On this space yesterday, I noted that the Grizzlies, holders of the worst losing streak in the National Basketball Association’s current season at eight, still had time to right the ship. After all, I said, three-fourths of the 2017-2018 campaign still had to be played, and they were, if nothing else, known for their relentlessness; combined with their talent, however lacking, and the committed brain trust, they were poised to turn the corner and at least be respectable in the highly competitive West.
Today, that premise continues to hold true — save for one thing. David Fizdale will no longer be presiding over the projected turnaround. Evidently, the benching of top dog Marc Gasol in the last 15 minutes and change of the Grizzlies’ losing cause against the supposedly lowly Nets the other day was the last straw. After the All-Star went public with his frustration over riding the pine, management saw fit to take stock of his deteriorating relationship with the bench tactician and ultimately took his side.
Pencil pushers come and go in the league, so Fizdale’s firing isn’t earth-shaking in the grand scheme of things. Nonetheless, the underlying reason for the decision to let him go cannot but be the subject of second-guessing. He’s a fine, if demanding, mentor who had the Grizzlies overachieving last season, and who steered them to seven victories in 11 set-tos — and against quality opposition to boot — before starting point guard Mike Conley’s left Achilles tendon injury precipitated the swoon. He also captured the hearts of fans when he went on an epic “Take that for data” rant following a contentious contest versus the Spurs in the playoffs.
The bottom line is this: The Grizzlies are heavily invested in Gasol, and his venting the other day sealed Fizdale’s fate. It didn’t matter that the latter made a tactical move after seeing the players on the floor whittle down what looked to be an insurmountable lead into single digits — a move that, by the way, coaches do routinely. As league annals have underscored time and again, star players win out.
Parenthetically, the Grizzlies are in a quandary. They’re in a small market, so they’re hard-pressed to keep competing lest they alienate their base. Which is why they remain allergic to rebuilding, splurging on Conley and backing Gasol up even though his contract will be an albatross over time. Given their predisposition, though, they’ll likely be stuck in the middle, bad enough to make a postseason appearance an iffy proposition and yet good enough to miss the lottery.
For the record, Gasol didn’t ask for Fizdale’s head; he didn’t march to general manager Chris Wallace’s office and give a “me or him” ultimatum. He’s not stupid, however; he knew what was going to happen once he opened up to scribes. The Grizzlies are his team now, his and Conley’s for real, and while interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff knows this and will forge better ties with them, it’s fair to wonder if the latest tumult actually made them worse.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is the Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Basic Energy Corp.
