David Fizdale’s unemployment might draw Clippers’ attention

With Grizzlies’ head coach David Fizdale on the market should the LA Clippers’ front office take interest?

On Monday the NBA world was shocked when it was hit by a Woj Bomb; ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski took to Twitter to break the news that Memphis Grizzlies’ head coach had been fired.  The firing happened in the middle of the Grizzlies’ eight game losing streak.  It took NBA Twitter by storm with many players coming to his defense.

Doc Rivers is under much scrutiny as a hobbled Clippers team went on their own nine game losing streak before squeaking out three wins in a row.  A plethora of injuries aside, an eye test of those games will show stretches of disinterest by the team’s veterans.  Without a true point guard on the floor the team has depended on isolation play, usually ending in disappointment.  The lack of urgency, ball movement, and play calling have begun speculations that Rivers has lost the trust of the locker room.

With reporters, fans, and analysts calling for Doc’s firing, is Fizdale a potential replacement at the helm?  Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of replacing Rivers with Fizdale.

Pros

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David Fizdale has rings.  As an assistant coach in Miami Fizdale won two rings, albeit with the Heatles; a lineup that even I could have coached into the Finals.  Nonetheless, that experience is valuable, especially when it comes to keeping a team motivated.

DEFENSE. Last season, despite having dealt with their own injury issues, Fizdale coached his team into a top 10 defense.  Fans worried the Grit and Grind era of the Grizzlies was over, but they proved, once again, to be one of the scrappiest teams in the league.  A lot of that success was due to the coaching abilities of Fizdale.

Given the opportunity, with his defensive mindset and winning record, he could become a Mark Jackson type foundational coach for LA.  A roster full of offensively gifted players like Williams, Griffin, Teodosic, and Gallinari a defensive-minded coach could change the landscape for the Clippers.

Cons

If Doc has in fact lost the locker room, the team might need a more player-friendly coach; a name Fizdale hasn’t exactly made for himself.  Similar reports came out that Fizdale had lost the locker room in Memphis, most notably with Marc Gasol.  His firing had come a day after Fizdale had benched the All-Star center in the fourth quarter against the Nets.

Fizdale also aired frustrations with guard Mario Chalmers in a post game earlier in the season.  Doc has made a reputation for speaking too frankly about players, most recently saying that former Clippers’ SG JJ Redick had begged to come back to the team during the offseason.  If the Clippers are hoping to be a free agent destination after the season there needs to be an environment where the players feel comfortable and respected.

The fact is this; Doc is safe for the time being, and likely won’t be going anywhere this season.  He hasn’t had the opportunity to prove his coaching ability with a healthy team since the beginning of the season.  Fizdale is a great NBA coach and deserves another chance somewhere, whether it’s in LA or elsewhere.   His coaching stats are impressive and will land him a well-earned job wearing a nice suit and thick-rimmed glasses on a basketball court.  Take that for data.