For the NYK fans who support MDA? Thank you for not running this man out of town.

(This thread is not for the MDA haters; you all have 100 other threads to bash MDA). Please stay out of this one; while allowing NY fans the chance to talk about building our team around, as well as moving forward under MDA.
Ignore the MDA hatred around here. People say "he'll never lead NY out of the EAST? Laughable; It's become more than just obvious that they know nothing about this man as a COACH.

He dominated the Western Conf during the times the West were extremely tough. MDA had a .650 winning % with PHX. MDA coached PHX during the years of 03-08. PHX won 54 or more games in 4 consecutive seasons. Coach of the year in 04-05. Led PHX to the Western Conf Fianls 2 times & pushed SA to a game 7.

04-05: 62-22, .756%, 1st in Pacific, lost in Conf Finals.

05-06: 54-28, .659, 1st in Pacific, lost in Conf Finals.

06-07: 61-21, .744, 1st in Pacific, lost in Semifinals.

07-08: 55-27, .671, 2nd in Pacific, 1st rd loss.

He's a winner. .600 winning % since the Melo trade. The best has yet to come from NY.

The haters seem to forget or are ignorant of the above..

You don't lead a team to the Western Conf Finals two out of four years without playing defense.

Give MDA a full offseason of training camp, practices and a preseason & watch out for the Knicks next year.

Give MDA a full offseason of working with our 3 leaders in Billups, Melo & Amare & the sky is the limit for NY next season.

Since the trade? The Knicks are playing .600 under MDA. Thats with a rookie in Fields, a 2nd year player in Douglas as our 6th man off the bench; who's been forced to start since the Billups injury. We also lack size down low.

If the Knicks can land a legit big man this offseason; a true Center such as Dalembert, De'Andre Jordan or Marc Gasol? We'll become a top 1-3 seed heading into next years playoff run. Fields will no longer be a rookie & Douglas will be a 3rd year pro. Experience as a team.

No matter what happens during the playoffs; the experience factor of the playoffs will become huge for the Knicks future, interms of moving forward under MDA.

On a side note: Look at the Suns winning % after Mike D'Antoni actually had a chance to build his team (after his first year) followed by looking @ the Knicks winning % during his 1st two years trying to build the Knicks. You know why we failed? No talent, cap hell & 30+ different players over those two years. Now look @ our winning % this year, before the Melo trade. We were 2 games above .500 as the 6th seed because he had talent to work with in players such as Amare, Felton, Gallo, Fields & Chandler. Now look @ the Knicks winning % since the trade, while Billups has been hurt; .600 % after only 10 games.

Keep in mind; Before the trade? MDA was forced to work with 4 out of 5 starters who weren't with us last year in Amare, Fields, Felton & Mozgov. After the trade? We now have 5 players starting who weren't with D'Antoni or the Knicks last year. Next year? We'll have 4 starters who were here this year in Billups, Fields, Carmelo & Amare. Thats considered experience as a team. This year? No experience.

How many Dantoni love threads are you gonna make?

Nice insight you just added.

How many D'Antoni hate post's will you all continue to post while trying to "run this man out of town"; before he's even had a chance to build his team? Thats the question.

If there weren't bs "O'Antoni" post's inside of each and every thread... These threads showing my support for an outstanding coach... (A winning coach) wouldn't be created.

Mike is a PROVEN WINNER. You know it's pathetic hatred when you see fans crying for Ewing, Mark Jackson etc, etc to "coach the Knicks''.

You see fans talking crying ''team defense'', when it's hard to have team defense when Billups, Fields, Melo, Amare, Jeffries, Turiaf, Shelden Williams & Brown weren't even with the Knicks last year. The Knicks don't have a "team" right now; we have a team trying to learn how to become a team. That still doesn't change the fact that NY has a winning % of .600 under D'Antoni since the trade after only 10 games.

You call him "a winner" for regular season success?

