Mike D has to go

The Fast Break – Should Mike D’Antoni Be Next Coach Fired?

AUTHOR: sage | IN: 2010-2011 Season | COMMENTS: None Yet |


etick_dantoni11_850.jpg
Is it time for Mike D'Antoni to go?

Mike D’Antoni, the mastermind behind the run & gun Phoenix Suns. He was supposed to be the savior of Gotham, the architect behind a resurgence at the Mecca. He failed, and it has fallen on Amar’e Stoudemire to lead a rebirth at the Garden. He was supposed to be the main attraction for the much hyped free agent class of 2010. He failed, and LeBron James went south. He is supposed to be the coach that leads New York back to the finals. I’m going to go ahead and call that a fail as well, since the D’Antoni experience seems to be on the fast track too nowhere.

For a coach that was supposed to lead the team back to the playoffs and attract every free agent under the sun because A) His system is fun for everyone, and B) He coached all the mega stars in the Olympics, Mike D’Antoni has thus far been an enormous disappointment. No one that was a free agent or was approaching free agency gave a damn about his system or his time spent with the Olympic team. The Knicks had to pay more then anyone else would in order to acquire Amar’e Stoudemire, and it has been STAT that has made the Knicks attractive again, with Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and even Dwight Howard proclaiming NYC a possible destination now that Stoudemire is here. Mike’s ability to lead this team to the playoffs is also looking shaky, as the team was pretty worthless under him until Donnie brought in STAT and Raymond Felton. Even with an All-Star caliber Point Guard and a superstar Power Forward, the Knicks under Mike’s peerless leadership are just 1 game above .500 and a mere 4 games from being tied with Indiana for 9th place in the Eastern Conference.
Only six Knicks are averaging 20+ minutes a night, with Stoudemire and Felton averaging over 37 minutes a game. Those six Knicks that are averaging over 20 minutes a game are also the only players to appear in at least 28 games this season. Tony Douglas is the only none-starter to appear in 30+ games. There’s a reason why the Knicks often look tired entering the fourth quarter, missing that clutch ability to close games out late that they showed during their 13-1 burst from November 17th – December 12th.
This is a topic that Howard Beck of the New York Times reported on back in late December. The Knicks lack of depth at point guard and center, and Mike D’Antoni’s tendency to use a meager 8 man rotation leads to flat 4th quarters from many of his starters.
Anthony Randolph and Timofey Mozgov have collected dust on Mike’s bench all season long, a scene that benefits no one as the Knicks at 25-24 (1-6 versus Boston, Miami & Orlando) are nowhere near good enough to excuse the lack of development of their young talent. It would certainly benefit the Knicks to have Randolph and Mozgov develop their games for any potential trades, but it would also benefit the Knicks regular starters, who all log far too many minutes for their own good. Timofey Mozgov is trying to defy that trend with a 23 point, 14 rebound performance against Detroit and a 9 point, 7 rebound, 2 block stat line against Philadelphia. The situation isn’t as simple as young player performs thus said player gets minutes though, because Mike D’Antoni is notoriously stubborn. He refused to play Nate Robinson and when Nate embarrassed Mike by putting up stellar numbers, there by bringing into question the coach’s decision to bench him, Mike simply played Nate less and less as the week went on until he was glued to the bench once again. Same thing happened with Tony Douglas that same year.
Before the Detroit game Mike D’Antoni told reporters that nothing Mozgov or Randolph could do on the floor was going to “upset the apple cart”, meaning no matter how well they performed they had no chance of cracking the rotation. How nice of the coach to show confidence in his young players with such inspiring words of support. Now that Mozgov made Mike D’Antoni look stupid for benching him, by posting a double-double against the Pistons and gaining public support from Raymond Felton, who called for somebody “who’s physical like that to take some of that banging off Amar’e Stoudemire”, Mike’s decision making as come under fire yet again. If he sticks to his tendencies, I expect to see Mozgov less and less as the weeks drag on until he’s entombed in the bench once again.
Burning out his starters, due to a heavy workload, isn’t the only issue with Mike D’Antoni’s coaching style. Defense, as they say, wins championships and it’s something that Mike hasn’t exactly been renowned for in his time in the league. The Knicks are allowing 106.0 points per game while scoring 106.3 per, for a differential of +.03. That means they are allowing the most points of any of the 16 teams currently holding a playoff spot while having the second worst point differential among playoff teams. The Knicks have allowed their opponents to score 100 or more points 14 times over the last 20 games. To make matters worse, the Knicks stand as the only team in the entire league to lose to the 8-42 Cleveland Cavaliers over the Cavs last 33 games, giving up 109 points in that December 18th game, breaking up a Cavs losing streak that should stand at 33 games instead of 23. From November 30th too now, the Knicks stand as one of only 7 teams that Cleveland managed to score 100 or more points against during that time. The other teams on that list are Memphis, New Jersey, Indiana, Toronto, Denver, and Phoenix. 109 points allowed vs Cleveland on December 18th, against a team that averages only 94 points a game. Defense is definitely not what Mike D’Antoni is renowned for.
What Mike D’Antoni is known for however is developing high scoring, highly entertaining, offenses. As entertaining as a fast break happy team is to watch, that style of play has not resulted in the number of wins expected from a team as talented as the Knicks, playing in a weak conference no less. Especially against strong playoff teams. Out of 8 games played against Atlanta, Orlando, Miami and Boston, the Knicks have allowed 100 or more points 6 times, losing all but one of those matches. In 3 games against the Lakers & Spurs they’ve allowed point totals of 115, 109 & 101, going 1-2 in those games. New York’s record against playoff bound teams now stands at 10-14, a record that includes 0-2 marks against Boston, Atlanta, and Philadelphia.
If Mike D’Antoni is fired, the Knicks will have to settle with one of his assistants becoming the interim head coach (not Herb Williams) until the off-season when New York will have several worthwhile candidates to choose from. While that situation is not ideal, it could give the Knicks a shot in the arm like similar situations have given the Bobcats and Pacers players a little extra motivation heading into the seasons’ stretch run.
Now lets talk about our potential head coaches for next season and beyond. Let’s start with Rod Adams, who was the former assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder, credited by many for the development of the terrific defense they showed last year. In his absence the Thunder’s defense has suffered mightily while the Chicago Bulls (his current gig) have improved defensively. This move would not only provide the Knicks with a viable defensive minded head coach but weaken a conference rival in the process. The next potential hire is the more recognizable Nate McMillan, the current head coach of the Portland Trailblazers. With injuries ravaging his team season after season, McMillan still manages to find a way to get his players (those that are healthy anyway) to compete. He has issues with Blazers’ ownership and is expected to be among the coaches searching for a job come seasons’ end. The list of potential coaching hires includes Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer, who’s regarded as an up and coming head coaching talent, former Knicks great and current assistant coach for the Orlando Magic Patrick Ewing, former Knicks head coach (& fan favorite) Jeff Van Gundy and former Knicks great Mark Jackson.
Jim O’Brian is out in Indiana, Larry Brown is out in Charlotte, and with all this coach talent available this off-season, perhaps it’s time for Mike D’Antoni to be out in New York.


