Friday, November 16th, 2012 at 10:55 am  |  94 responses

Mike D’Antoni Intends to Bring “Showtime” Back to the Lakers


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

Nothing about the current Los Angeles Lakers screams “Showtime”: they’re old, slow and injured. None of this, apparently, deters new head coach Mike D’Antoni.

Mr. Pringles arrived in Los Angeles for his first day of work, and ran practice while hobbling around on crutches due to a recent knee replacement surgery. D’Antoni thinks he can bring the run-and-gun style back to Hollywood. D’Antoni says he’ll even reach out to Magic Johnson (who has loudly criticized the hiring) about making this dream come true.

Most important of all, the Lakers’ new bench boss embraces the enormous championship-or-bust expectations that are built into his gig.

From the team website:

Q: On what he thought of this team before he came on: D’Antoni: “A really good team. Just great individual talent. It comes pretty simple: we’re going to have to be a great offensive team and great defensive team. You got Dwight Howard – Defensive Player of the Year. Kobe (Bryant) – definitely on the (NBA All-Defensive) First Team. You got defenders, you got unbelievable offensive geniuses. So we just got to make sure we put everything together, get a good balance, a good flow, have goals and understand that in the game Friday, it’s a step on the road to a championship. We can’t (will) ourselves all the way to June. We got to play the regular season. I know here that sometimes you say: ‘Let’s get this over with.’ But it’s important to lay the foundation. The assembly of players and the experience that is here, is incredible right now.” Q: On when he expects team to pick up offense: D’Antoni: “With Steve Nash, when we got him in Phoenix, it took him an hour and a half. We threw him out there and we couldn’t get off the floor. I expect the same thing. He’ll run the offense like nothing. For the other guys, it’s very simple. He’s a big part of it; we got Steve Blake coming back and he’s a big part of it. (Chris) Duhon knows it already, so that’s cool. We’ll get the other guys up to snuff. But the process should not be long and it should not be tedious at all. The good thing about it is, defensively, we should be a bear. Until we get everything clicking and everything going, we’ll be relying on our defense to win games.”

[…] When Shaq (O’Neal) came to Phoenix, we averaged 115 points with Shaq. I told the team if we’re not averaging 115 points per game, then we need to talk. That’s our goal and it should be easily done. There will be bumps along the way and I’m sure you guys will write: ‘Hey they’re jacking 3’s all the time.’ There will be times like that and we’ll talk about it. There’s just so many weapons we got. If they start feeling good about themselves – and they have to bring the energy – there’s no reason why we don’t offensively go off the charts. If we go off the charts offensively, then defensively, we should be really good. I haven’t had that combo and we have it here.” […] “Everything’s positive; everything’s fun. Let’s go do Showtime; let’s go do it. Let’s get the win in the meantime. But there will be a lot of that.”

Mike D’Antoni is a smart, confident, free-wheeling, self-deprecating coach who believes in giving players ultimate freedom on the court. It’s why he’s so beloved. Laker fans still upset because of what happened with Phil Jackson will eventually come around, especially once this team starts winning.

D’Antoni expects to make his coaching debut this Sunday, marking the return of  “Showtime” – some version of it, anyway – to L.A.

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  • roscoe

    your splitting hairs… d’antoni… dh12… lol.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    and you try and call me out for saying your argument is ignorant and go around calling people dumb. you need to check yourself. hypocrite ass bullsh*t.

  • Junior Taylor

    Lake, I feel ya but great offense comes and goes while great defense seems to be a constant. You can not expect to outscore teams especially come playoff-time when the game tends to slow down and is played more in a half-court setting.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    you gotta realize though, Blake is a better shooter than Meeks. Which is Meeks only perceived advantage in a PG type roll, right?

  • pposse

    i would feel threatened two on 1 but i remember how someone so eloquently put it that nbk and lakeshow are one in the same person

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    They actually said that about Caboose. But it’s cool, pick whatever person is agreeing with me on that day. What is another ignorant assumption ontop of the others anyway?

  • LakeShow

    Suns were my favorite team to watch when they had Nash. I love their style, tempo, and can’t wait to see LA playing THROW BACK Showtime.
    I might be different than most Lakers fans, but most of them that I know love showtime… which is run n gun.

