New York Knicks: Bob McAdoo endorses David Fizdale
New York Knicks head coach David Fizdale has received a strong endorsement from former Knicks player and Miami Heat assistant coach Bob McAdoo.
The New York Knicks have provided David Fizdale with a second chance to justify his reputation. Despite what transpired with the Memphis Grizzlies, Fizdale continues to be regarded as one of the most respected individuals in the coaching world.
As Fizdale sets the wheels in motion for his first season with the Knicks, he’s receiving significant endorsements from around the NBA.
Fizdale has received the support of many, including a number of current Knicks players and four-time NBA MVP LeBron James. Nevertheless, the narrative amongst fans and media members was that Fizdale’s falling out with Marc Gasol was a red flag.
According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, former Knicks star and Miami Heat assistant coach Bob McAdoo believes New York saw through the ruse.
"“He did do a good job in Memphis, but it’s a player’s league,’’ McAdoo told The Post at the NBA Draft Combine on Friday. “Gasol didn’t like sitting on the bench. David felt this was the best way to go. It was a problem and upper management got rid of him.’’“That’s why he got the Knicks job,’’ McAdoo said. “You got to run the ship the way you see fit. You can’t have a player running the whole situation or the other players aren’t going to respect you when they see that.”"
Fizdale continues to receive the support of the masses as he prepares for his first season as head coach of the Knicks.
McAdoo is a former league MVP who was a two-time NBA champion as a player and a three-time title winner as an assistant coach. He spent 19 years as an assistant coach with the Heat, including six alongside Fizdale.
McAdoo also played parts of three seasons with the Knicks, which gives him an especially unique perspective on the matter at hand.
Not only does McAdoo have first-hand knowledge of Fizdale’s coaching prowess, but he also has experience with the incomparable environment of the New York sports world.
Fizdale’s willingness to stand up to his players has been divisive, but it’s the mark of a great coach. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll succeed in other areas, but players who go unchecked rarely thrive at a championship level.
The hope in New York appears to be that Fizdale can prove that McAdoo is correct about how misleading the Memphis tenure truly was.
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The question is: Will the endorsements ring true once David Fizdale leads the New York Knicks on to the court?