D’Antoni To Hire Defensive-Minded Assistant

Mike D’Antoni has heard this criticism before. It seems, according to Newsday, that the Knicks’ skipper is ready to focus on the defensive side of the game: “According to a source, one issue Walsh had with D’Antoni was addressed at the end of the season. It involved a need for more of a defensive mind-set, which was something veteran point guard Chauncey Billups stressed with Walsh in his exit interview, the source said. According to several sources, D’Antoni is expected to follow through on something that has been widely discussed: the hiring of an assistant coach to oversee the defense. Lawrence Frank, who spent some time around the Knicks’ organization before he joined the Celtics this past season, would be considered a strong candidate. However, he is in line for one of two head-coaching vacancies and could have the inside track on the Toronto job.”