An article that sums up this thread nicely...
 

Kiyaman

Legend
First Round KO

The Fast Break ? Should Mike D?Antoni Be Next Coach Fired?

AUTHOR: sage | IN: 2010-2011 Season | COMMENTS: None Yet |


etick_dantoni11_850.jpg
Is it time for Mike D'Antoni to go?

Mike D?Antoni, the mastermind behind the run & gun Phoenix Suns. He was supposed to be the savior of Gotham, the architect behind a resurgence at the Mecca. He failed, and it has fallen on Amar?e Stoudemire to lead a rebirth at the Garden. He was supposed to be the main attraction for the much hyped free agent class of 2010. He failed, and LeBron James went south. He is supposed to be the coach that leads New York back to the finals. I?m going to go ahead and call that a fail as well, since the D?Antoni experience seems to be on the fast track too nowhere.

For a coach that was supposed to lead the team back to the playoffs and attract every free agent under the sun because A) His system is fun for everyone, and B) He coached all the mega stars in the Olympics, Mike D?Antoni has thus far been an enormous disappointment. No one that was a free agent or was approaching free agency gave a damn about his system or his time spent with the Olympic team. The Knicks had to pay more then anyone else would in order to acquire Amar?e Stoudemire, and it has been STAT that has made the Knicks attractive again, with Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and even Dwight Howard proclaiming NYC a possible destination now that Stoudemire is here. Mike?s ability to lead this team to the playoffs is also looking shaky, as the team was pretty worthless under him until Donnie brought in STAT and Raymond Felton. Even with an All-Star caliber Point Guard and a superstar Power Forward, the Knicks under Mike?s peerless leadership are just 1 game above .500 and a mere 4 games from being tied with Indiana for 9th place in the Eastern Conference.
Only six Knicks are averaging 20+ minutes a night, with Stoudemire and Felton averaging over 37 minutes a game. Those six Knicks that are averaging over 20 minutes a game are also the only players to appear in at least 28 games this season. Tony Douglas is the only none-starter to appear in 30+ games. There?s a reason why the Knicks often look tired entering the fourth quarter, missing that clutch ability to close games out late that they showed during their 13-1 burst from November 17th ? December 12th.
This is a topic that Howard Beck of the New York Times reported on back in late December. The Knicks lack of depth at point guard and center, and Mike D?Antoni?s tendency to use a meager 8 man rotation leads to flat 4th quarters from many of his starters.
Anthony Randolph and Timofey Mozgov have collected dust on Mike?s bench all season long, a scene that benefits no one as the Knicks at 25-24 (1-6 versus Boston, Miami & Orlando) are nowhere near good enough to excuse the lack of development of their young talent. It would certainly benefit the Knicks to have Randolph and Mozgov develop their games for any potential trades, but it would also benefit the Knicks regular starters, who all log far too many minutes for their own good. Timofey Mozgov is trying to defy that trend with a 23 point, 14 rebound performance against Detroit and a 9 point, 7 rebound, 2 block stat line against Philadelphia. The situation isn?t as simple as young player performs thus said player gets minutes though, because Mike D?Antoni is notoriously stubborn. He refused to play Nate Robinson and when Nate embarrassed Mike by putting up stellar numbers, there by bringing into question the coach?s decision to bench him, Mike simply played Nate less and less as the week went on until he was glued to the bench once again. Same thing happened with Tony Douglas that same year.
Before the Detroit game Mike D?Antoni told reporters that nothing Mozgov or Randolph could do on the floor was going to ?upset the apple cart?, meaning no matter how well they performed they had no chance of cracking the rotation. How nice of the coach to show confidence in his young players with such inspiring words of support. Now that Mozgov made Mike D?Antoni look stupid for benching him, by posting a double-double against the Pistons and gaining public support from Raymond Felton, who called for somebody ?who?s physical like that to take some of that banging off Amar?e Stoudemire?, Mike?s decision making as come under fire yet again. If he sticks to his tendencies, I expect to see Mozgov less and less as the weeks drag on until he?s entombed in the bench once again.
