New York Knicks: Five potential replacements for David Fizdale

4. Ime Udoka

Not quite the conventional choice, Ime Udoka was a longtime player and assistant coach in San Antonio for Gregg Popovich. He played there from 2007-11, contributing towards a handful of 50-win teams, and was a main figure on the bench from 2012-19, featuring a playoff appearance in each season and the 2014 NBA title.

Udoka has learned and known success since his playing career and he can bring it to a largely unsuccessful franchise of the past two decades. The same goes for working with the Philadelphia 76ers as an assistant for 2019-20.

Why leave Popovich, though? Per The Athletic, Udoka said he wanted to learn from other players and coaches, using it as “a chance to grow and seeing different situations.” Garnering that knowledge can only make him a more experienced option to lead someone’s bench.

This isn’t a sexy choice, and if the Knicks want the high-profile name, they will turn elsewhere. Plus, Udoka has previously interviewed elsewhere for head-coaching jobs and never won the opportunity.

Still, for an option that has a background of success, the Knicks can do much worse.