Our Best Bet!!

With D'Antoni, the Knicks will need a defensive assistant!


  • Total voters
    10
  • Poll closed .

Red

TYPE-A
Nydailynes.com- "When he was coaching the Suns three years ago, D'Antoni rejected the idea of adding Thibodeau to his staff when it was suggested to him by Phoenix GM Steve Kerr. Thibodeau eventually landed with the Celtics, who won the title that season. Historically, Walsh allows his coach to pick his staff but he may take a more active role this summer in light of the Knicks being one of the NBA's worst defensive teams during D'Antoni's two seasons"

Hiring a Defensive coach is bigger than any FA we could get!

A few end of the season tidbits...

1. At the start (this season) D'Antoni said he thinks we could be a PO team- why is everyone saying "who thought we could make the PO's"?

2. Supporters say "he's one of the best HC's"- "he avg. 50+ wins in PHX"- an argument for Byron Scott who didn't win as much (see career stats) actually made it further than D'Antoni can be made using this approachm can't it?

3. Whoever said "you can't RATE a coach until he has star player"? WTF is this? Now a coaches rating is only justified w/ star players?

4. Is this a oxymoron? "Lee is an all-star, leader, and Gallo is a up-and-comer, beast, best shooter"- but we have no team?

I ask these ?'s b/c this is the normal back and forth we're having. Add the (unvarifiable argument) "no coach could have done better" theoretical assertion and supporters feel this is viable.

Well the honeymoon is over. If the communication issues, rotation issues, in-game management, unproven philosophy, lack of development, lack of defensive planning and spin doctoring weren't enough, then there's nothing that will convince you- to that there is no arguing. I'll just say everyone including his former players must not know anything compared to you.

But if/when the Knicks improve the roster, hire a defensive coach, etc... leads to failure then what?
 

hometheaterguy

Knicks Guru
The problem with your argument against Mike D is that every other coach that had tried to coach this team or some variation of this team has failed as well. Coaches like Brown (who should have stayed instead of Isiah) who had a proven track record couldn't do anything.... Isiah himself who masterminded the whole roster couldn't do anything.... Mike D, like all the others (and with less of the players they had) couldn't do anything but wining with the players that he inherited was not the goal for Mike D. We saw, right before the dismantling started, the Knicks looking like a team that might make the playoffs with Zach at the 5 and Lee platooning time at the 4 and 5... The knicks looked like they could make it to the playoffs as a low seed but mediocrity was not the agenda for Walsh and Mike D. A coach can only get out of a player what they can expend... Some coaches have the ability to push a player beyond their limits in spurts when needed... The whole plan was to shed as many of the bad contracts as possible; that's it! So, that being the goal of this team, I say they were successful thus far.. Now, the second part of that equation is to make the right moves this and possibly next off season. Then they feel they can make a run at the title... So, we can not truly judge the tandem of Walsh and Mike D until the end of next season or possibly the end of the 2011 season.
 

LJ4ptplay

Starter
Ignoring your typical biased rants of hatred, I would agree that acquiring a solid defensive coordinator would be a great move. Hopefully Donnie can convince D'Antoni to do this. I think Donnie and D'Antoni have a better relationship than D'Antoni had with Steve Kerr and he seems more willing to listen and be flexible than he did in Phoenix. But we'll see.
 

Red

TYPE-A
How can he be more important than the players on the team?

B/c he will bring out something that even at his best D'Antoni couldn't.

If D'Ant had Nash-Amare and Co. and made it to where they did...

and our roster (probably) won't be as good...

wouldn't logic dictate he (we) WILL NOT achieve the same success?

just saying... what makes supporters think we will be as good as PHX, since it's "all about the players"- we won't have'em so...
 

TR1LL10N

Hannibal Lecter
B/c he will bring out something that even at his best D'Antoni couldn't.

If D'Ant had Nash-Amare and Co. and made it to where they did...

and our roster (probably) won't be as good...

wouldn't logic dictate he (we) WILL NOT achieve the same success?

just saying... what makes supporters think we will be as good as PHX, since it's "all about the players"- we won't have'em so...

The fact that you think a defensive assistant coach is more important than our actual players is crazy. That said, please explain why the Suns are still one of the worst defensive teams in the league two coaches later if it's not the players but the coaches that hold the responsibility for D.
 

clumsy

Rotation player
Nash and Amare are both poor defensive players. It is magnified in an offensive system. Alvin Gentry isn't faring much better and i think Phonix is a pretender team in the west. D'antoni shouldn't be the coach of the Knicks.
 

Red

TYPE-A
The fact that you think a defensive assistant coach is more important than our actual players is crazy. That said, please explain why the Suns are still one of the worst defensive teams in the league two coaches later if it's not the players but the coaches that hold the responsibility for D.

Well, PHX is better than us right?

and were when D'Ant was coach.

so IF you admit "PHX is STILL one of the worst def. teams" then...

that would mean that with Nash- Amare & Co. they were still better than us so....

IF we don't get a roster as good or better WE WILL STILL NOT BE AS GOOD (although they didn't win a chapionship) thus...

A DEFENSIVE ASST. COACH IS NEEDED HERE MORE THAN THERE! Get it?

Supporters can't have it all...

you can't acknowledge D'Ant and harp on his achievements without using forward thinking.

If they weren't that good on D when they had "all-stars" and an MVP- what can we expect our team to achiev WITH LESS?

Obviously, Thibideau is NEEDED more than any player since his all-star band couldn't cut it on D. If we keep D'Ant he has to make up for ONE of his short comings instead with...

too many players we fantisize about getting but w/ One coach- thanks.
 

Knicker23

Benchwarmer
No assistant coach will ever be more important than these FA.. ever..

I'd prob go with the first part of b), in that these new FA will bring defense... not so much the 'who needs coaching or a game plan' part...

We all know if we were to get a James our D would go up and we'd be sitting here saying ' boy Dantoni has turned it around!'.. our D is going to go up regardless of who specifically we get, as long as we bring in some talent..

Having an D-minded assistant coach wouldn't hurt, but at the end of the day it's going to be the players we get more than anything and the defensive prowess they bring.. I'm thinking Donnie will be thinking D when he signs a few of the players.
 

CoolClyde

Moderator
F*ck the Defense

A Mike No-D'antoni team will NEVER have a defensive coach, why even make this thread? His offense-is-the-best-defense policy is the only game plan he knows and runs, he rejected the notion of a defensive coach at Phx, WHY would he accept one now? You have to go with poll answer B, D'amustachio is counting on free agents to provide D, sans defensive gameplan.

I happen to agree with everything said re our poor defense and lousy coaching, but this thread is a waste of time and energy, and a pipe dream as long as D'assholio is coach. unfortunately.
:boohoo:
 
I support D'Antoni, and this idea. I think he will be more open to it because Donnie Walsh is a more experienced GM than Kerr was and D'antoni may have learned from his mistakes. Thibodeau would be a dream, but a defensive coach would also help lure free agents here.
 

nk11

Benchwarmer
i think about it like this...in the park or gym or whatever when you play you only have so much energy. and i personally focus most of that on offense, i hate defense...nba players are the same...

yea a defensive coach would help, i dont see how it would hurt...but in the end we need a few guys who dont give a shit about their offense(not on jared jeffries level obviously) focusing their efforts and take pride in defense, bruce bowen types...like joakim noah, marcus camby, sefolosha, raja bell, etc.

two way guys who focus on defense. hopefully we stop recruiting people based on their 3 point shooting and random other shit...
 
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