So, what's the deal with Mike D'Antoni?

4

4realhorn

500+ Posts
When did he become the 2nd coming of Red Auerbach? Why are the Knicks and Bulls getting into a bidding war for his services? Maybe it's the style of play that makes him attractive, cuz surely it ain't the actual results. Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamaire, Joe Johnson, Shaqille O'Neal, Shawn Marion, Quentin Richardson, and bunch of other talented guys with nothing to show for it except a couple (or is it just one? I forget) of Western Conference Finals appearances.

I bet Scott Skiles wishes he would've held out a little longer. I think he'd be a perfect match for the Suns in mixing the same offensive principles with some attention paid towards the defensive end of the court. He got a raw deal from Jim Paxon who basically sabatoged the Bulls with his inane personel decisions.
 
He doesn't even bother to hide his disdain for defense, which is awesome because in the NBA high powered offenses with no defense win championships.
 
In the NBA East, he has the chance of becoming the second coming of Auerbach.
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If I own a team in the East I'd be all over myself if I have a chance to get a coach from one of the West playoff teams. And I'm sure somewhere along the way D'Antoni will pick up a few defensive techniques.

And, "What's the deal with B.O.?"

Hook'em!!!
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You don't "pick up" a few defensive techniquies along the way. You're either committed to team defense or you're not. After game 3 against SA his comments showed he has no interest in anything even resembling defense.

Yes, he can probably get the Knicks to the playoffs in a few years (or even next, considering how bad the East is) but then what? Continually being knocked out of the playoffs because you can't guard anybody?
 
D'Antoni took a team that won 36 games the year before he got there and pretty much immediately made it a Western Conference contender. His problem is that he ran into a Spurs team in the midst of a dynasty. But they were the toughest out for the Spurs a lot of years ... just ask Spurs fans. Though we didn't want to admit it, we were scared shitless of them.

He's a good coach. Best thing since sliced bread? I dunno. As you mentioned, he had some good players in PHX, and they were responsible for much of his success.

But I don't buy that his style absolutely can't win championships. I think he'll have a better shot in the east, especially if NY will let him build a team to suit his style. Which they won't, which is a shame.
 
You can't completely blame D'Antoni for Phoenix. Look at some of the stupid decisions they've made over the last few years.

They didn't play defense, yes, but you keep a core group of guys together and their team defense will improve enough that they can probably be good enough, especially with that offense.

Ideally, they would have kept all those draft picks. Got a backup for Nash(Marcus Williams, Farmar, Rondo, Lowry, etc) drafted Igoudala or Deng, not signed Bell, kept Joe Johnson, traded Q to NY for Kurt Thomas, kept Marion, and probably drafted another big man in the draft somewhere.

Nash, Johnson, Marion, Stoudamire, Thomas
bench - Barbosa, Deng/Iggy, Farmar/Williams/whoever, backup PF/C(vet and/or rookie).

That starting lineup definitely could have won the title last year.

Skiles won't work in Phoenix. Shaq won't respect him, and his style will not work with Shaq or Stoudamire, it took Skiles only a couple of months to piss off Ben Wallace, imagine how long its gonna take him to piss off Shaq/Amare, a day or two?
 
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