Let’s start with the good news: The Knicks made a smart, forward-thinking hire with David Fizdale on Thursday. (ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news first.) Fizdale is a coach beloved by players around the league, he won two titles with Erik Spoelstra in Miami and he wasn’t afraid to attempt to modernize the Grizzlies during his too-brief tenure in Memphis. Fizdale is smart, connects well with the current NBA generation and he can be an eloquent face of a franchise.
What does this all mean for the Knicks, however? Fizdale has the support of heavy hitters like Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, but it’s fair to note that he clashed with Marc Gasol at the end of his time with the Grizz.