David Fizdale was standing outside of the entrance to Madison Square Garden under a marquee that announced his arrival. “Welcome David Fizdale, New York Knicks Head Coach,” it read in lights. As photographers clicked their cameras and Fizdale posed with a basketball, a pot-bellied passerby offered his quick assessment.
“Good luck. You’ll need it,” he shouted.
It was typical New York. Only minutes after being named the Knicks 29th head coach, Fizdale was already being heckled.
There is little question Fizdale has the résumé for the job; an apprenticeship as an assistant under Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra with the Heat; a playoff season as the head coach of the Grizzlies and the experience of self-reflection that comes with being fired. “I feel like this job was me,” Fizdale said during his introductory press conference Tuesday.
While that’s encouraging, his ability to handle the high expectations and potential distractions that come with this job could ultimately determine whether his tenure is a success. This is the city that never sleeps; nor do opinions about the Knicks. While team president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry are committed to a long-term plan, it will be up to Fizdale to keep the atmosphere positive in a town where patience isn’t always a virtue.
“I used to tell my mom that I was going to play in the Garden one day,” Fizdale said with his mother, Helen, and wife, Natasha, in the audience. “Ma, I didn’t get to do that, but I’m coaching here though.”
Be careful what you wish for. New York has spit out 11 coaches in the past 17 years, all arriving with intentions to turn the Knicks into a winner only to be doomed by a lack of talent, ineffective leadership and suffocating criticism by fans and media. Fizdale’s response: Bring it on.
“I don’t want to look back on my life and say I didn’t take this chance,” he said. “I don’t know how it’s going to turn out. I just know I’m going to get to work. I have a lot of faith and confidence in my work ethic, and my openness to learning and growing.”
The spotlight is on Fizdale now to get Kristaps Porzingis to buy in and other players to reach their potential. A playoff berth would be nice, but progress is a must or Fizdale will hear from a frustrated fan base forced to accept more change.
“The biggest challenge is the expectations from the fan base and from the media,” Fizdale said. “You know that coming into this. I actually like there’s an expectation here to have a team playing in May. Who wouldn’t want to be part of getting a team back to that? You’ve either got to go after it or be afraid and I’ve never been afraid. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Mills has been here for much of the recent drama from disgruntled players, ineffective coaches and the Phil Jackson error. The three-man alliance of Mills, Perry and Fizdale should help the new coach navigate the tough moments.
“We’ve seen all the brushfires and the forest fires,” Mills said. “That’s why we’re in this together. How do we help navigate the situations we’re confronted with? You’re going to have bumps along the road. We have to be together to navigate how we’re going to fight through it.”
The most successful coaches in this town developed teams that fit into the city’s DNA: Red Holzman’s Knicks; the Super Bowl Giants; Joe Torre’s Yankees; the Pat Riley/Jeff Van Gundy Knicks — they were proud, confident and tenacious. They were also team-oriented, smart and ruthless defenders.
That’s the kind of team Fizdale is hoping to build.
“How many times do you get a chance to coach at the Garden?” he said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. I love challenges and I love history, and I love trying to make history.”
Good luck. You’ll need it.