:teeth:

if it wasn't for D'Antoni in the first place, Amare wouldn't have come to NY, meaning no Melo, no CP3/DWill

jpz17 said:

if it wasn't for D'Antoni in the first place, Amare wouldn't have come to NY, meaning no Melo, no CP3/DWill

Click to expand...

Can I get a link from the future on when CP3/D-Will signed?


The Amare thing is likely, but you can't guarantee it....and the trade as well.

If making it to the Western Conf Finals two out of four years isn't considered succes, well, then... I don't know what is.

I guess Ewing wasn't a ''top 5 Center'' during the 90's... Aftet all... Ewing never won us a Championship & Ewing was with NY MUCH longer than MDA was with PHX. Took Ewing 9 years to reach the Finals...

With the way you look @ sports... I guess it's safe to say that #33 & the Knicks never enjoyed "success''. I guess experts who rank Ewing as a top 3 Center during the 90's behind only Hakeem & Robinson know nothing. lol

Some of you MDA haters are a complete joke. When was the last time NY made the playoffs as a 6th or higher seed? Huh? MDA is on the verge of leading us to the playoffs during his 3rd year. I guess some of you all haven't missed the playoff days of the 90's & dreamed of NY making the playoffs like I have over the years. I appreciate MDA. He took this job knowing we had no chance to win during his 1st two years with us. We weren't expected to compete LIKE THIS until 2012.

KnicksFanFromQueens1985 said:

If making it to the Western Conf Finals two out of four years isn't considered succes, well, then... I don't know what is.

I guess Ewing wasn't a ''top 5 Center'' during the 90's... Aftet all... Ewing never won us a Championship & Ewing was with NY MUCH longer than MDA was with PHX. Took Ewing 9 years to reach the Finals...

With the way you look @ sports... I guess it's safe to say that #33 & the Knicks never enjoyed "success''. I guess experts who rank Ewing as a top 3 Center during the 90's behind only Hakeem & Robinson know nothing. lol

Some of you MDA haters are a complete joke. When was the last time NY made the playoffs as a 6th or higher seed? Huh? MDA is on the verge of leading us to the playoffs during his 3rd year. I guess some of you all haven't missed the playoff days of the 90's & dreamed of NY making the playoffs like I have over the years. I appreciate MDA. He took this job knowing we had no chance to win during his 1st two years with us. We weren't expected to compete LIKE THIS until 2012.

Click to expand...

That Ewing comparison has nothing to do with it. I never said D'Antoni didn't have success...you used the "winner" word with him. That word is used too freely in sports, winners are champions, not a great regular season and solid playoff wins.


We aren't MDA haters.....we just don't look at sports through the eyes of a biased homer who takes any hint of criticism as a personal shot.


We are all Knicks fans and we all want our team to do well, that doesn't mean you have to be so obliviously optimistic...live some reality.

Do you guys realize we will never win a championship with him as our head coach, or in the very least picking up a defensive minded assistant coach. You realize that defense is what wins rings right?

At least Patrick can say he made it to the finals...

D'Antoni has never coached at team to the promise land because he is stubborn and his offense is flawed...

MusketeerX said:

Do you guys realize we will never win a championship with him as our head coach, or in the very least picking up a defensive minded assistant coach. You realize that defense is what wins rings right?

At least Patrick can say he made it to the finals...

D'Antoni has never coached at team to the promise land because he is stubborn and his offense is flawed...

Click to expand...

No, players win championships not coaches.

With the team we have currently, if we add a few smart pieces or one more big piece in Chris Paul, WE CAN WIN A TITLE.

Riley - a defensive minded coach - didn't won a chip here because he never had another star to go along w Ewing; and he continually ran up against the TWO stars in Chicago.

JVG - defensive minded coach - never had a good enough team to win. He lost in the Finals to a team w TWO stars as well, Duncan and Robinson.

You over estimate the effect these coaches actually have on the game. It's always been about what players you have and how good they are.

If Mike D. gets good enough players he can win.

ronoranina said:

No, players win championships not coaches.

