Knicks Rumors: 'Way Too Early' for Talk of David Fizdale to Be Fired
Sources have told Marc Berman of the New York Post that New York Knicks coach David Fizdale is not in immediate danger of losing his job amid a 1-6 start to the season, saying it's "way too early" in the season to make a change.
New York finished with the worst record (17-65) in the NBA in 2018-19 in Fizdale's first year on the job, and it is currently tied with two other teams for the fewest wins in the league this season.
One thing working in Fizdale's favor at this point is the fact the team overhauled its roster during the offseason.
The Knicks drafted former Duke star RJ Barrett with the third overall pick in June. Though they missed out on the likes of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, they were active in free agency. They signed a number of veterans in Wayne Ellington, Reggie Bullock, Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton, Marcus Morris, Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson.
Those signings provided a boost to New York's roster, but it takes time for a new-look team to learn to establish chemistry and learn to play together.
"You give any coach in the league 10 new guys and see how good they do with them," Morris said, per Berman. "He's putting us in the best position to win and it's on us."
Of note, four of the Knicks' six losses have come on the road, with three coming by single digits. Two of their defeats have come by four points or fewer.
"Fiz is putting us in the best position to be successful," Morris said, per Berman. "It's up to us to execute the game plan better. Fiz has been nothing but a great coach for us and given us what we need."
The Knicks' most recent game resulted in a 21-point loss to the Sacramento Kings at home. After the blowout loss, Fizdale didn't mince words:
This is not the first time Fizdale—who won two championships (2012 and 2013) with the Miami Heat as an assistant—has found himself potentially coaching for his job after just one full season with a team. After leading the Memphis Grizzlies to a 43-39 record in 2016-17, he was fired just 19 games into the 2017-18 campaign following a 7-12 start.
