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David Fizdale said to be hired as knicks coach

David Fizdale will be the next head coach of the New York Knicks.

The decision was first reported by ESPN.

Fizdale replaces Jeff Hornacek, who was fired last month after leading the team for two seasons, going 31-51 and 29-53 for a combined record of 60-104.

Fizdale, 43, who was born in Los Angeles, spent the past several months doing broadcast work for ESPN. He was known for years as one of the league’s top assistants, including with the Heat during LeBron James’ years with Miami. He got his chance as a head coach when he was hired by the Memphis Grizzlies before the 2016-17 season with the endorsements of James and Dwyane Wade.

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During the 2017 playoffs, Fizdale furthered his reputation as a players’ coach by standing up for guard Mike Conley in a rant about the officiating that included the memorable if nonsensical declarations, “They’re not gonna rook us,” and “Take that for data.” But after a first-round playoff loss in 2017, followed by a slow start to this season, he was dismissed in November amid reports of conflicts with the team’s star, Marc Gasol.

The sudden firing was a surprise and drew criticism from around the league, including from James.

Following the tenure of Hornacek, who clashed with Joakim Noah and struggled to command the locker room, the Knicks were looking for a player-friendly coach and effective communicator to develop their young roster.

Fizdale was a three-year starter at point guard at the University of San Diego. He began his NBA coaching career as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors in 2003 and also had a stop in Atlanta.

In Memphis, Fizdale was credited with trying to modernize the team by having longtime starter Zach Randolph come off the bench and by encouraging the team to take more 3-pointers. Fizdale even worked to add the 3-point shot to Gasol’s game, reportedly giving the big man an ultimatum: attempt four 3-pointers per game or get pulled. In the 2016-17 season, Gasol attempted 268 3-pointers, up from three attempts the previous year.

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Fizdale’s emphasis on having even big men shoot 3-pointers in a more modern attack should translate smoothly to New York, where the 7-foot-3 Kristaps Porzingis is already established as a perimeter threat.

As the Knicks’ coach, he will be tasked with bringing winning basketball back to Madison Square Garden. The team has missed the NBA playoffs in five consecutive seasons under head coaches Mike Woodson, Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis and Hornacek. It has one playoff series win in the past 18 years.

The much heralded tenure of Phil Jackson and his efforts to bring the triangle offense and his history of winning to town ended a year ago with little to show for it. The team finally gave up on its long-term star, Carmelo Anthony, sending him to the Oklahoma City Thunder before the start of last season.

The immediate future also looks bleak, as the team’s new talisman, Porzingis, will miss the start of the season — and perhaps much more time — because of an injury.

That leaves hopes for the immediate future riding on 19-year-old Frank Ntilikina and the team’s leading scorer, Tim Hardaway Jr. Center Enes Kanter has the right to opt out of his contract for next year, though he could sign a long-term deal.

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The team does have an entry in the draft lottery May 15, although its chance for the top pick is 2.5 percent and for a top-three pick is 9 percent.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

VICTOR MATHER and MALIKA ANDREWS © 2018 The New York Times

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