Hughes Irked with Dantoni

Kiyaman

Legend
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Nate Robinson has finally made it out of Mike D'Antoni's doghouse, but Larry Hughes is still in there. Despite the Knicks blow out win over the Pacers Sunday, Hughes did not get off the bench and he's not happy about it since D'Antoni hasn't told him what his role is.

"It's not a good way to play a season, going back and forth," Hughes told the New York Daily News. "This is my second or third time now (getting benched). It's getting old."

"It's easy to communicate with a grown man," Hughes said. "It's a long season and you always want to have dialog and talk things out. I definitely want the dialog. Let guys know where they stand and you can voice opinions on both sides. There's nothing wrong with voicing an opinion because they're not facts. It's what you're thinking and how you're feeling. Just to have communication, I think, goes a long way in this league."
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D'Antoni is a poor communicator, my goodness. Just tell the guy thanks for assembling the "Team Defensive Plan" I no longer have use for u at the moment. u won't be playing....and keep it moving. Hughes is going to call Lebron and tell him what a bastid D'Antoni is.
pmsl.gif
LOL ha ha ha ha
 

tiger0330

Legend
larry hughes is mad? who cares?

ur right he ain't going to be back next year. Hughes has a point about D'antoni though I think he uses fortune tellers or Haitian voodoo when he figures out who is in the rotation, used to think he was a players coach when I would hear him talk to guys like N8 when he was telling him what great athlete he is. Now I see its just his system and that the players that are lucky enough to be in the lineup like.
 

New New York

Quiet Storm
I would think Larry Hughes has been in the league long enough to realize that when he is turning the ball over and shotting 29% from the feild during a 4 game span that he is going to probably get yanked out of the rotation!

I think Dantoni figured Hughes was smart enough to figure that one out....Well there is your answer to that one Mike!

Look if I showed up late everyday for a week and turned in choppy work, would I really be suprised if my boss looked past me for the opening position in the company

Just a case of a player with an expiring contract getting nervous about not being able to showcase himself
 

OGKnickfan

Enlightened
Hughes stinks, so does D'Ant. Hughes has said the truth, however. We can't say the same for Manphony. And now, all of you former Hughes supporters will hate him (Hughes).

It's a dark day in D'antonivilla.
 

abcd

KnicksonLIN.com
I agree, Kiyaman. This is the third time that Dyke Manphony has not spoken to the players about their status on the team. First it was with Stephon Marbury, then Nate Robinson, now Larry Hughes.

Granted, Larry Hughes sucks, but D'Antoni gave him minutes for the first two months of the season, despite Hughes' poor shooting performances.

He should have just told him he did not feel he was the right fit for his system.
 

New New York

Quiet Storm
I agree, Kiyaman. This is the third time that Dyke Manphony has not spoken to the players about their status on the team. First it was with Stephon Marbury, then Nate Robinson, now Larry Hughes.

Granted, Larry Hughes sucks, but D'Antoni gave him minutes for the first two months of the season, despite Hughes' poor shooting performances.

He should have just told him he did not feel he was the right fit for his system.


A coaches job is not to baby sit the egos of his players. Look at Malik Rose, do you think he really got or even wanted an explanation everytime he was not going to play. Sure every player wants to contribute, but as a team player you do what is best for the team.

He sat on the heels of a loss to NJ where he continued his poor shooting and wasnt playing much D , the team beat Atlanta at home next game and blew out Indy two nights later. The team is playing better since him sitting, so he needs to just sit back and shut the hell up!

Not to mention Hughes is assuming he is out of the rotation because he sat two games, I can see if he sat 14 straight! He has not been playing well since his injury and he needs to sit.Again we are 2-0, so why be frustrated, now if we were losing and he felt he could help, then ok I guess

Bottom Line is that Hughes thinks he deserves All Star player type respect.He is extra sensative about getting a contract next season and it is showing.

My theory is that he is trying to force a buyout so he can go somewhere he thinks he is going to get big minutes

Now about the other two examples

Nate was yanked out of the rotation for discplinary purposes, his own actions was his explanation

Steph....lets just leave that one alone!
 

Pedro De Pacas

Benchwarmer
Hughes is only complaining because he knows, that he won't get more than the MLE next year, but believes he's still worth 10 mils/year (has he ever been?)

And he's benched for the same reason, he sat at season's start: bad shooting!

When coach inserted him into the rotation it was because the team needed a boost on D, an it worked.
The last couple of games we struggled on O, therefore Nate got his shot and succeeded.
Beeing a 12year-pro, you shoulda know that you're getting benched when you suck!

