Marc Gasol made himself available to several reporters following Grizzlies practice on Monday to answer any questions pertaining to him, firing of former coach David Fizdale, and his future in Memphis. In an hour-long question and answer session, Gasol said no question was off limits but he was overall vague with his answers, Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal writes.
Gasol continually reiterated that he did not push for Fizdale’s dismissal but admitted that they were not on good terms. The Grizzlies center noted that a December 18, 2016, loss to the Jazz was the beginning of the relationship deteriorating. Fizdale blamed him and Mike Conley for the loss, causing tensions to escalate, Gasol said.
“We couldn’t make it work,” Gasol said. “We both wanted what was best for the team. We just couldn’t get on the same page. Things got of control fast.”
The 32-year-old Gasol, who is in his 10th season with the Grizzlies, said that the poor relationship with Fizdale was due to both parties. Fizdale was fired on November 27 after Gasol was benched in the fourth quarter in a loss to the Nets. By that point, Gasol accepted that the relationship was beyond repair, despite an agreement made during the offseason.
“We both understood we had to keep it professional,” Gasol said. “That was the agreement. That was agreed upon at the end of last season. … I’m responsible for some of the things but not all of the things.”
Gasol said that has not asked the Grizzlies for a trade and remains confident that things can improve. Memphis currently owns the second-worst record (10-23) in the Western Conference. However, Gasol’s personal issues with Memphis go beyond the coaching staff. The Spaniard was also critical of the Grizzlies’ decision to not bringing back Zach Randolph and Tony Allen in free agency — breaking up the “core four” of Gasol, Conley, Randolph and Allen.
“I didn’t understand the why,” Gasol said of the Grizzlies not bringing back their veterans.
It is safe to say that Memphis is currently not in the hunt for a playoff spot. It is also true that Gasol, a three-time NBA All-Star, wants to win. Whether or not that happens in a Grizzlies uniform remains to be seen.
For the purposes of trading, Gasol might be better off as a malcontent. Look at Irving and Bledsoe vs. Melo, George & Crabbe.
Grizz need to trade Gasol as soon as they can
If LBJ goes to another tram besides LA or CLE, and it’s not a coach he likes, Fiz could be his guy