With the team we have currently, if we add a few smart pieces or one more big piece in Chris Paul, WE CAN WIN A TITLE.

Riley - a defensive minded coach - didn't won a chip here because he never had another star to go along w Ewing; and he continually ran up against the TWO stars in Chicago.

JVG - defensive minded coach - never had a good enough team to win. He lost in the Finals to a team w TWO stars as well, Duncan and Robinson.

You over estimate the effect these coaches actually have on the game. It's always been about what players you have and how good they are.

If Mike D. gets good enough players he can win.

Click to expand...

D'Antoni had a two time MVP in Steve Nash, Amar'e (one of the most dominant power forwards in the game), an amazing supporting cast, and could never get out of the West....

You don't give enough credit to the coaches.

I'm telling you right now, with MDA, we will never win a ring.... Just won't. With porous defense and high possession games, we will never beat the truly elite teams... We will be too exhausted in the post season, we will not be able to get key stops, and we will never be able to win a best of 4 against a team that excels in both offense and defense.

MDA led PHX to the Westen Conf Finals during 2 of his 1st 4 years with PHX. Pushed SA to a game 7. PHX could have beat SA to advance to the Finals if not for Stern screwing PHX.

It took Ewing 9 years before he led NY to the Finals.

The East is no where NEAR as tough as the WEST during the years of PHX competing year in & year out under MDA.

"he'll never lead NY to the Finals''. Laughable.

The aging C's are not the Lakers. The Bulls are not the Spurs. The Heat are not the Mavs. The Magic are not the Suns. The Hawks are not the Nuggets or Jazz & the 76ers are not the Rockets or Hornets during those years the West was STACKED.

You don't lead PHX to the WCF 2 out of 4 years without playing tough defense. You don't go 232-98 inside a Power-House Western Conf during a 4 year span without being a good coach. You don't earn coach of the year honors without being respected by the league; & you don't lead your team to the Western Conf Playoffs during 4 consecutive years of 54+ W's without doing something right.

KnicksFanFromQueens1985 said:

MDA led PHX to the Westen Conf Finals during 2 of his 1st 4 years with PHX. Pushed SA to a game 7. PHX could have beat SA to advance to the Finals if not for Stern screwing PHX.

It took Ewing 9 years before he led NY to the Finals.

The East is no where NEAR as tough as the WEST during the years of PHX competing year in & year out under MDA.

"he'll never lead NY to the Finals''. Laughable.

The aging C's are not the Lakers. The Bulls are not the Spurs. The Heat are not the Mavs. The Magic are not the Suns. The Hawks are not the Nuggets or Jazz & the 76ers are not the Rockets or Hornets during those years the West was STACKED.

You don't lead PHX to the WCF 2 out of 4 years without playing tough defense. You don't go 232-98 inside a Power-House Western Conf during a 4 year span without being a good coach. You don't earn coach of the year honors without being respected by the league; & you don't lead your team to the Western Conf Playoffs during 4 consecutive years of 54+ W's without doing something right.

Click to expand...

First of all... you don't know if he would have made it. Stuff happens like that in the playoffs. It cost us a series against Miami... We came back the next year and went to the finals. He can't say he did the same.

Ewing got there. JVG got there. You need a team that is both offensively and defensively impressive.... He will never make it there because he just doesn't understand defense.

Does it not infuriate you when you see our team utterly unresponsive on the defensive end... not able to guard a pick and roll play??? Every team needs a defensive system in place... every team. We don't have one.

MusketeerX said:

D'Antoni had a two time MVP in Steve Nash, Amar'e (one of the most dominant power forwards in the game), an amazing supporting cast, and could never get out of the West....

You don't give enough credit to the coaches.

I'm telling you right now, with MDA, we will never win a ring.... Just won't. With porous defense and high possession games, we will never beat the truly elite teams... We will be too exhausted in the post season, we will not be able to get key stops, and we will never be able to win a best of 4 against a team that excels in both offense and defense.

