</p> <p align="center"></p> http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AiVJ...o&type=lgns</p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>1. The success of Mike D’Antoni’s fast and furious style with the Phoenix Suns has spawned so much intrigue and interest for coaches throughout basketball. Because D’Antoni is such an agreeable and open guy, he has always been willing to let others coaches come spend time and study his program.</p> For the University of Rhode Island’s Jim Baron, who made his reputation on tough defense and rebounding, his time in Tucson watching practice and studying tape with the Suns coach turned out to be something of an epiphany for him. He has transformed the Rams style over the past two seasons into a faster pace, and did what so many college coaches fear doing: Ceded control to his players and stopped trying to control every movement on the floor. </p> The result? After blowing out rival Providence, the Rams are 9-1 to start the season as they travel to Syracuse for a telling Saturday night game at the Carrier Dome.</p> “The Suns are the epitome of running basketball,” Baron said. “I just learned so much from how they use their personnel, how they blend the frontline and the guards, space the floor, use the dribble.”</p> Most coaches understand that D’Antoni’s system is made far more effective with Steve Nash playing point and Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and a superb cast of running mates alongside. For Baron, his years as Panama’s national coach exposed him to the changing game around the world and evolving his own style at URI has been a natural extension of those experiences.</p> “I was watching film with Mike out there, and asked him how you get your players to buy into it all the time,” Baron said. “He told me, ‘This is the culture.’ You have to be committed to it all the time.”</div></p> Also special assignment for Thorn: get some more shooters/scorers.</p>
I'd be down for the Suns' offense, but not their defense. First and foremost I'd like to win games</p>