  • pposse

    my original post stated that no run n gun team has won the chip in the past 22 years. You stated that every team that won has had great defenses, i stated that every team with great defenses who did win did not implement a run n gun offense but rather featured post play more or less, and you refer to my argument as ignorant. That is a condensed version of everything.

  • LakeShow

    Man if we were the same person… We’d be the most psychologically f*cked person in the world. Taking split personalities to new levels lol.

  • LakeShow

    Yeah your probably right.
    Meeks just looks so much better shooting the ball lol.
    Blake is hitting the 3 twice as often as Meeks thus far.. But I see Meeks eventually playing an important role for the team. Seems like D’Antoni can get something outta Jamison also. Although he has never been a “great” 3 point shooter, he can drag out defenses from the 4 spot, allowing more space for Nash and Dwight to P n R or a Pau or Kobe post up.

  • mhm

    mhm

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    that is a stupid version of everything, not a condensed version. to condense some thing, you can’t leave out key points that shape the entire argument.

    . anyway, i referred to PARTS of your argument as ignorant (what you said about the Heat, LeBron in the playoffs, the Triangle, being examples) . Not the whole thing. But way to lump everything together like it’s that cut and dry. That was cute. this is like arguing with a 15 year old. you get your feelings hurt and lose all ability to reason or what? —

    .

    and you keep focusing on the fact that a “run and gun” team hasn’t won a title in the last 22 years. let’s forget about the complete lack of actual “run and gun” teams in that period (before D’Antoni in Phoenix in 2005, the only coach that ran a run and gun system was Don Nelson, and he never had anything remotely close to championship talent). So you are really look at 4 of the last 22 years where there was even a run and gun team worth contemplating as championship caliber. — if you have actually been paying attention the last 7 years, you would have to admit D’Antoni and those Suns teams started a renaissance that has changed basketball. It has contributed to the direction the league is going, and has influenced the rule changes that have folllowed. But let’s ignore that, because what happened 22 years ago is SO much more important.

    . And after all of this, you keep calling these Lakers “run and gun” when I have repeatedly told you they will not be. They will play at a faster pace, granted, but they will not be “run and gun” —–

    .

    regardless, the reason Run & Gun teams weren’t around / “didn’t have success” in the 90s is totally different and unrelated to why they are now starting to pop up and actually have success. the rules have changed. drastically. the types of teams that have success given that fact, will presumably follow suit.

  • wet

    they are going to give up more points than most teams. But you have to factor in there are going to be a ton more possessions for them to defend.

  • LakeShow

    Did the Suns falter because of their defense or offense? Which do you think Taylor?
    I think it was their defense and I think the Lakers are more equipped defensively to make sure that doesn’t happen this time around with D’Antoni. Kobe, Artest and Howard will form a decent defensive trio and Nash, Kobe, and D’Antoni are offensive brainiacs.
    I just think they might show us what a team can look like that scores allot and can put the clamps down when needed.

  • Junior Taylor

    their defense. Of course the Lakers are going to be better than the Suns were defensively simply because of Howard but employing a fast-paced system with such an old team seems like a bad call and plays right into the hands of teams like SA, OKC, LAC and MIA.

  • zogs19994

    LOOOLTHIS NlGGA HAVE OVER 1500 COMMENTS AND THEIR ALL MASSIVE PARAGRAPHS….. GET A LIFE SON
    -

  • LakeShow

    It’s only fast paced for as long as Nash deems it to be. He is going to push the ball and if no one shows up down on the break they will set up their offense.

    Think “swift” more than ” fast pace.”

    They want to execute smoothly and quickly. It’s not so much about how fast you are as how smooth you are from the sounds of things from Mikey D. He wants Nash cutting through the lane and looking to dish while everyone is moving and keeping the flow of the game at a steady upward pace. They aren’t planning to run allot up and down the floor from the sounds of it. They just want a quick steady flow and pace.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    They did go back and find my comments before the comment section switched and attributed them to my account. But yup, I don’t have a life. No job, house, family. Just a computer and keyboard….

  • http://twitter.com/AjpDos Allen Powell

    BS. Bill Russell created the shot block and was laughed at for leaving his feet on defense. The reason field goal percentages were so horrible early on was because the strategy was take the first available shot. Defense was an afterthought for years. Ask Kiki or Rick Barry. Timely stops not stifling defense was the focus. Defense today is lightheaded ahead of what was played in the past.