And what's really funny: Nate showed much more maturity in the same -or even worse- situation.
 

abcd

KnicksonLIN.com
A coaches job is not to baby sit the egos of his players. Look at Malik Rose, do you think he really got or even wanted an explanation everytime he was not going to play. Sure every player wants to contribute, but as a team player you do what is best for the team.

He sat on the heels of a loss to NJ where he continued his poor shooting and wasnt playing much D , the team beat Atlanta at home next game and blew out Indy two nights later. The team is playing better since him sitting, so he needs to just sit back and shut the hell up!

Not to mention Hughes is assuming he is out of the rotation because he sat two games, I can see if he sat 14 straight! He has not been playing well since his injury and he needs to sit.Again we are 2-0, so why be frustrated, now if we were losing and he felt he could help, then ok I guess

Bottom Line is that Hughes thinks he deserves All Star player type respect.He is extra sensative about getting a contract next season and it is showing.

My theory is that he is trying to force a buyout so he can go somewhere he thinks he is going to get big minutes

Now about the other two examples

Nate was yanked out of the rotation for discplinary purposes, his own actions was his explanation

Steph....lets just leave that one alone!

I could care less that Hughes is sitting on the bench. If you read my previous post, I mentioned the fact that he sucks. I am just surprised that D'Antoni would play Hughes and then suddenly bench him. Especially considering the fact that he played poorly for most of the games D'Antoni gave him minutes for. Most coaches would have benched him sooner. That's my point.

lol at you leaving the Steph situation alone. You scared of a potential Starburywar? jk

Nate Robinson was not benched for his actions and you know it. I know you like D'Antnoni, but D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-Damn! D'Antoni clearly benched him because he had something personal against Robinson. You don't compare someone to "Satan" and say that you have "no morals or scruples", if you like them. Walsh obviously must have told him to give Robinson minutes so that they can package him in a deal.
 
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Kiyaman

Legend
I could care less that Hughes is sitting on the bench. If you read my previous post, I mentioned the fact that he sucks. I am just surprised that D'Antoni would play Hughes and then suddenly bench him. Especially considering the fact that he played poorly for most of the games D'Antoni gave him minutes for. Most coaches would have benched him sooner. That's my point.

lol at you leaving the Steph situation alone. You scared of a potential Starburywar? jk

Nate Robinson was not benched for his actions and you know it. I know you like D'Antnoni, but D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-Damn! D'Antoni clearly benched him because he had something personal against Robinson. You don't compare someone to "Satan" and say that you have "no morals or scruples", if you like them. Walsh obviously must have told him to give Robinson minutes so that they can package him in a deal.

My opinion or theory on Nate & Hughes on and off DNP......could start with the "FACT" that the two players know we will need a jellin 3-guard rotation to become a decent playoff team to make the 2nd round. And both probably look at Duhon as their backup. LOL

Nate being Nate, the bold happy guy we seen for the last 4 years probably cursed Dantoni out in one of the practices or something like that.
Plus Nate sprained angle made Dantoni take Hughes off of DNP.
And Hughes performance was dynamic in every game he played coming off DNP.....until Hughes pulled a groin injury 19 minutes in the 5th game of our 4 game win streak, a time when we was depending alot on Hughes & Jefferies defense to keep oponents under a 100 points. We loss that 5th game with Hughes getting just 20 minutes of playingtime. Dantoni hav'nt spoke to Hughes since that game. even when he gave him short minutes of playingtime after the injury.

Remember this is just my opinion.....Hughes averaged 33 minutes of playingtime in (all) the 4 game win streak, and Jefferies averaged 25 minutes of playingtime with the majority of Jefferies minutes were in the 2nd half of each game. Their "Tandem" of team-defense rub off on each of their teammates (I fell out my chair when my fav-player David Lee blocked a shot during the 4 game win streak LOL).

I believe.....Nate was released off the DNP (by upstair management) after the Knicks LOSS to the bottomless Nets.
It reminds me of President/Coach Isiah telling Marbury on the plane he will be coming off the bench after the Knicks LOSS to the 16 win season Miami Heat....Isiah been a PG for to long to make a decision like that to his best friend and favorite Pet-Player. That decision had to come from upstairs-management....which is the reason why Marbury made the u turn in the airport, and Isiah acted like nothing ever happen two days later starting Marbury.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
The Knicks not making any kind of effort to get Curry, Darko, and Hill into the rotation by giving them suprise minutes here and there in the 2nd quarter of the game. To make them stay fit and prepared throughout the season.
Also are Irked by Dantoni

