NBA Roundtable: David Fizdale's seat has become a fire hazard

BetAmerica has teamed up with Covers and Oddschecker to break down the latest news and trends from around the Association. This week NBA columnists Andrew Caley, Sam Farley and Ryan Murphy discuss David Fizdale's job security, the surprisingly resilient Raptors and the league's load-management problem.

David Fizdale's seat is scorching hot following a dismal 2-9 start. What are the odds that he'll still be coaching the Knicks by the end of the 2019-20 season?

Andrew: Uh, 1000-1? For reference that is the same odds the Cincinnati Bengals have to win the Super Bowl right now on BetAmerica. The Fizdale hiring seemed like a weird fit for the Knicks from the get-go. And anytime Adrian Wojnarowski tweets something, it must be taken seriously. So if he says the Knicks are “laying the groundwork” for Fizdale’s firing, I’m going to side with Woj. It doesn’t matter what Fizdale, the players or the front office says to the media. He’s likely on his way out.

Sam: None. Zilch. Nada. I don’t see him lasting until the end of 2019, let alone the end of the season at this rate. The Knicks are a team in transition, but he simply isn’t up to the job and needs to be relieved as soon as possible.

Ryan: Forget about the end of 2019. I'd be shocked if Fizdale is still employed by the Knicks by the end of November. New York president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry sealed his fate on Sunday, when they held an emergency press conference following the team's 21-point defeat to the Cavaliers. Both men delicately distanced themselves from the Knick's dismal record and pointed the blame at Fizdale for his failure to mesh the team's questionable talent. Another three-game skid will be all it takes for him to be shown the door. Give me 500-1.

The Raptors are 7-3 and managed to beat the Lakers without Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka. Do they have enough talent to return to the NBA Finals?

Andrew: I have to throw this out there. I am a diehard Raptors fan, so my views may be a little biased, but YES! Of course they do. Is it possible for Pascal Siakam to win Most Improved Player two years in a row? He’s playing at a near MVP level. OG Anunoby looks great, Fred VanVleet picked up right where he left off in the playoffs and you know Masai Ujiri has a move up his sleeve. It doesn’t hurt that no team really stands out in the East. But the Raptors are a very good team.

Sam: Toronto is performing far better than most people—myself included—expected, but I don’t think they’ll be able to keep it up down the stretch. Giannis Antetokounmpo has picked up where he left off last season, and the Philadelphia 76ers have all the tools to win the conference. It is the East, though, so there’s a chance they could do it, if they get a nice path and a little bit of luck.

Ryan: Let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's one one thing to beat Orlando and Detroit in late October and another thing to dust Milwaukee or Philadelphia in May. The Raptors may have gone 17-5 without Kawhi Leonard during the 2018-19 regular season, but they needed everything he could muster to win their first championship in franchise history. That was evident in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, when he nailed a buzzer beater to eliminate the Sixers, and again in the NBA Finals, when he averaged 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists and provided suffocating defense on Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. The Raptors will likely make a little noise in the first round, but another trip to the NBA Finals is a distant dream without the Klaw.

Is it time for the NBA to crack down on load management, or should teams be allowed to rest players at their own discretion?

Andrew: Unfortunately this is what the NBA wanted. Sure, it stinks for the fans, but this is a players-first league. And if the Clippers think resting Kawhi Leonard in one half of back-to-backs is going to help them win a championship, then guess what? They’re going to rest him. Seeing Ja Morant get a “rest” day seemed a little ridiculous last weekend, but this the new NBA. This issue is also getting more attention this year because Kawhi is now in LA and not in Toronto. He only played 60 games last year and not nearly as many people were up in arms.

Sam: It’s a long season—too long in my view—and it’s understandable for teams to want their talent rested. The more frustrating thing is when the big names (I'm looking at you Kawhi) miss the big matchups and play against lesser opponents. As a fan it’s not fun to see big games between two good teams missing stars. I’m not sure what the NBA can do that is really fair. Why should a team risk overworking and injuring a key piece of its lineup? Likewise, why should the NBA put a player’s livelihood in jeopardy if they’re forcing them to work harder than their body wants? This is just going to be a facet of the game we have to deal with.

Ryan: The real issue is the interminable length of the season. It will likely never happen in my lifetime, but the NBA should seriously consider reducing its regular season to as few as 70 games. Slashing 12 contests per team would limit the number of back-to-back games and would allow players more time to recover. Every game would also take on added significance, particularly as the playoffs approach. Such a move would cost the league a small fortune, but it would greatly enhance its on-court product and potentially reduce injuries from overuse.

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