I live in the NY area and I hear a lot of Knicks fans complaining about this hire. I don't see how anyone can complain about having one of the best coaches in the NBA. Complaint #1 - He can't coach defense A load of crap. His point differentials were always among the best in the league during his time in Phoenix. He built a roster around one man, and that man was a gifted offensive player with almost no defensive ability. Their second best player was a terrible defensive liability as well. A coach's job is to win, not "focus on defense". He maximized the talents he had. That brings us to... Complaint #2 - He can only coach "his system" If "his system" is to identify a player that suits his sensibilities and figure out a way to win, how can anyone complain about that? He's only coached one NBA team. He was wildly successful. Complaint #3 - The Knicks don't have an MVP like Steve Nash Steve Nash was a career 12/6 player before he came to the Suns. They used the cap space they reserved for Kobe to get him. Not even Colangelo could have known he was a franchise player. He was an offense-only guy who was a liability for half the game. There were times he couldn't even be out on the floor because there was no one for him to guard. Complaint #4 - He can't win in the playoffs with his "style" If Joe Johnson didn't break his face, this probably wouldn't be on the list. If Amare wasn't a dumbass, maybe this isn't on the list. Maybe if his new GM didn't trade their best defensive player for a name who is really no better than a Rasho Nesterovic this isn't on the list. In any event, what the Knicks become isn't written in stone, and their roster is not necessarily going to have the same strengths and weaknesses as the Suns' roster. Complaint #5 - The Knicks are too far away from winning to hire a big time coach This makes no sense. Yeah, D'Antoni isn't going to win this year, but who is more likely than he is to inflate the stats of all those players with dog contracts and make them viable trade pieces? And when they are gone, who is more likely to attract the best free agents? D'Antoni + New York City? That's almost unfair! Complaint #6 - Mark Jackson is a better candidate That's a joke. Mark Jackson is an unproven commodity with a giant ego who isn't even willing to make his mistakes (and any new job comes with those) while putting in his time as an assistant. He might make a good head coach, but he has accomplished nothing. No rational person would hire him over D'Antoni if salary were not an issue - and it isn't. I can tell you that as a die-hard Nets fan, I don't like this hire at all. That's a pretty good indication about how Knicks fans should feel about it.
Maybe Marbury flourishes under his system. If not him, Crawford. I can see ZBo doing well and even Eddy Curry. The Knicks roster isn't full of garbage - that fact made Isaiah look as bad as he did. Question ultimately is whether the guys are willing to buy into the system and play it as it should be. Great hire, I agree.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Denny Crane @ May 13 2008, 04:05 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Maybe Marbury flourishes under his system. If not him, Crawford. I can see ZBo doing well and even Eddy Curry. The Knicks roster isn't full of garbage - that fact made Isaiah look as bad as he did. Question ultimately is whether the guys are willing to buy into the system and play it as it should be. Great hire, I agree.</div> Actually, Marbury, Curry and Randolph are pure garbage who no winning team would or should touch. Ever. The great thing about D'Antoni is he is the man to make all of them look "rehabilitated" long enough to fool some of the stupider GMs into taking their contrats. If the Knicks win 10 games but succeed in getting Curry and/or Randolph off the books, next season will be a rousing success. They can't bring in those free agents until they have room to do so.
I don't know how much more I can take everyone calling him D'Antonio. His name isn't that hard, is it? For any other franchise it might be a bad hire b/c they aren't going to be competitive enough to pay him that much money. But it's obviously not a problem for Dolan to continue dishing out money. The real questions are if Walsh will actually try and get this team under the cap and if they can get lucky and get a top two pick this year. With D'Antoni they will probably improve enough to not be a top two or three pick after this year, but you never know. If Jamal Crawford is a Knick this upcoming season, he's going to score a ton of points.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ May 13 2008, 02:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Complaint #3 - The Knicks don't have an MVP like Steve Nash Steve Nash was a career 12/6 player before he came to the Suns. They used the cap space they reserved for Kobe to get him. Not even Colangelo could have known he was a franchise player. He was an offense-only guy who was a liability for half the game. There were times he couldn't even be out on the floor because there was no one for him to guard.</div> I dont really agree with this statement. Nash's career numbers are low because of his first few years in the league. He was producing at a pretty high level for 4 years in Dallas before he signed with Phoenix. Granted not as high when he got the Phoenix, but Nash was no slouch.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JFizzleRaider @ May 13 2008, 05:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ May 13 2008, 02:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Complaint #3 - The Knicks don't have an MVP like Steve Nash Steve Nash was a career 12/6 player before he came to the Suns. They used the cap space they reserved for Kobe to get him. Not even Colangelo could have known he was a franchise player. He was an offense-only guy who was a liability for half the game. There were times he couldn't even be out on the floor because there was no one for him to guard.</div> I dont really agree with this statement. Nash's career numbers are low because of his first few years in the league. He was producing at a pretty high level for 4 years in Dallas before he signed with Phoenix. Granted not as high when he got the Phoenix, but Nash was no slouch. </div> The point is he wasn't anywhere close to a franchise player and not even in the same universe as an MVP. It took a lot of vision to build an entire franchise around him, especially considering his many flaws. Not a lot of coaches would have identified the possibilities or had the balls to attempt what D'Antoni did.
