with their head coaching position, we may have an idea of what brought them to that decision.
