David Fizdale
David Fizdale will be formally introduced today as the eighth coach in Memphis Grizzlies history. Should he serve the full four years of his new contract, Fizdale will oversee a significant stretch in this franchise’s history. A few tips — suggestions, maybe — for the rookie boss man.
• This is a one-team town, and proud of it. The Grizzlies are no longer an “expansion franchise.” The novelty of the Grizzlies’ arrival is now 15 years old. It’s over. The Grizzlies are Memphis and Memphis is the Grizzlies, with no other big-league franchise to help balance the headlines if things go sour at FedExForum. How you act and what you say will lead discussions — public and private — at least 82 mornings every season. Your words — and intentions — will be dissected more than those of our rookie mayor. This doesn’t mean you should take the job too seriously, Coach Fiz. But be sure and take it seriously enough.
• Grit-and-Grind is proven. Three NBA franchises have made the playoffs the last six seasons. Just three. Atlanta (one of those seasons gets an asterisk, as the Hawks had a losing record), San Antonio (you’ve heard of the Spurs), and Memphis. Only the Spurs and Oklahoma City can match the Grizzlies’ streak of six consecutive winning seasons. This is one helluva first gig for an NBA coach. Appreciate it.
• This ain’t Miami. I’ve never taken my talents to South Beach, but I can’t imagine a city more different in style and impression from Memphis, Tennessee. Forget white collar or blue collar . . . Memphis could be America’s only no-collar town. A T-shirt town, maybe a tank-top town. Pulled pork with a microbrew on a patio with a river view; that’s about as flashy as Memphis gets. We’re more about small bars with live bands that could fill larger halls but choose to play Memphis . . . because it’s Memphis.
Those small bars — Alex’s, the P & H, Max’s, you name it — all have the Grizzlies on throughout the winter. The team is part of this city’s functionality, the way we look at ourselves. And yes, the way we sell ourselves to the rest of the country. Find your favorite gathering place (or places), Coach Fizdale. You’ll feel at home without the neon.
• Friends come and go. This will be the most challenging component of your new job, at least as measured on a macro scale. If you’re here four years, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen — both franchise icons and part of the current six-year playoff run — will likely be elsewhere when it comes time for a contract renewal. How this roster transition is managed will go a long way in determining if a postseason streak continues. Mike Conley’s pending free agency will be the first domino, and a big one. Marc Gasol’s injured right foot is a size-20 variable. We hear you get along with everyone, Coach. How you say goodbye will be as important to your job status here as how you say hello.
• Identify opportunities when they appear. The Grizzlies won’t be the only franchise in transition the next few years. That San Antonio triumvirate is finally nearing the finish line. Kevin Durant has a big decision to make, one that could reshape the Western Conference, if not the entire NBA. Utah appears to be rising, Dallas falling. You and general manager Chris Wallace are tasked with seeing the big picture better than any of us media types, better than the season-ticket holders, better than the barflies in the Z-Bo jerseys. The NBA is, has been, and will always be about match-ups. Find the match-ups that make the Grizzlies a championship contender, and settle for nothing else. You’ve already mentioned a parade down Beale Street. This makes you, already, one of us.