Monday, March 1st, 2010 at 10:00 am  |  63 responses

Mike D’Antoni vs. New York Media

Had you stayed in Phoenix, Mike, you never would have had to deal with these kinds of headaches: “Mike D’Antoni finally showed his infamous sensitive side which we’ve heard so much about – via coaches, players and fellow media members – prior to Saturday’s pounding at the hands of Zach Randolph and the Memphis Grizzlies. D’Antoni went on a diatribe about his philosophy concerning when and if to foul up three points in the final seconds. I’m still not really sure if I understand his philosophy but D’Antoni took issue with the fact that I had the audacity to question why the Knicks didn’t foul Washington’s JaVale McGee seconds before McGee set up Nick Young for a game-tying three in final seconds of Friday’s overtime win … This is less about D’Antoni’s strategy and more with how he is dealing with the slightest criticism. On Saturday, D’Antoni grew increasingly agitated when he addressed the matter before finally looking at me and saying, ‘Oh that’s right, you’re undefeated as a coach.’ Good one, Mike. You’re absolutely correct. I have never had the privilege of coaching an NBA game and have never been in position to earn $6 million by making such life-or-death choices like deciding when or if to foul up three.”

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  • Teddy-the-Bear

    @ Allenp: Al Harrington, David Lee, and Wilson Chandler are all gifted scorers. Harrington can average 20 ppg on any other team given the right playing time and amount of touches.
    Screw the system, its the PLAYERS who make the system work. If D’Antoni’s system allows guys to get buckets and point guards to rack up assists, why does Chris Duhon NOT get any of that? Come on now.
    Also, Amare Stoudemire was very very good before D’Antoni came to town, and Shawn Marion was already an All-Star if I’m not mistaken.

  • therighttoremainsalient

    Further points to consider: Saying Nash ‘struggled’ under Porter is a stretch because straight numbers numbers hide the actual activity – of how the numbers came about. It would be safe to say though that the entire TEAM ‘struggled’ with this defensively culpable, slower version with more dribble offense. It essentially led to the teams turnovers increasing sharply (ironically, Nash’s dropped, yet so did the general impact he has of “creating the offense”, and having to just be a part of the offense) and reduced the number of scoring trips up the court. As we know, this change of identity, rattled the bulk of the players for the Suns that year so they tried to scrap it as quickly as possible. So what’s the arguments coming forth with this post?
    - Did Nash make D’Antoni better than he is?
    - Has D’Antoni’s lack of wins in NY shown up an inability to coach?
    . One point I would like to remind people is that, there are a couple of combinations that work in the NBA. Average coaches that can get on the same page as superstar players. Good coaches that can make average players ‘perform better’. Great coaches that keep a system and get any/all players that make their roster to buy into that system. The key to bare in mind, and know doubt alot of guys on here have coached from time to time is this; if you get a group of young guys buy into your approach to basketball and work at doing the things you like to see on the court, it will ultimately make you a better coach than you are. Think about that – 10-15 young or savvy ball players working for ‘ONE’ person (the coach) thats alot of man power in your favour… of course your going to look awesome. The thing with D’ANtoni?… He doesn’t have that right now. Nash aside, Stoudemire aside, 7 second offense aside…. he doesn’t have 15 guys working for him. Working for each other. AND THATS THAT.

  • http://fdjslfl.com Jukai

    I’m sorry, uh, where in your first post did you say Nash helped D’Antoni’s system…?
    Right… Where anywhere did you say that until I mentioned it outright…?
    Right… thanks for playing Allenp.

  • http://fdjslfl.com Jukai

    And exactly what are you trying to prove by saying D’Antoni’s system puts up points? I’m saying it’s an awful system. You’re telling me “no, it’s not an awful system, look, the Knicks ALSO put up more points.”
    What?
    The system calls for players to pretty much shoot whenever they are open, with a focus on passing the ball to cutters. Of COURSE it’s going to put up points. I specifically focused on the fact that the Knicks field goal percentage is AWFUL because they don’t have STEVE NASH presenting the team with far easier field goal attempts. I mean, I’ve said this thrice. This is why the system is crap– because you need an amazing passer like Nash to get the best out of all the shooting!

