The David Fizdale era is over in New York, as the Knicks fired the head coach following a disastrous 4-18 start to the season. Fizdale was in his second season in New York, and led the team to a 17-65 record last season, the worst in the league.
The move was reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on the day after the coach blasted his team’s “sickening” effort in a blowout loss to the Nuggets at Madison Square Garden. Fizdale was always likely to take the fall for the Knicks, but as our own Charles Curtis argued in November, he isn’t to blame for the organization’s failure to lure a major star in free agency, and their subsequent roster moves, which left Fizdale with a terribly constructed roster.
NBA Twitter went off on the Knicks on Friday.
It's weird how the Knicks took a very bad team, traded its best player for cap space, didn't sign any good players with that cap space, and are somehow still bad
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) December 6, 2019
I’m so Happy For Coach Fiz!!! It finally gives Coach Fiz a peace of mind and now the Knicks needs to address the real problem and that’s Steve Mills and Scott Perry!!!
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) December 6, 2019
Knicks to their coach every 6 months pic.twitter.com/8cTStdiGiZ
— Robert (@JRAMNOTTHAGOAT) December 6, 2019
Knicks head coaches this century: 13
Knicks playoff wins this century: 9
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) December 6, 2019
firing david fizdale for not making the knicks into champions is like giving a mechanic a box of toothpicks and hot dogs and then getting mad at him that he couldn't you a race car out of it
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) December 6, 2019
The Knicks are 350-656 with one playoff appearance in 13 seasons with Steve Mills working in the front office. https://t.co/VuzgmZjpgT
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) December 6, 2019
when you’ve been informed you will now be paid millions to no longer coach the Knicks pic.twitter.com/aDIFWj2bKi
— I Think You Should League Pass (@nbaleave) December 6, 2019
Fizdale after finessing the Knicks for his full salary pic.twitter.com/fZzabj931F
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) December 6, 2019
The Knicks assistants realizing one of them has to coach this team now pic.twitter.com/17moAawyO7
— Rob Lopez (@r0bato) December 6, 2019
“with the first pick in the 2020 NBA Draft the Knicks select LaMelo Ball”
Melo Ball: pic.twitter.com/9QXjEBOYcU
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) December 6, 2019
David Fizdale was dealt a bad hand, but he also played it very poorly. The Knicks never established an identity or defined style of play on either side of the floor. Even the Process Sixers and tanking Nets were able to do that, and at times with obviously less talented teams.
— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) December 6, 2019
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