New York Knicks: David Fizdale hire a sign of change

David Fizdale has been chosen as the next head coach of the next coach of the New York Knicks. The team finally made the right decision.

“They not gonna rook us;” a line used to exemplify the mindset of a young coach confident in his abilities after dropping a playoff game to the San Antonio Spurs. David Fizdale is a stand-up leader, and bringing him to New York was undoubtedly a stand-up move by the front office.

Fizdale will enter his tenure with the New York Knicks with justifiable doubts. He was ousted from his last job after failing to get along with Marc Gasol, the Grizzlies’ longtime face of the franchise.

Yet, his firing was followed by outrage with some of the more respected minds in the NBA playing community, with public statements questioning the move from LeBron James and Dwayne Wade.

Clearly, there’s still some confusion in the public eye as to how Fizdale should be viewed in terms of immersing himself in a team’s culture. The only certainty for the Knicks is that Fizdale intends to compete every night.

The dispute with Fizdale and Gasol was centered around the center being benched late in a game, as the coach felt the reserves deserved extended minutes in a game against the Brooklyn Nets.

While Gasol may not have appreciated the reduction in playing time, the fact the Fizdale was willing to reward productive play, at the expense of a star, shows a level of reasoning necessary to turn around the disaster that is the Knicks.

While the Knicks may be labeled a rebuild coming into Fizdale’s first season, trying to win games using logic over conventional wisdom bodes well for a franchise that has recently lacked such a quality.

Endorsing Fizdale as the savior of the Knicks franchise is unnecessary, as he will undoubtedly receive such endorsements from others.

Yet, while many are saddled with such weight after the hype of arriving in New York City, the hiring of Fizdale marks a change in direction for the Knicks’ decision makers.

The Knicks have been facing criticism in recent years for bringing in those whose success has passed, yet with Fiz, a young head coach praised for potential as opposed to pedigree, success has yet to come.

Fizdale may never achieve what many others have failed to: Returning the Knicks to relevance, and with that, the postseason. Fans must simply hope that by doing something different, the Knicks are doing something right.

While that logic may draw some skepticism, the immediate response to the hiring seems to echo similar sentiments. Most seem to agree that with hiring Fizdale, the team finally got something right.

Maybe the Knicks needed to keep pushing, hire a veteran coach with previous success, and hope for an emulation of their production. Or maybe they needed to stop pretending they own a time machine.

Joakim Noah will never again don the prestigious All-Star uniform, Derrick Rose will never again hold up the MVP trophy, and Phil Jackson will never again place a new ring on his shiny hands.

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David Fizdale is a risk unlike previous New York Knicks risks, yet while his floor is yet to be truly determined, he has nowhere to go but up.