  • http://fdjslfl.com Jukai

    I mean, I really don’t get how you can just ignore the massive field goal differences between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks. The Phoenix Suns right now have an amazing cast of Channing Frye, Jared Dudley, and 38-year-old-increpid Grant F’in Hill and they are still tops in field goal and three point percentages. This isn’t a team with Amare and Marion, which you also seem to be just ignoring! You know Nash has been on the Suns for more than 2004, right?
    And you’re so big on requiring PROOF (and then blatantly ignoring it a few times before responding to it when I give it to you) so why are you saying, with great certainty, that it was D’Antoni’s system that helped Amare and Marion? Have they ever played in D’Antoni’s system without Nash?
    Yet you’re positive when you say these things.
    Priceless.

  • http://fdjslfl.com Jukai

    Teddy: Duhon is an alcoholic. Allen’s friend told him so.

  • therighttoremainsalient

    Allenp – you do realise that Steve Nash is better than you right? Let me just hear you say it, so I know your in the real world.

  • MikeC.

    I want to see how D’Antoni does in NY with some better talent before we dig a grave for him. No matter how good your system is, no matter how brilliant you are as a coach, no matter how dedicated your team is, any coach that has to start Jared Jeffries is in trouble(now he’s gone for a one-legged TMac and I’m not sure if that’s an upgrade or not). NY’s roster is composed (?composted?) of lots of guys that would look great on a playoff team’s bench. The talent level isn’t there to be a good team. NY has a team full of solid bench players, and no real full-time starters outside of David Lee and maybe Wilson Chandler. Those guys are both excellent players, but neither is a franchise player or a main guy on a championship contender. D’Antoni had a good run in Phoenix when he had one great player and several really good players. Let’s see if he can duplicate it in NY when he has some more talent to work with. If he gets some talent and can’t coach it, I’ll be in line at Home Depot buying my grave-digger shovel.

  • http://www.hibachi20.blogspot.com BETCATS

    Isola v D’Antoni sounds like the plot of a non-succesful mob movie.

  • http://www.hibachi20.blogspot.com BETCATS

    ^not saying it would be unsuccesful, but it would probably not do too well in the box office. B list for sure. That being said…………………………B.E.E.F

  • MikeC.

    What’s beef? Beef is when you need an MVP to fall asleep. Beef is when your point guard is too drunk to cross the street. Beef is when you get Donnie Walsh to start your Jeep.

  • Jay-G

    Donnie Walsh escapes the NY media wrath for possibly missing out on a Jennings-Gordon backcourt right now? You mean to tell me in a point guard rich draft they came away with ZERO to show for it? Hell they missed on the huge NY draw in Omri Casspi. Yes I know the man cleared cap room and Zeke left this team a mess, but I think they will have egg on their faces like the Bulls did a decade ago.

  • Sam Guelil

    Mike D is on a one-year deal starting next year. There is no doubt NY will get 2 big free agents. If they can’t make it to at least the second round of the playoffs, then it will hopefully be King James that will choose his next head coach. As far as the whole media thing is concerned, he doesn’t have the temperament to withstand all this losing. It’s easy to coach and Yuk it up with the media when you have great players and you’re winning games. We all know that’s not the case right now. I am a long time Knicks fan and they’ve made it easy for me to look forward to 2010. Sadly, I’ve become desensitized to all the losing. I can’t even look forward to their drafts anymore because they screw that up also. Gallo could be a pretty good player if he can stay healthy and learn what a defensive stance is. However, our backcourt could be Brandon Jennings and Eric Gordon right now. Say what you want about Isiah, but that’s what it would have been if he was still there. As for Duhon, I guess it’s easy to pick on him for obvious reasons, but the bottom line is that he won’t be on this team next year. He was an average player to fill the roster for 2 years. We just have to bite this bullet a little bit longer. If NY is still in shambles next year then the fans have every right to say and do whatever we want.

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