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Rumor: Charlotte Hornets targeting former Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale

By Jerry Stephens

MEMPHIS, TN - NOVEMBER 1: Head Coach David Fizdale of the Memphis Grizzlies coaches during the game against the Orlando Magic on November 1, 2017 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - NOVEMBER 1: Head Coach David Fizdale of the Memphis Grizzlies coaches during the game against the Orlando Magic on November 1, 2017 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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David Fizdale has emerged as a potential head coaching candidate for the Charlotte Hornets after they fired Steve Clifford.

According to Mitch Lawrence of SiriusXM NBA, Sporting News and Forbes, the Charlotte Hornets have already begun looking at David Fizdale as a potential replacement for Steve Clifford. Mitch Kupchak and the Queen City team recently decided to dismiss Clifford after five seasons at the helm. Their search for a new HC seems to have already gotten underway.

Lawrence tweeted that “Before the Hornets announced Steve Clifford’s firing, they were already starting a background check on Dave Fizdale, the ex-Memphis Grizzlies head coach, per NBA sources. Seen as a leading candidate.”

Fizdale was a longtime assistant with the Miami Heat where he won two championships under Eric Spoelstra. His NBA coaching career started in the 2003-04 season with the Golden State Warriors. He then joined the Atlanta Hawks from 2004 to 2008 and was with Miami from 2008 to 2016.

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After that, David got his first NBA head coaching gig with the Memphis Grizzlies. He only spent less than one and a half seasons with the team before being let go. He had a record of 50-51 in 101 games with the Grizzlies. One reason why Memphis let him go was that they were tanking this season.

There were also reports that Fizdale had a rift with Marc Gasol. In his lone full season with the Griz, they finished with a 43-39 record which was good enough for the seventh seed in the Western Conference. Although, they were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in six games of the first round.

He only got 19 games into the 2017-18 season before being fired with the main reason being the problems with all-star center Marc Gasol.

David has a winning pedigree and is an experienced coach in the NBA. Fizdale has already been rumored to be on the New York Knicks‘ radar. Another name to watch for going forward would be Jerry Stackhouse who is currently the head coach of the Toronto Raptors‘ G-League team and one of the top head coaching prospects available.

Next: Top-10 performances from the 2017-18 season

If the Charlotte Hornets don’t hire David Fizdale, I’d expect him to get another head coaching opportunity in the NBA sooner rather than later. If hired, Fizdale would only be the 12th head coach in team history and the fifth different one in the last 10 years. Lawrence said that David is viewed as a “leading candidate” which could mean Mitch and Michael Jordan are already zeroing in on their guy.

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