David Fizdale met with a Porzingis! (But not Kristaps)

I don’t think it would be hyperbolic to say that the impending conference in Latvia between newly-hired Knicks head coach David Fizdale and injured superstar Kristaps Porzingis is the most important meeting to take place since the end of the Cold War. Well we’ve taken yet another step toward history, folks.

Frank Isola is reporting that Fizdale met with Kristaps’ brother and agent, Janis Porzingis, on Friday after he returned from the NBA Draft Combine.

The meeting was said to be productive and it is believed that Fizdale and Porzingis discussed Fizdale’s infamous falling out with Marc Gasol, which led to Fizdale being fired as Memphis Grizzlies head coach last November.

In the wake of the firing, Fizdale gained a reputation as a coach who didn’t respect foreign-born players. At his introductory press conference, Fizdale addressed his relationship with Gasol and accepted his share of the blame for the falling out.

For the 10,000th time, I don’t believe that Fizdale’s problems with Marc Gasol means that he should carry around a poor reputation with all European players. Last time I checked, Kristaps and Marc are different people, born about a decade apart on different sides of the continent. You don’t see Marc thirsting after Instagram models, do you?

Hopefully this first meeting with a member of the Porzingis clan is the start of a process that will culminate in a quality rapport forming between player and coach.