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The Knicks could be really close to selecting a coach.
Shams Chanaria, breaker of NBA news, had a (maybe sort of surprising?) note about the Knicks’ coaching search today:
David Fizdale has gained serious traction in New York Knicks' search for next head coach, league sources told Yahoo.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 2, 2018
There’s, well, not a ton to go off of in Shams’ story. But generally, if a guy like Shams reports something or someone has “gained traction,” it means that it’s about 90 percent a done deal:
David Fizdale has gained serious traction as a frontrunner in the New York Knicks’ search to become the franchise’s next head coach, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
...
Fizdale emerged as a leading candidate after the Knicks fired Jeff Hornacek on April 12, but the front office made sure to do its due diligence in meeting with more than 10 coaching candidates. The Knicks’ front office met with accomplished head coaches – such as Budenhozler, the 2014-15 Coach of the Year, Jackson and Mike Brown – as well as strong assistant candidates in San Antonio’s James Borrego, Boston’s Jay Larranaga and Miami’s Juwan Howard.
Fizzy Fiz is definitely a good-to-great candidate for the job, and Marc Berman of the New York Post reports that another of the Knicks’ coaching candidates is interested in possibly coming on as an assistant if Fizdale is hired:
Woodson's #Knicks Plan B: I'd be OK as Fizdale's No. 2 https://t.co/1tRjkHWfLX
— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) May 3, 2018
Berman notes in his story that an old connection between Fizdale and Woodson (as well as Woody’s Knicks connection), could draw them together in the Big Apple:
Fizdale was Woodson’s assistant coach in Atlanta from 2004 to 2008 and they now share the same agent.
When contacted by The Post, Woodson said: “I love David. I gave him his first job on the bench — I know he worked one season before in Golden State. We’re very close. I’m sure he would call.
In “stop giving me a heart attack” news, my favorite national writer brought up He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named today:
Interesting wrinkle in the Knicks' coaching search: League sources say Mark Jackson has received a strong behind-the-scenes push from Rich Kleiman, Kevin Durant's longtime business partner and a lifelong Knicks fan who is close to both Jackson and Knicks president Steve Mills
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 2, 2018
Yeah, Mark Jackson is Voldemort with a goatee. I said it.
Luckily, it seems that that “push” is one-sided, and the Scott Perry/Steve Mills braintrust doesn’t care:
The Knicks are widely expected to make a hire as early as this week after interviewing nearly a dozen candidates, with David Blatt, Mike Budenholzer and David Fizdale regarded as prime contenders
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) May 2, 2018
Sigh of relief.
And thems are your coaching updates for today! We’re almost there. Hang tight!