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New York Knicks have fired their head coach David Fizdale, as first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Knicks have been terrible this season, sitting bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 4-18 record. After pursuing Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant during the summer of 2019, New York settled for a collection of veterans alongside RJ Barrett. They were adamant they would be able to compete – they have been wrong so far.
In true Knicks fashion, it has been a chaotic season. Scott Mills and Scott Perry addressed the media inexplicably, and pressure on Fizdale was growing with each defeat. It was inevitable his firing was coming sooner or later, and many will be surprised he survived this long.
The roster had more power forwards than has ever been necessary. Spacing has been a nightmare. The offence has been the worst in the NBA, on eight occasions they have failed to reach the 100-point mark. Defensively, it has been slightly better, but it’s still pretty ugly viewing.
We will see over the next few months if a new coach can do markedly better than Fizdale has done. The Knicks have been hurt by the Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards being a bit better than expected, and there’s some talent on this roster. The real problem has been fit, however, and that’s not something that can be fixed by a change in coach. Fizdale was fighting a losing battle from the start, handed a roster that never made much sense.
Who knows where the Knicks go from here. Coaches will be attracted to Madison Square Garden, despite what looks like an unwinnable job. The lure of the Knicks remains for some. They are still a marquee franchise, a brand as recognisable as any in sport. In 2019/20, though, just like in 2018/19, they are one of the worst teams in the NBA, and it’s unfair to put that all on Fizdale.
