Do you like D’Antoni?
-
- April
- 30
On your mark, get set …
I’m guessing there are several executives in the league getting ready to go after Mike D’Antoni should SI.com be right about his impending dismissal in Phoenix, and it’s worth noting that Jack McCallum knows that organization better than anyone out there.
The carousel is about to spin a little faster.
With somebody like D’Antoni on the market, teams like Denver and Toronto could explore their options even deeper and join Chicago and New York in the race for coaching talent. The hiring process could jump to light speed once Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr makes a public announcement.Â
And if Donnie Walsh isn’t hustling for an interview, we can assume he’s committed to Mark Jackson.
What do you think about D’Antoni in New York?
There was a lot of suspicision early on about the style of play he implemented, but within a season of his arrival, every team in the NBA was exploring ways to play more like Phoenix.
It’s fun to watch.
While the Suns piled up wins, they never did win a championship. Was it the lack of committment on defense? Was it the constant presence of Tim Duncan? I can go either way in that argument.Â
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, April 30th, 2008 at 8:51 am by Mike Dougherty.
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D’Antoni had Steve Nash and high quality pieces to use in his system. We are not at that point. We need a coach who can put in a strong defense, command respect and discipline, and work to bring the best out of our vets while developing the youngsters. I don’t see D’Antoni in that role, despite the fact I loved his work in Phoenix. Its not a good fit.
And we don’t need another Mike D in town!
I agree with Adam L, in that ideally I’d like to see defensive responsibility become a priority again. But D’Antoni shouldn’t be ignored if he’s available.
I don’t think his coaching style works without a strong PG, and someone who can drain outside shots consistently which we don’t have. However, given the fact that this team plays no D whatsoever, perhaps a running style might suit this roster.
Do any of us really think that any coach will come in here and all of a sudden get Curry, Randolph, Marbury et al. to play strong D every minute they’re on the court for 82 games a year? That’s a fantasy, no matter who the coach is.
I’d hope that Walsh at least speaks to D’Antoni. I like what he’s done in Phoenix, he’s a lifer and has a strong basketball mind.
Clyde and other announcers have been saying it all year. The FASTEST way to get competitive is to go get Good Defense. Has that ever been said about D’Antoni? Nope. This is NY… we want tough teams, we want competitive every night. Defense, Defense, Defense. That leaves two choices… Avery Johnson or Big T from Boston. I can live with a competitive, defensive team that barely makes or misses the playoffs next year while Walsh maneuvers, can’t you?
Antoni, where’s the D?
D’Antoni would fit the nuggets job perfectly if Karl is let go. They like to outscore people and dont believe in Defense. Personally I think anyteam that does not play defense just can not win when it counts. I think everyone can agree with that.
No thanks. Mike D’Antonio runs a “fun” system but it doesn’t win when it counts. I do not want a team that runs up and the down the court and plays no D. That is not fun to me. Give me a defense oriented team that rebounds and plays halfcourt offense. I want Tom Thibodeau, Sam Mitchell or Paul Silas.
I need to see some defense from this roster next year. I’d like Thibodeau to get a long look. Every player on the roster can score without a doubt. But if you bring in a defensive coach who can teach real defense to some of the players, its better than dismantling the roster and waiting another 5 yrs to be competitive again. I’m all for salary cap room for the LeBron-Paul-Bosh sweepstakes…but I’d also like to see some basketball being played in the yrs to come. I wouldn’t mind it if the young guys left were trained to play defense by the best coach to be doing it.
I lean against D’Antoni for the reasons posted above but I want to offer a caution. The best coaches don’t have a SYSTEM, they work with the players they have to leverage their team’s strengths and minimize its weaknesses. When you have a Nash you run and gun. I hope Walsh interviews D’Antoni and asks him what he would do with the players we have (and what type of players he would want). After all, D’Antoni has lots of experience, not just with the Suns.
Mike, I have a request. Any chance you could ask some of your contacts and get a sense of what people think about Laimbeer? Thanks.
I want MJ.
I want Carlise