To me any disdain of the D'Antoni hiring shows that Knicks fans' psyche is so beaten down that they accept their current roster as this unwaivering everlasting existence. Hiring a coach is merely the first step in rebuilding the franchise, that roster is next.
Steve Nash 4 last years in Dallas: Played an average of 78 games: 16.5 ppg, 48% FG%, 42% 3FG%, 90% FT%, 3 rpg, 7.8 apg, 0.9 spg, 2.7 TOpg Steve Nash 4 years in Phoenix: Played an average of 78 games: 17.5 ppg, 51% FG%, 45% 3FG%, 90% FT%, 3.6 rpg, 11.2 apg, .8 spg, 3.6 TOpg
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ May 13 2008, 07:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Steve Nash 4 last years in Dallas: Played an average of 78 games: 16.5 ppg, 48% FG%, 42% 3FG%, 90% FT%, 3 rpg, 7.8 apg, 0.9 spg, 2.7 TOpg Steve Nash 4 years in Phoenix: Played an average of 78 games: 17.5 ppg, 51% FG%, 45% 3FG%, 90% FT%, 3.6 rpg, 11.2 apg, .8 spg, 3.6 TOpg</div> There you go. 16/7 player. Very nice piece. Nowhere near a franchise or an MVP.
Well I personally would question if even his 4 years in Phoenix were MVP calibre seasons. I would say either Kobe or Lebron were more impressive individually during his 2 years, or maybe Tim Duncan. By the way the media votes it made sense, because they put a high priority on how good the team is that they play on, and Kobe and Lebron weren't on contender teams.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ May 13 2008, 06:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ May 13 2008, 07:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Steve Nash 4 last years in Dallas: Played an average of 78 games: 16.5 ppg, 48% FG%, 42% 3FG%, 90% FT%, 3 rpg, 7.8 apg, 0.9 spg, 2.7 TOpg Steve Nash 4 years in Phoenix: Played an average of 78 games: 17.5 ppg, 51% FG%, 45% 3FG%, 90% FT%, 3.6 rpg, 11.2 apg, .8 spg, 3.6 TOpg</div> There you go. 16/7 player. Very nice piece. Nowhere near a franchise or an MVP. </div> going by the rounding up rule thats actually 17/8 Vs. 18/11 He also averaged another TO per game with Phoenix, granted he did shoot a tad bit percentages though Again Nash was an All-Star type player on Dallas for the most part. It was easy to see that he would improve Phoenix when he was signed. His MVP titles are arguable, I felt there were some other players somewhat more deserving than Nash during those years as do a lot of people (including Shaq haha)
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (JFizzleRaider @ May 14 2008, 12:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti @ May 13 2008, 06:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lavalamp @ May 13 2008, 07:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Steve Nash 4 last years in Dallas: Played an average of 78 games: 16.5 ppg, 48% FG%, 42% 3FG%, 90% FT%, 3 rpg, 7.8 apg, 0.9 spg, 2.7 TOpg Steve Nash 4 years in Phoenix: Played an average of 78 games: 17.5 ppg, 51% FG%, 45% 3FG%, 90% FT%, 3.6 rpg, 11.2 apg, .8 spg, 3.6 TOpg</div> There you go. 16/7 player. Very nice piece. Nowhere near a franchise or an MVP. </div> going by the rounding up rule thats actually 17/8 Vs. 18/11 He also averaged another TO per game with Phoenix, granted he did shoot a tad bit percentages though Again Nash was an All-Star type player on Dallas for the most part. It was easy to see that he would improve Phoenix when he was signed. His MVP titles are arguable, I felt there were some other players somewhat more deserving than Nash during those years as do a lot of people (including Shaq haha) </div> Indeed, the Suns moving the ball up the court also has to do with his nice looking numbers. His Prime was in PHX though, he was in the correct system.
