The Utah Jazz have hired ex-New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale but not for the position you might expect. While they need a new head coach, the Jazz opted to make Fizdale a part of their front office instead.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Fizdale will join the organization as associate general manager. The 48-year-old, who has 18-year coaching experience in the NBA, is expected to work closely with CEO Danny Ainge and GM Justin Zanik.

Former Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade, who is one of the investors in the Jazz, reportedly pushed hard for Fizdale to be interviewed for the position of a new head coach. But while Wade’s push did not gain much traction, the rest of Jazz brass liked the idea of having Fizdale, who is well-respected around the league, in a front-office role.

In the meantime, the Jazz reportedly also sorted out their head coaching vacancy. The franchise decided to hire Boston Celtics’ assistant Will Hardy as Quin Snyder’s successor. Hardy, who will become the youngest head coach in the league, is reportedly set to join on a five-year deal.

David Fizdale spent his early coaching days with Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, and the Miami Heat before taking over as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. Fizdale lasted a season and a half in Memphis and was fired following a 7-12 start of the 2017–18 campaign. He also coached the New York Knicks, but this tenure had a similar ending as the one with the Grizzlies.

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New York Knicks made a widely anticipated move on Friday when they fired head coach David Fizdale. This comes after the Knicks started the season with 4-18 record; the worst in Eastern Conference.

According to ESPN’s sources, Knicks also fired Keith Smart, one of the team’s top assistants. Reportedly, Assistant coaches Mike Miller and Pat Sullivan are among the candidates to take the head coaching job on an interim basis.

Fizdale was on the hot seat for some time now, and many expected that he will be fired a few weeks ago. After a blowout 108-87 loss to Cleveland Cavaliers on November 10th, general manager Scott Perry and team president Steve Mills conducted a press conference in which they expressed their disappointment about the way the team has been playing and demanded an improvement.

Despite the dissatisfaction from the front office, Fizdale kept his job and was given the opportunity to turn things around after Cavs’ game. However, the Knicks went on to win only two out of 12 next games which ended up sealing the 45-year-old’s fate.

David Fizdale joined New York Knicks in the summer of 2018, reportedly rejecting several other offers, including one from Atlanta Hawks, in the process. Reportedly he was excited about the opportunity to coach a transcendent player in Kristaps Porzingis and New York’s appeal to top free agents. However, he didn’t experience either, as Porzingis was traded before he had a chance to suit up for Fizdale while marquee free agents like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving snubbed the Knicks.

Fizdale leaves New York with a 21-83 overall record, which stands as fifth worst in the last 30 NBA seasons for a coach that led the team in at least 100 games.

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Despite saying he didn’t intend to revenge his 2017 firing by the Grizzlies, New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale got emotional after his players overpowered Tennessee 103-98 on Sunday.

Fizdale was fired in 2017 after just one year in Tennessee. At the time, the Grizzlies were on an eight-game losing streak and 7-12 overall. He sat out the remaining part of the season and only signed with New York this year.

Earlier in the week, Fizdale had revealed he didn’t intend to get any revenge win over the team that just fired him. His players didn’t listen and on Sunday got their coach a win.

“I know I took it personal,” Emmanuel Mudiay said. “Actually, all of us took it personal. We wanted to come out here and get a win for him.”

The win didn’t come easily but the Knicks subdued the Grizzlies in the end. Tennessee almost staged a comeback in the last quarter. New York was leading 91-89 with 3:30 left. As the Grizzlies struggle to take the lead, Mudiay slammed a one-hand dunk and the Knicks increased the gap.

When the game ended, Knick’s players dashed toward the coach for a group hug and he got emotional.

“Emmanuel came up to me, him and Tim (Hardaway Jr.) both, were just hugging me and telling me it was for me. And then they all came in and I lost it (crying).”

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New York Knicks were not a model organization for some time now, so it isn’t strange that they couldn’t attract any big free agents this summer or make some blockbuster trades. But, according to the team’s newly appointed head coach David Fizdale, that will all change in the summer of 2019.

According to Fizdale, the Knicks will be in place to “make some big moves” next year.

