The Memphis Grizzlies are going through a rough stretch. They have lost three in a row and six of their last ten games. There are a lot of factors in play.
One that has gained some traction is rookie head coach David Fizdale’s lineups. Most recently, Fizdale made a change to the starting lineup, placing Brandan Wright next to Marc Gasol instead of JaMychal Green. The result: a loss to the league-worst Brooklyn Nets.
Fizdale was recently asked about the recent criticism towards his lineups. The head coach gave an honest response:
For those of you questioning David Fizdale's line-up changes this late in the season–the Grizz coach pulls no punches with his response. pic.twitter.com/4TfTSLrwhj
— Mike Ceide (@MCeide_WREG3) March 8, 2017
David Fizdale with strong words on @memgrizz lineup changes at practice today: pic.twitter.com/7S83PZLjn9
— Rob Fischer (@thefishnation) March 8, 2017
The Grizzlies are in a tough situation. They’re caught in the middle of a playoff race and despite occasionally pushing top-level teams, they do not appear to be a huge threat in the postseason.
Fizdale is still learning on the fly even after years of experience as a respected assistant coach in Miami. He’s had little to no help from Chandler Parsons, the Grizzlies’ prized free agent acquisition who has struggled mightily in Memphis. At this point, Fizdale can do nothing but change different combinations until he finds something that sticks.