Burning out his starters, due to a heavy workload, isn?t the only issue with Mike D?Antoni?s coaching style. Defense, as they say, wins championships and it?s something that Mike hasn?t exactly been renowned for in his time in the league. The Knicks are allowing 106.0 points per game while scoring 106.3 per, for a differential of +.03. That means they are allowing the most points of any of the 16 teams currently holding a playoff spot while having the second worst point differential among playoff teams. The Knicks have allowed their opponents to score 100 or more points 14 times over the last 20 games. To make matters worse, the Knicks stand as the only team in the entire league to lose to the 8-42 Cleveland Cavaliers over the Cavs last 33 games, giving up 109 points in that December 18th game, breaking up a Cavs losing streak that should stand at 33 games instead of 23. From November 30th too now, the Knicks stand as one of only 7 teams that Cleveland managed to score 100 or more points against during that time. The other teams on that list are Memphis, New Jersey, Indiana, Toronto, Denver, and Phoenix. 109 points allowed vs Cleveland on December 18th, against a team that averages only 94 points a game. Defense is definitely not what Mike D?Antoni is renowned for.
What Mike D?Antoni is known for however is developing high scoring, highly entertaining, offenses. As entertaining as a fast break happy team is to watch, that style of play has not resulted in the number of wins expected from a team as talented as the Knicks, playing in a weak conference no less. Especially against strong playoff teams. Out of 8 games played against Atlanta, Orlando, Miami and Boston, the Knicks have allowed 100 or more points 6 times, losing all but one of those matches. In 3 games against the Lakers & Spurs they?ve allowed point totals of 115, 109 & 101, going 1-2 in those games. New York?s record against playoff bound teams now stands at 10-14, a record that includes 0-2 marks against Boston, Atlanta, and Philadelphia.
If Mike D?Antoni is fired, the Knicks will have to settle with one of his assistants becoming the interim head coach (not Herb Williams) until the off-season when New York will have several worthwhile candidates to choose from. While that situation is not ideal, it could give the Knicks a shot in the arm like similar situations have given the Bobcats and Pacers players a little extra motivation heading into the seasons? stretch run.
Now lets talk about our potential head coaches for next season and beyond. Let?s start with Rod Adams, who was the former assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder, credited by many for the development of the terrific defense they showed last year. In his absence the Thunder?s defense has suffered mightily while the Chicago Bulls (his current gig) have improved defensively. This move would not only provide the Knicks with a viable defensive minded head coach but weaken a conference rival in the process. The next potential hire is the more recognizable Nate McMillan, the current head coach of the Portland Trailblazers. With injuries ravaging his team season after season, McMillan still manages to find a way to get his players (those that are healthy anyway) to compete. He has issues with Blazers? ownership and is expected to be among the coaches searching for a job come seasons? end. The list of potential coaching hires includes Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer, who?s regarded as an up and coming head coaching talent, former Knicks great and current assistant coach for the Orlando Magic Patrick Ewing, former Knicks head coach (& fan favorite) Jeff Van Gundy and former Knicks great Mark Jackson.
Jim O?Brian is out in Indiana, Larry Brown is out in Charlotte, and with all this coach talent available this off-season, perhaps it?s time for Mike D?Antoni to be out in New York.