  • http://twitter.com/AjpDos Allen Powell

    Spurs last year. Run and gun and strong defense.

  • VanCityBBall

    Ok think of it this way, if there is any weakness in the lakers, it would be the bench. So why and how would you expect to play your starters the maximum amount of minutes if they are tired and ranout by “showtime”?

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    I mean if 7th in pace and 10th in defense really qualifies as “run and gun” and “strong defense” .
    Either way, they sure aren’t elite defensively. Which all 22 of the last 22 champs were if I’m not mistaken.

  • BuenoWayno1

    it’s going to be interesting to see how D’Antoni adapts his run n gun style with this Lakers roster. I can’t see the Lakers fully committing to the run n gun, they don’t have the depth or a young athletic core group of guys like the 06′ suns had.

  • Caboose

    I don’t even have the keyboard…it’s built into my computer.

  • http://www.facebook.com/shooting.guard.319 Shooting Guard

    won is past tense right?

  • candlewood jhay

    **a lot, not allot.

  • L Boogie

    TO ALL THE SLAM FORUM TROLLS….i told yall Kobe was gonna lead the league in scoring and i remember going on a hardcore rant about how you “punk- fairy wearing- ballet dancing knuckleheads” were writing Kobe OFF and how LEBRON was better becaue he won his shitty 52 game ring. SUCK IT! LAKERS GOING IN. Kobe is the BEST PLAYER IN THE NBA. Until lebron can do what Kobe does then ill back off but in the meantime imma PREACH.

  • Conor

    114 points without Nash. Day One.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    That’s a great point Allen–but can you clarify what you mean by “timely stops”?

  • Conor

    Yes. I agree with the Lockout-Championship-being-accompanied-by-an-asterix part, but LeBron has matched Present-day Kobe in many respects.

    Having said that, nobody in the League possesses anything close to Kobe’s arsenal & few match his understanding of the game. From an intellectual standpoint: Nash, Gasol, James, Paul, Rondo, and Garnett all do. But Kobe’s the only one who can really subject the game to his every whim.

    This year, thus far, has been Renaissance for him. His shots are mostly coming within the offence & that has translated to the vast improvement of the final frontier amongst his detractors: shooting percentage. His defence (Danny Green notwithstanding) has improved, as well.

    Once again, LA scored 114 without Nash. That is terrifying, even if it was against Phoenix.

  • Conor

    He meant that teams would select specific times during games to batten their hatches & play lockdown (as best they could), instead of it being a constant principle.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000166716900 Anthony Darnello Taylor Jr.

    pierce posting up and wearing Kobe out was a pretty big factor though,

  • http://twitter.com/AjpDos Allen Powell

    Right.

  • http://twitter.com/AjpDos Allen Powell

    The idea that you only have to concentrate on defense when it is really important. Like what the Suns used to try to practice in the playoffs.

  • http://www.facebook.com/shooting.guard.319 Shooting Guard

    well that was before the league has changed right? well good luck to them

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    man this comment is stupid for a myriad of reasons.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    since 1980, the West has won 16 championships. The East? 15.

  • LakeShow

    Thank you so so much.

  • pposse

    yah but post jordan era there’s been NY, NJ, Indiana, Miami, Boston, Orlando, Detroit all rep the east in the NBA Finals. In the West theres really only been LA, SA and DAL. OKC finally broke the norm last yr.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Yeah because the East was a flaming dumpster fire from 1999-2004. And only top heavy from 2004-12. Not because the East was actually better, infact, it was much worse as a whole.
    Sent from right behind you.

  • pposse

    199-2004 was when i stopped watching the NBA, 2005 is when i started again. I won’t speak for that time period, but the perception is the West was far greater than the East from like 05-present (maybe 2011).

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Up until last year look at the win % difference in Western Conference teams vs Eastern Conference. The West has been much stronger.

  • pposse

    i know the win % is up when comparing west vs. east, and there is no stat that can prove my point; but note that a regular season game is just that. To me, teams in the east are built to play 7 game series, thats why the so so teams in the west can go into places like boston or chicago and come out with victories, but wouldn’t necessarily win in a 7 game format.

  • Mr. BottomLine

    Showtime is all it is. A one-dimensional Run and Gun philosophy to outscore more than the opponent is short sighted because a well fortified, tough, established DEFENSE needs to be equally incorporated into that strategy. When it all counts and comes down to the wire, DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS.

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