The rocky relationship between star center Marc Gasol and head coach David Fizdale spelled the latter's sour end with the Memphis Grizzlies today.
The Spaniard has questioned Fizdale's coaching tactics for a while now, leading into last night's debacle, after the man at the helm chose to bench Gasol for the entire fourth quarter as he was mired in a 6-of-17 shooting night with his Grizzlies down 14 to start the period.
The benching didn't sit well with the 7-foot-1 center, who was asked if he trusted the coaching staff's decision to keep him out.
“Ahhhhh, do I have faith in the coaching staff?,” he asked rhetorically, according to Geoff Calkins of The Commercial Appeal.
This question was answered emphatically today, as the organization relieved Fizdale of his coaching duties, promoting assistant J.B. Bickerstaff to the interim position, much like he was after Kevin McHale was fired by the Houston Rockets.
A frustrated Gasol watched as Fizdale's unit rallied within four points with eight minutes to go, but ultimately wasn't able to take down the Brooklyn Nets, falling 98-88 to mark their eighth straight loss.
“I don’t know if there’s anything to be said,” is how Gasol phrased it, after the game. “I’m more of an action guy, more than words. I don’t believe in words after all this time. I believe more in actions, and I see what people do, and I act accordingly.”
The Grizzlies have put in the actions, but the results might take a while to come, as Memphis is still without one of their key cogs in point guard Mike Conley, who's proven a pivotal absence for a team that started 7-4 and now finds itself out of the playoff berth at 7-12.
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