“[Knicks general manager] Scott [Perry] and [team president] Steve [Mills] have done an incredible job of lining it up so that we’re in a position next summer to make moves,” – Fizdale told reporters on Tuesday. “I just feel like with the relationships we’ve built and our approach to the game and our view of players and the way we view guys and the way we treat guys and the culture we want to build, I really think we’re going to find somebody who fits the bill. As we get our culture in place, [injured All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis] gets healthy, we start moving into next summer, I really feel like we’ll have the bricks in place to make some big moves.“

One of that moves might be signing an All-Star caliber free-agent. Steve Mills spoke about Knicks’ cap situation last week and told reporters that the team aims to clear enough cap-space until next year so they can sign a max-salary player.

“We feel like we’re going to put ourselves in a position where stars are going to want to come to us,” – said Mills during his appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “That’s what we think.“

The 2019 free agency promises to be an exciting one, with Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Kemba Walker all set to become free agents.

Some of these names wouldn’t be a long shot, especially since Kyrie Irving listed the Knicks as one of his preferred destinations when he asked for a trade from Cleveland Cavaliers last year.

The post Knicks to “Make Some Big Moves” in 2019 Says Head Coach David Fizdale appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New York Knicks have hired David Fizdale as their new head coach according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Fizdale, who last served as the Memphis Grizzlies coach, will sign a four year deal with the Knicks and his hiring is expected to be announced on a press conference scheduled for early next week.

David Fizdale was the Knicks’ main target for the job after they fired Jeff Hornacek in early April. Fizdale met with the team’s owner James Dolan on Thursday, and after the meeting, Dolan gave permission to president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry to negotiate a deal. According to the sources, after the official confirmation, Fizdale will travel to Latvia in order to meet with the Knicks main star, center Kristaps Porzingis.

Besides Fizdale, Knicks interviewed several other candidates including former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, former Warriors coach Mark Jackson and former Cavaliers coach David Blatt.

There were several other teams interested for the services of David Fizdale, including Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, and Phoenix Suns. The 43-year-old even discussed a potential deal with the Suns but decided to turn down the opportunity hoping that he will get the offer from the Knicks.

Fizdale started his NBA coaching career serving as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks. In 2008 he joined Miami Heat in the same role and was part of the Erik Spoelstra’s coaching staff who led the Heat to two NBA championships.
In 2016 he was named Memphis Grizzlies head coach, and reached the playoffs in his first season. After starting the 2017-18 NBA season with 7–12 record and clashing with Marc Gasol, Fizdale was fired by the Grizzlies.

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After an eight-game losing streak, the Memphis Grizzlies decided they need to make some changes and fired their head coach David Fizdale. Grizzlies associate head coach JB Bickerstaff has been named the interim head coach.

Grizzlies announce that David Fizdale has been relieved of his head coaching duties.

Grizzlies associate head coach JB Bickerstaff will take over as interim head coach.https://t.co/Oe16Qm46fd

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) November 27, 2017

“After a thorough evaluation, I decided a change in course was necessary to move forward and provide the team and organization its best chance at success this season and beyond,” – said Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace in a statement.

The Grizzlies’ decision to fire Fizdale caused some shock in the league. He has got the best of the team last year when he took them to playoffs and gave San Antonio Spurs a good run for their money. The current losing streak shouldn’t be entirely Fizdale’s fault since, in the six of those eight games, the team was without one of their star players, point guard Mike Conley. However, the word around the league is that Fizdale’s firing has a lot to do with Grizzlies star Marc Gasol. Fizdale benched Gasol for the entire fourth quarter of the Sunday’s 98-88 loss to the Brooklyn Nets which didn’t sit well with the 32-year-old center.

“There was tension between the two. This is a factor but it’s not the overriding factor. We talked to Marc in real time about the same time we talked to coach Fizdale.“- said Wallace, when asked about Gasol’s role in Fizdale’s exit.

Fizdale released a statement on Tuesday morning saying it was his honor to coach the Grizzlies and that he is thankful for the opportunity.

“It was a great honor and experience to serve as your Head Coach and be part of the Memphis community.” – said Fizdale. “The city of Memphis is a special place and embodies a spirit that is second to none. I wish the organization and the players the best moving forward and hope they bring the fans the championship they so richly deserve. Go Grizz!“

Previously an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, and Miami Heat, Fizdale became the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies in May 2016.

The post Memphis Grizzlies Fire Head Coach David Fizdale appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Utah Jazz have hired ex-New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale but not for the position you might expect. While they need a new head coach, the Jazz opted to make Fizdale a part of their front office instead.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Fizdale will join the organization as associate general manager. The 48-year-old, who has 18-year coaching experience in the NBA, is expected to work closely with CEO Danny Ainge and GM Justin Zanik.

