The Golden State Warriors are already considered as the gold standard in today's NBA. They've got the brawn and brains that, when intact, are unparalleled throughout the league's landscape. That's exactly the reason why former Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale was present at the team's practice ahead of their playoff opener against the San Antonio Spurs, per Mark Medina of The Mercury News.
Fizdale isn't going to join the Warriors anytime soon. His purpose for the visit is to learn and offer his unsolicited advice to Steve Kerr and crew. Fizdale and Kerr hold a special relationship, and a testament to that is when the former was fired by the Grizzlies.
“Steve and I have always had a great relationship,” Fizdale said. “He was the first guy that called me when I got fired to say, ‘Wait a minute, this ain’t right.’ It meant a lot to me.”
The Warriors did their job by dismantling the Spurs, 113-92, behind Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, and, wait for it, JaVale McGee.
It can be recalled that Fizdale was booted out of Memphis after the team's miserable start, mainly due to the absence of their floor general Mike Conley and a slew of other injuries. The Grizzlies' fate only got worse en route to the second-highest odds in the 2018 NBA Draft Lottery.
Fizdale has championship pedigree owing to his stint under Erik Spoelstra for the Miami Heat. His name is being thrown around as of late in the New York Knicks' head coaching hunt, along with Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, among others.
He's one of the more attractive options for teams looking to fill their head coaching vacancies next season. As it turns out, he could only boost his stock after learning a few tricks straight out of the Warriors.
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