NEW YORK _ David Fizdale's first victory as Knicks head coach will come very soon. It will come the day he boards a plane and heads to Europe to visit Kristaps Porzingis.
It may not seem like a big deal but it is precisely that for both the new head coach and the 22-year-old All-Star forward. It's a trip Phil Jackson and Jeff Hornacek never bothered to make. Steve Mills and Scott Perry have yet to do it but it is essential for Fizdale, who was hired on Thursday, to snap the Knicks out of a two-decade funk.
It is common practice among newly hired head coaches to connect with all of their current players even if it's by phone. By going that extra mile, or in Fizdale's case a few extra thousand miles, that small gesture will go a long way.
So give Fizdale credit for being proactive in wanting to develop a partnership with Porzingis, whose trust and confidence in the Knicks organization hasn't been very high the last few years. It's not Phil Jackson-level bad but it could certainly be better.
This is not unlike when Pat Riley became Knicks head coach in 1991 and his first order of business was building a relationship with Patrick Ewing, who was considering a move out of New York. That partnership came within one win of an NBA title.
Coincidentally, Fizdale comes from the Riley coaching tree, having worked under Erik Spoelstra in Miami. Clearly, Fizdale was paying attention during those eight seasons with the Heat, which included four trips to the NBA Finals and two NBA championships.
Porzingis was said to be in Spain when he learned of Fizdale's hiring. He's already played for Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis, Hornacek and now Fizdale. Porzingis was improving last season. He became an All-Star under Hornacek before suffering a season-ending injury in February that may sideline Porzingis for the entire 2018-19 season.
The 7-foot-3 Latvian has only scratched the surface in regards to how good he can become. Staying healthy is part of it. But it's also about having a head coach who believes in him, pushes him and demands accountability on both ends of the court.
LeBron James has repeatedly thrown his support behind Fizdale and considers him a demanding coach who will get the best out of his players. But LeBron only dealt with Fizdale as an assistant coach. Fizdale's first head-coaching stint with the Memphis Grizzlies ended abruptly because he was feuding with his best player, Marc Gasol.
Fizdale went from making the playoffs in his rookie season to out of a job after 19 games in Year 2. And his reputation took a hit.
"That's the league. The best player and the coach aren't always going to get along and that's just how it goes sometimes," Fizdale said told ESPN earlier this year. "He was the best player on teams and I'm sure he didn't always love his coach. It's just unfortunate circumstances how it all played out on the stage. But that's just normal stuff. Whether we like each or not it's not about that, it's about winning games."
Consider it a learning experience for Fizdale, who gets a clean slate in New York as well as a second chance. He will do the same with Porzingis, who wants to be great and should be excited to work with a coach linked to both the Miami Heat and LeBron.
As much as Porzingis needs Fizdale, the new coach needs his young star. It's a about building trust and starting a partnership.
And the way you do it is by getting on a plane to prove you're serious about making this work. That's Fizdale's first win.