An article that sums up this thread nicely...
:agreed::agreed::agreed:

GREAT POST...
 
I would definitely support the firing of Mike D'Antoni, but our management and owner wouldn't and that's all that matters!

I think that Dolan wants high scoring run and gun basketball, because it's easier to sell than low scoring affairs night in / night out.

(I disagree though, I love it when they play tough defense. I hate games without defensive intensity, but that's irrelevant).

Half the roster consists of D'Antoni players (STAT, Gallo, Felton, Rautins) that wouldn't be that effective in a defensive system. STAT has tons of skills, but he doesn't like defense no matter who the coach is. Gallo needs his rushed 3 pointers to stay in rhythm plus his defence is mediocre at best. Felton posted average numbers under Larry Brown and simply isn't that great of a passer to feed his teammates in the half court. Rautins is a pure shooter who wouldn't be in the NBA if it wasn't for D'Antoni.

So what to do with these guys under a defensive minded coach?

But as I said this is only wishful thinking by the author, James Dolan won't fire D'Antoni. Ad even IF, the replacement would surely be Isiah...and that means total annihilation :barf:
 

Kiyaman

Legend
Another First Round KO

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset" class=alt2>Originally Posted by moneyg
If AR and T moz was on the spurs.. they would be playin meaningful minutes...that the difference with coaches like O'antoni and your Pop or Sloan or Jackson..

i will take it even further..

nobodies give Nate Mcmillian credit for anything.. he got a constantly injured staff and his franchise playin is down and they still find a way to win.. now thats coaching... he should be in the discussion for coach of the year..

side note... Wesley Mathews... who i said would be a good pickup for the knicks in the offseason and most of you laughed at it...is a major reason why they r good.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Quote:
<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset" class=alt2>Originally Posted by nuckles2k2
Yep, you're right on all accounts. Not only did the Blazers go out and get Matthews but also once Roy went out for an extended time what did Nate tell Aldridge? "Get your skinny ass in the paint and use your size and athletecism" now I don't know if he said it in those words...but a dude who spent the better part of 3 years in the NBA shooting jumpshots suddenly wakes up one morning and decides to be a low post presence...in the middle of the season...right after a vital part of their offense gets subtracted due to knee issues?

This also coming from a team that miraculously made the playoffs last year after being the 2nd most injured team in the league? And Mike D'Antoni...a professional basketball head coach, can't find a way to use his young bigs in the game that would benefit the team? Especially when said team is giving up so many second chance points because of our lack of size and rebounding up front? Really?

Dude is getting out coached every which way, sometimes I think we win despite Michael D'Antoni.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Agree with the both of you. Great coaches make adjustments to get easy baskets or timely stops. D'Antoni isn't great at either. The Magic game brings this to the fore because we got pounded on the boards that game by like 15. I think AR could've been a difference maker that game. His length & being able to rebound would've limited their 2nd chance buckets & given us more 2nd chance buckets to score.