We got to remember rookie Toney Douglas looks up to the veteran guards Hughes, Duhon, and Nate, to get as much knowledge as he can to become a full-fledge NBA Guard in the league.
Dantoni's personal discipline method on veterans Nate & Hughes, while a blind person could see Duhon had a 17 game streak of performing like the NBA King Bum, that we fans fell in luv with rookie PG-Douglas performance above Duhons, that it had us writing we had the steal of the draft.
Toney Douglas have to be learning that Hughes, Nate, and himself gets DNP for every bad performance Duhon have....just my opinion
 

nyk_nyk

All Star
A coaches job is not to baby sit the egos of his players. Look at Malik Rose, do you think he really got or even wanted an explanation everytime he was not going to play. Sure every player wants to contribute, but as a team player you do what is best for the team.

He sat on the heels of a loss to NJ where he continued his poor shooting and wasnt playing much D , the team beat Atlanta at home next game and blew out Indy two nights later. The team is playing better since him sitting, so he needs to just sit back and shut the hell up!

Actually, part of a coaches job (a good one) is to keep team morale up throughout the season. It's not babysitting. Coaches deal with a lot of different personalities and everyone on the bench wants a chance to play. A good coach communicates with his players and lets them know what the TEAM plan is. Not properly communicating to your players is one of the worst things you can do... especially when you will need their services eventually.

Dantoni appears to be only concerned with his "who's hot now list" and usually ignores the other players until a change is needed. As a coach I would play Hughes every game and make sure he knows what his primary role is on the court. The guy can defend and thats a fact so have him guard the pg in the 4th quarter of a close game to disrupt ball movement... defensive strategy stuff like that.

Hughes has always shot poorly so that's not a valid reason for his benching even in a blowout game. It's just that Damntoni has a 8 or 9 man rotation and sticks to that number. It also doesn't seem that this overrated coach knows how to adjust during the game and sub based on his players' strengths. Granted, the team has been playing better but I still worry about his coachinig skills in close games.
 

LJ4ptplay

Starter
Hasn't Hughes been "irked" everywhere he's been?

I wonder about D'Antoni's substitution patterns as well. And benching Nate for over a month was overly excessive, but does the coach really need to explain himself to every player, every time?

We knew this kind of stuff was going to happen before the season started. With so many players in their contract years and a coach that normally plays a short rotation, we knew many players were going to be "irked". Hughes is lucky he's gotten any minutes at all this year.
 

TR1LL10N

Hannibal Lecter
Hasn't Hughes been "irked" everywhere he's been?

I wonder about D'Antoni's substitution patterns as well. And benching Nate for over a month was overly excessive, but does the coach really need to explain himself to every player, every time?

We knew this kind of stuff was going to happen before the season started. With so many players in their contract years and a coach that normally plays a short rotation, we knew many players were going to be "irked". Hughes is lucky he's gotten any minutes at all this year.


I think some of the fans have gotten used to the inmates running the asylum and have forgotten the historic roles of players, coaches and management. Too many losing seasons with too many inflated egos like Marbury combined with weak inept management like Isiah has breed an unhealthy culture that Dant and Walsh are trying to purge. We should be glad that Dant is cleaning house now in preparation for 2010 and beyond.

Pat Riley would have laughed, fined and destroyed insubordinate players during his tenure as Knick coach. It's a a symptom of this young generation of players who come up with a sense of entitlement and desire for individual glory. No one on the 90's Knicks would dare speak publicly about playing time, locker room drama or negatively about their coach. SMH
 
yeah this isnt the first time hughes has been riding the pine for one reason or another. Technically we are blowing this out of proportion.

here are the reasons why we are making too big of a deal over this.

1) Hughes has been benched before by plenty of coaches on winning teams. He currently holds only one worth on this team this year and Mike D knows it, an expiring contract. Mike D communicates fine with his players and this is the first time anything has ever been said about him in regards to his communication or lack of; so I would have to assume that hughes is being the same larry hughes that sat the bench in chicago because he "cannnot shooot the balll".

2) Stop adding eddy curry into the mix, eddy curry as we all know "sucks" I am sorry to say but he sucks, so therefore when bender comes in and can shoot the ball defend the perimeter, rebound just as well as curry, and not bitch about going to Europe like Darko;;;;; common sense says he is going to play over Curry hands down end of story.

3) Robinson did not need a memo to tell him why he was sitting, shooting on your own hoop, dancing around the court when you are down 10 points with 2 minutes to go, because you hit a few jumpers, hanging out with the other team before games, this isnt news, every coach who has come through here has said the same about nate....he has to grow up...I applaud Mike D for putting his foot down and recognizing we dont need nate to win games, we need mature nate to help us not lose games.