Former Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade, who is one of the investors in the Jazz, reportedly pushed hard for Fizdale to be interviewed for the position of a new head coach. But while Wade’s push did not gain much traction, the rest of Jazz brass liked the idea of having Fizdale, who is well-respected around the league, in a front-office role.

In the meantime, the Jazz reportedly also sorted out their head coaching vacancy. The franchise decided to hire Boston Celtics’ assistant Will Hardy as Quin Snyder’s successor. Hardy, who will become the youngest head coach in the league, is reportedly set to join on a five-year deal.

David Fizdale spent his early coaching days with Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, and the Miami Heat before taking over as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. Fizdale lasted a season and a half in Memphis and was fired following a 7-12 start of the 2017–18 campaign. He also coached the New York Knicks, but this tenure had a similar ending as the one with the Grizzlies.

The post Jazz Hire Ex-Knicks Coach David Fizdale as Associate GM appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New York Knicks made a widely anticipated move on Friday when they fired head coach David Fizdale. This comes after the Knicks started the season with 4-18 record; the worst in Eastern Conference.

According to ESPN’s sources, Knicks also fired Keith Smart, one of the team’s top assistants. Reportedly, Assistant coaches Mike Miller and Pat Sullivan are among the candidates to take the head coaching job on an interim basis.

Fizdale was on the hot seat for some time now, and many expected that he will be fired a few weeks ago. After a blowout 108-87 loss to Cleveland Cavaliers on November 10th, general manager Scott Perry and team president Steve Mills conducted a press conference in which they expressed their disappointment about the way the team has been playing and demanded an improvement.

Despite the dissatisfaction from the front office, Fizdale kept his job and was given the opportunity to turn things around after Cavs’ game. However, the Knicks went on to win only two out of 12 next games which ended up sealing the 45-year-old’s fate.

David Fizdale joined New York Knicks in the summer of 2018, reportedly rejecting several other offers, including one from Atlanta Hawks, in the process. Reportedly he was excited about the opportunity to coach a transcendent player in Kristaps Porzingis and New York’s appeal to top free agents. However, he didn’t experience either, as Porzingis was traded before he had a chance to suit up for Fizdale while marquee free agents like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving snubbed the Knicks.

Fizdale leaves New York with a 21-83 overall record, which stands as fifth worst in the last 30 NBA seasons for a coach that led the team in at least 100 games.

The post David Fizdale Fired By Knicks After 4-18 Start of the Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Despite saying he didn’t intend to revenge his 2017 firing by the Grizzlies, New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale got emotional after his players overpowered Tennessee 103-98 on Sunday.

Fizdale was fired in 2017 after just one year in Tennessee. At the time, the Grizzlies were on an eight-game losing streak and 7-12 overall. He sat out the remaining part of the season and only signed with New York this year.

Earlier in the week, Fizdale had revealed he didn’t intend to get any revenge win over the team that just fired him. His players didn’t listen and on Sunday got their coach a win.

“I know I took it personal,” Emmanuel Mudiay said. “Actually, all of us took it personal. We wanted to come out here and get a win for him.”

The win didn’t come easily but the Knicks subdued the Grizzlies in the end. Tennessee almost staged a comeback in the last quarter. New York was leading 91-89 with 3:30 left. As the Grizzlies struggle to take the lead, Mudiay slammed a one-hand dunk and the Knicks increased the gap.

When the game ended, Knick’s players dashed toward the coach for a group hug and he got emotional.

“Emmanuel came up to me, him and Tim (Hardaway Jr.) both, were just hugging me and telling me it was for me. And then they all came in and I lost it (crying).”

The post Knicks Coach David Fizdale Gets Emotional after Win Over the Grizzlies appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New York Knicks were not a model organization for some time now, so it isn’t strange that they couldn’t attract any big free agents this summer or make some blockbuster trades. But, according to the team’s newly appointed head coach David Fizdale, that will all change in the summer of 2019.

According to Fizdale, the Knicks will be in place to “make some big moves” next year.