I said something similar the other day (bolded part) about the Knicks ability to win games. This team has heart & that's one of the main reasons we're winning more.
:agreed::agreed::agreed:

Looking at the (26-24) Knicks stats after 50 games, players minutes, fga, rebounds, assist, steals, turnovers, fouls, and percentage.....
Dantoni should've been FIRED after the 5th game of the 6 game losing-streak. To not make any changes after 3 straight losses when the Red-Flag signs were clear to see after each loss "poor rebounding, oponents scoring in the paint at will, oponents getting 2nd and 3rd shot oportunities in the 4th quarter, starters seem tired and aghausted putting out no effort in the 4th quarter.". Changes in the lineups to rest certain players shouldve been made after the 3rd loss. The (37-14) Miami Heat played 51 games, and the Big-3 been getting must needed rest throughout those 51 games. Amare/Felton/and Landry Fields played all 50 games with Amare/Felton leading the team in minutes played.

The average NBA coach would not have put Shawn Williams over Anthony Randolph athletic defensive-rebounding in a rotation with a 32+ minute Amare (who career in rebounding has always been up and down).
Turiaf is averaging 2 fouls in his 18 minutes of playingtime in just 40 games.... it would be a decent coaching move if Mozgov & Randolph were also averaging 18 minutes in just 40 games, but the two bigmen been DNP.
 

nyk_nyk

All Star
I don't think Dantoni is a horrible coach but he's very stubborn and doesn't quite get how important the fundamental aspects of the game still are.

The NBA thrives with the addition of good Euro players BUT a Euro-style TEAM won't get to the top in this league. Plain and simple.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
The reason why Dantoni is still coaching the Knicks.

I would definitely support the firing of Mike D'Antoni, but our management and owner wouldn't and that's all that matters!

I think that Dolan wants high scoring run and gun basketball, because it's easier to sell than low scoring affairs night in / night out.

(I disagree though, I love it when they play tough defense. I hate games without defensive intensity, but that's irrelevant).

Half the roster consists of D'Antoni players (STAT, Gallo, Felton, Rautins) that wouldn't be that effective in a defensive system. STAT has tons of skills, but he doesn't like defense no matter who the coach is. Gallo needs his rushed 3 pointers to stay in rhythm plus his defence is mediocre at best. Felton posted average numbers under Larry Brown and simply isn't that great of a passer to feed his teammates in the half court. Rautins is a pure shooter who wouldn't be in the NBA if it wasn't for D'Antoni.

So what to do with these guys under a defensive minded coach?

But as I said this is only wishful thinking by the author, James Dolan won't fire D'Antoni. Ad even IF, the replacement would surely be Isiah...and that means total annihilation :barf:

Dolan mind is only on the financial page of the top newspapers in the country. If Dantoni's name is not on the financial page Dolan could care less.
Donnie Walsh was put incharge of a losing decade Knick-team that average 19+ thousand fans in attendance every game in MSG.
Get it Right: Clueless Isiah Thomas bringing in so-call star players each season made financial owner James Dolan happy with the 19+ thousand fans attending Knicks game in MSG.
Donnie Walsh knows making Herb Williams the interim headcoach would practically win double the games of celebrity coach Mike Dantoni throughout last two seasons.... but New Yorkers are always looking for a "celebrity-star" to conversate about on their way to MSG. New Yorkers has been this way since the Knicks traded for "Earl the Pearl Monroe" to Bernard King 50 points, to Patrick Ewing promising a Championship, to the two years of sell-out crowds in MSG to see the 20-8 "Starbury". Walsh is afraid to FIRE bum celebrity coach Dantoni when attendance is looking good in MSG.
So many Knick-Fans are living off of what Dantoni did in Phoenix.... when u listen to any and every conversation concerning Mike Dantoni it always reflect on his tour with the Phoenix Suns...
 
After tonights coaching debacle I decided to bump this thread. Now we have another 7 footer that appears to be in the doghouse. I guess hometheaterguy, Isaiah and Ron think he sukks too.

I would research and post some STATS for AR & MOZ, but whats the point. All you MOA lovers have been proven wrong. Accurately I might add.

How about your boy MDA turning Jorts into a 3 point shooter? LUDICROUS.

How about MOA having the "arguably" best front court in the league and not being able to win? INCREDIBLE.

I told you guys this coach will NEVER HAVE HIS PERFECT TEAM. Without it he cant win. LIMITED.

Admit this coach is a joke and needs to be fired ASAP. It may get some of you your credibility back...[/SIZE]
 
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