The Memphis Grizzlies are now a few days removed from the firing of head coach David Fizdale, which has allowed for things to simmer down around the franchise.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, this sudden coaching shuffle hasn't led to any internal issues for the Grizzlies inside the locker room.
Due to David Fizdale’s popularity, the firing could have created an awkward situation for Marc Gasol in the locker room, but other Grizzlies say that hasn’t happened. They recognize that Gasol is their best player and their leader, and everyone involved just wants to move forward and find a way to win. “He’s been great with his teammates,” JB Bickerstaff said. “Everything that we’ve tried to do, the conversations that we’ve had, he’s been on board with, and he just wants to get the ship righted. I don’t think he’s paying attention to the outside stuff. He does a really good job of having blinders. Winning to him is the priority.”
Although it was a move that caught many by surprise, it isn't one that has yet to cause any more problems for the players on the team. There is a clear realization that Gasol is the leader of the team and the pairing with Fizdale wasn't working out. Things had come to a head over the last couple of weeks that made it an unworkable situation moving forward.
Since the move, Gasol has remained quite professional about it and has kept his focus on helping the Grizzlies get out of their early-season funk. The 32-year-old will need to step into a more prominent offensive role in order to get the team back on the right track that saw them win four out of their first five games of the year.
Until Mike Conley makes his return from a sore Achilles tendon and heel, Gasol will have to lead the charge in Memphis.
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