New York Knicks: 5 reasons David Fizdale is an excellent hire
The New York Knicks hired David Fizdale as their next head coach and it was an excellent choice for the franchise.
The New York Knicks‘ offseason to-do list expanded before they even got to work improving the team. Hours after their 2017-18 season ended, the Knicks decided to part ways with head coach Jeff Hornacek. Hornacek lasted only two seasons with the Knicks, but the move wasn’t a big surprise.
Hornacek was hired by Phil Jackson, who is no longer with the organization. Scott Perry has since taken over as general manager, with Steve Mills being moved from general manager to president of basketball operations. The two wanted to change the culture in New York, and the first step to doing that was finding a new head coach.
On Thursday, they did that. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Knicks and David Fizdale agreed to a deal to make him the new head coach of the team. Fizdale will become the 29th head coach in the history of the franchise.
In addition to the news of Fizdale being hired, Wojnarowski reports that it is a four-year pact between Fizdale and New York.
Fizdale will sign a four-year contract with the Knicks, league source tells ESPN. https://t.co/BPIDb3Jloh
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 3, 2018
Fizdale earned this job. New York had an extensive interview list, as 10 people interviewed for the job, including Mark Jackson, Mike Budenholzer and David Blatt.
Head coach hirings are nothing new to New York. Fizdale will be the 11th head coach for the team since it parted ways with Jeff Van Gundy during the 2001-02 season. That is tied for the most head coaches in the NBA during that time span.
Since Van Gundy left the sidelines in New York, the Knicks have been the worst team in the NBA win percentage-wise.
David Fizdale is the 11th head coach of the Knicks since Jeff Van Gundy resigned in 2001. That is tied for the most in the NBA in that span.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 3, 2018
The Knicks have the worst win pct in the NBA since Van Gundy resigned at .403. pic.twitter.com/L1WiTvtXZl
Fizdale will be the fifth head coach for the team in the past five years. Hopefully, he lasts longer than the last two hires that Jackson made in Hornacek and Derek Fisher.
For New York, this is the signaling of a new era of sorts. This is the first offseason that Perry and Mills will be working together. Fizdale is an excellent first decision for those two this summer. While the Knicks still have some work to do before they are back contending, they should be excited about having Fizdale on the sidelines for a multitude of reasons.