4) Toney douglas not playing alot as of late, has to do with one thing and one thing only...sorry to say haters but duhon has been as good as any PG on our depth chart since we have gone 11-6 over the past 17 games the first 17 he was horrible and douglas played, but he has been knocking down threes, not turning the ball over, getting every one involved...if u havent noticed we have 2-3 guys every night dropping 20 or more a game...and duhon has been putting up 7-9 assists a night in that span, plus dropping threes all day, and diving on the floor on defense.

5) If you want to complain about Mike D and his coaching, fine complain about our 3-14 start. but realistically we played all of the best teams in the NBA atleast 10 times out of that first 17 gm stretch, and I expected we would start horribly. But do not come through here saying Mike D cant coach, because going 11-6 over the last 17 with the team we have, is as good as any coach is going to get from this personnel. In fact next to the grizzlies statistics show we are the 2nd most improved team since the start of the season in the NBA, and we are actually playing defense.
 

smokes

Huge Member
It feels like this forum is mostly divided into 2 groups nowadays, D'antoni haters and D'antoni lovers with only a handful of people looking at things objectively.

Sure D'antoni made some mistakes in his 1 and a half year tenure as Knicks coach, but people pointing out stuff that is questionable at best to try to add credence to their hate/love for the guy is just silly.

D'antoni has his weaknesses for sure, his substitute patterns are erratic and his late game plans are poor, however as pointed out he turned this team from the 2nd worst in the league in november to sitting 1 game out of the playoffs as things stand now. I don't understand the theory that the players are responsible for our team defensive improvement. As someone showed in another thread and you can find a whole thread dedicated to it, that D'antoni had said before the season began that he wanted the Knicks top 15 on D. Of course Jefferies constant harassment and effort on D sends a message through the rest of the players on the court to equal that intensity but the gameplan comes from the coach.

The things coach D should be working on now is having a backup plan instead of the pick and roll for late game scenarios, as we have seen several times when a team shuts down the pick and roll in the 4th we can struggle to keep ourselves in the game. Also we need some other defensive sparkplug than Jefferies available when JJ gets into foul trouble which is often with his style of harassment. As seen in the Bobcats game we lost due to easy penetration and no interior defense to shut down the layup.

Apart from meeting the Lakers and Mavs our January schedule is against other struggling teams and we have the opportunity to cement that December performance and prove it was not a lucky streak. Hopefully we will stay at .500+ for January and move ourselves into the playoff picture.
 
It feels like this forum is mostly divided into 2 groups nowadays, D'antoni haters and D'antoni lovers with only a handful of people looking at things objectively.

Sure D'antoni made some mistakes in his 1 and a half year tenure as Knicks coach, but people pointing out stuff that is questionable at best to try to add credence to their hate/love for the guy is just silly.

D'antoni has his weaknesses for sure, his substitute patterns are erratic and his late game plans are poor, however as pointed out he turned this team from the 2nd worst in the league in november to sitting 1 game out of the playoffs as things stand now. I don't understand the theory that the players are responsible for our team defensive improvement. As someone showed in another thread and you can find a whole thread dedicated to it, that D'antoni had said before the season began that he wanted the Knicks top 15 on D. Of course Jefferies constant harassment and effort on D sends a message through the rest of the players on the court to equal that intensity but the gameplan comes from the coach.

The things coach D should be working on now is having a backup plan instead of the pick and roll for late game scenarios, as we have seen several times when a team shuts down the pick and roll in the 4th we can struggle to keep ourselves in the game. Also we need some other defensive sparkplug than Jefferies available when JJ gets into foul trouble which is often with his style of harassment. As seen in the Bobcats game we lost due to easy penetration and no interior defense to shut down the layup.

Apart from meeting the Lakers and Mavs our January schedule is against other struggling teams and we have the opportunity to cement that December performance and prove it was not a lucky streak. Hopefully we will stay at .500+ for January and move ourselves into the playoff picture.


I agree with this whole post except one part

your back up plan idea and Mike D's late game plans.

Truly, you are speaking about Mike D's game plan as if we are a great basketball team haha, This is the NBA

there is only one LATE GAME plan for winning basketball teams

its called get the ball to your star and move the F out of the way

we do not have a star sorry to say
nor a guy who can take over late in the game

I see Gallo as being that, and some times Harrington is there, but night in and night out we do not have that type of player

Phoenix had nash who could just take over late in a game, we dont have that caliber player

so Mike D's late game plan is flawed for one reason and one reason alone,

our team does not have the players for that
 
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