“[Knicks general manager] Scott [Perry] and [team president] Steve [Mills] have done an incredible job of lining it up so that we’re in a position next summer to make moves,” – Fizdale told reporters on Tuesday. “I just feel like with the relationships we’ve built and our approach to the game and our view of players and the way we view guys and the way we treat guys and the culture we want to build, I really think we’re going to find somebody who fits the bill. As we get our culture in place, [injured All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis] gets healthy, we start moving into next summer, I really feel like we’ll have the bricks in place to make some big moves.“

One of that moves might be signing an All-Star caliber free-agent. Steve Mills spoke about Knicks’ cap situation last week and told reporters that the team aims to clear enough cap-space until next year so they can sign a max-salary player.

“We feel like we’re going to put ourselves in a position where stars are going to want to come to us,” – said Mills during his appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “That’s what we think.“

The 2019 free agency promises to be an exciting one, with Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Kemba Walker all set to become free agents.

Some of these names wouldn’t be a long shot, especially since Kyrie Irving listed the Knicks as one of his preferred destinations when he asked for a trade from Cleveland Cavaliers last year.

The post Knicks to “Make Some Big Moves” in 2019 Says Head Coach David Fizdale appeared first on SportzBonanza.

New York Knicks have hired David Fizdale as their new head coach according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Fizdale, who last served as the Memphis Grizzlies coach, will sign a four year deal with the Knicks and his hiring is expected to be announced on a press conference scheduled for early next week.

David Fizdale was the Knicks’ main target for the job after they fired Jeff Hornacek in early April. Fizdale met with the team’s owner James Dolan on Thursday, and after the meeting, Dolan gave permission to president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry to negotiate a deal. According to the sources, after the official confirmation, Fizdale will travel to Latvia in order to meet with the Knicks main star, center Kristaps Porzingis.

Besides Fizdale, Knicks interviewed several other candidates including former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, former Warriors coach Mark Jackson and former Cavaliers coach David Blatt.

There were several other teams interested for the services of David Fizdale, including Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic, and Phoenix Suns. The 43-year-old even discussed a potential deal with the Suns but decided to turn down the opportunity hoping that he will get the offer from the Knicks.

Fizdale started his NBA coaching career serving as an assistant with the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks. In 2008 he joined Miami Heat in the same role and was part of the Erik Spoelstra’s coaching staff who led the Heat to two NBA championships.
In 2016 he was named Memphis Grizzlies head coach, and reached the playoffs in his first season. After starting the 2017-18 NBA season with 7–12 record and clashing with Marc Gasol, Fizdale was fired by the Grizzlies.

The post New York Knicks Hire David Fizdale as Their New Head Coach appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After an eight-game losing streak, the Memphis Grizzlies decided they need to make some changes and fired their head coach David Fizdale. Grizzlies associate head coach JB Bickerstaff has been named the interim head coach.

Grizzlies announce that David Fizdale has been relieved of his head coaching duties.

Grizzlies associate head coach JB Bickerstaff will take over as interim head coach.https://t.co/Oe16Qm46fd

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) November 27, 2017

“After a thorough evaluation, I decided a change in course was necessary to move forward and provide the team and organization its best chance at success this season and beyond,” – said Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace in a statement.

The Grizzlies’ decision to fire Fizdale caused some shock in the league. He has got the best of the team last year when he took them to playoffs and gave San Antonio Spurs a good run for their money. The current losing streak shouldn’t be entirely Fizdale’s fault since, in the six of those eight games, the team was without one of their star players, point guard Mike Conley. However, the word around the league is that Fizdale’s firing has a lot to do with Grizzlies star Marc Gasol. Fizdale benched Gasol for the entire fourth quarter of the Sunday’s 98-88 loss to the Brooklyn Nets which didn’t sit well with the 32-year-old center.

“There was tension between the two. This is a factor but it’s not the overriding factor. We talked to Marc in real time about the same time we talked to coach Fizdale.“- said Wallace, when asked about Gasol’s role in Fizdale’s exit.

Fizdale released a statement on Tuesday morning saying it was his honor to coach the Grizzlies and that he is thankful for the opportunity.

“It was a great honor and experience to serve as your Head Coach and be part of the Memphis community.” – said Fizdale. “The city of Memphis is a special place and embodies a spirit that is second to none. I wish the organization and the players the best moving forward and hope they bring the fans the championship they so richly deserve. Go Grizz!“

Previously an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, and Miami Heat, Fizdale became the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies in May 2016.

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