Click to expand...

I can be objective. Mike D's system leaves a lot to be desired defensively. He's at best an average defensive coach.. I cannot deny this. That said, Nash could not play a lick of D and Amare was just a lazy, limited defender. His teams could only be so good defensively w those guys and they always ended up mid-level, WHICH I THINK SAYS SOMETHING POSITIVE ABOUT MIKE D'S DEFENSIVE FOCUS. It takes plenty of smarts, emphasis and scheming from coaching staff to hide your two best players offensively (that need to get serious minutes for you to win) on the defensive end night in and night out.

W better defensive players in Fields, Billups, TD, (cough) JJ and improved effort from Amare and Melo we can become a better defensive team than those old Phoenix squads. We've seen this begin to materialize already, excluding the heinous effort last night. I put that on the players and the schedule by the way.. 72 points in the first half is just terrible. Granted it's been a long week for the team and they've won, played well and given plenty of effort, but damn.

Mike D can also lengthen the rotation which will help also. We've seen him go back to this strategy. The man can adjust. W more and better players that can defend he'll have more to utilize on court, which will = better defensive results IMO.

KnicksFanFromQueens1985 said:

If making it to the Western Conf Finals two out of four years isn't considered succes, well, then... I don't know what is.

I guess Ewing wasn't a ''top 5 Center'' during the 90's... Aftet all... Ewing never won us a Championship & Ewing was with NY MUCH longer than MDA was with PHX. Took Ewing 9 years to reach the Finals...

With the way you look @ sports... I guess it's safe to say that #33 & the Knicks never enjoyed "success''. I guess experts who rank Ewing as a top 3 Center during the 90's behind only Hakeem & Robinson know nothing. lol

Some of you MDA haters are a complete joke. When was the last time NY made the playoffs as a 6th or higher seed? Huh? MDA is on the verge of leading us to the playoffs during his 3rd year. I guess some of you all haven't missed the playoff days of the 90's & dreamed of NY making the playoffs like I have over the years. I appreciate MDA. He took this job knowing we had no chance to win during his 1st two years with us. We weren't expected to compete LIKE THIS until 2012.

Click to expand...

:wtf:Blasphemy!!!

You're actually comparing PATRICK EWING's success to MDA's success? Ewing carried the Knicks on his back and had to play against the greatest player and coach in NBA history. Mike & Phil. The best player Ewing EVER played with was Starks. A former grocery store clerk. Ewing was the only perennial allstar on that team. All this and still made the finals TWICE.

MDA had Nash, STAT, Joe Johnson, The Matrix and Shaq at one point or another. I may even be missing someone. He's never reached the finals.

@Musketeer.

You know why the Suns couldn't get past the Western Conf finals right? Because of Kobe-Shaq & the Lakers & Duncan & the Spurs.

You do know that the Suns pushed the Spurs to a game 7 right? You do know how & why the Suns lost game 7 right? I bet you actually have NO idea & thats the funny part.

You do know that Kobe is the greatest thing since Joran right?

Thank god both the Spurs & Lakers will NEVER face MDA & the Knicks during an Eastern Conf Finals.

Also... You can not compare Nash & Amare to Carmelo & Amare; especially considering the fact that we have Billups running the point.

The Celtics run may very well be over after this year. KG, Pierce & Allen are all aging. Howard is unhappy in ORL & all signs point to Howard leaving the Magic for the Lakers come 2012.

When looking towards the future, it's obvious that the East will only feature 3 power house teams. CHI, NY & MIA.

Thats a big difference when compared to the West during the times D'Antoni had the Suns fighting for the West

KnicksFanFromQueens1985 said:

You see fans talking crying ''team defense'', when it's hard to have team defense when Billups, Fields, Melo, Amare, Jeffries, Turiaf, Shelden Williams & Brown weren't even with the Knicks last year.

Click to expand...

So were these players needed in Phoenix in order to play team defense? Because MDA had none then either...