*Breaking News* D’Antoni Gone as Suns Head Coach
April 30, 2008
Mike D’Antoni’s wide-open brand of basketball appears to be officially dead in Phoenix.
Just hours after losing 92-87 in Game 5 and four games to one ion the series to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs Jack McCallum of Sports Illustrated reported that D’Antoni is out as the Suns head coach:
Mike D’Antoni, the NBA’s Coach of the Year for the 2004-05 season and the man credited with re-invigorating fast-break basketball in a league gone stale, will not be back to coach the Phoenix Suns for the 2008-09 season, SI.com has learned. D’Antoni deferred questions about his job status after the Suns were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Wednesday night at the AT&T Center in Alamo City….
The Suns have long been one of the NBA’s model franchises, and both D’Antoni and Kerr, for whatever differences they might have about the direction of the team, are respected around the league. It’s hard to believe, then, that D’Antoni’s situation would devolve into an ugly, protracted war, New York Knicks style.
How exactly the scenario unfolds depends largely on whether or not D’Antoni gets another job offer. The most palatable scenario for all in Phoenix would be: Team A asks the Suns for permission to talk to D’Antoni, who has two years left on his contract; Suns say OK; D’Antoni interviews and is hired.
It is thought that D’Antoni could land in Chicago where Jim Boylan was fired after replacing now-Milwaukee Bucks head coach Scott Skiles. Another possible landing place for D’Antoni is Toronto where Sam Mitchell seems to be perennially treading on thin Canadian ice. If D’Antoni was to coach the Raptors he would be rejoined with Bryan Colangelo, his former boss in Phoenix.
McCallum seems to feel that the Bulls team has the right nucleus for D’Antoni’s open court style of play. However, Toronto has a bevy of foreign-born players on its roster, many of who grew up knowing of D’Antoni’s exploits as a player and a head coach in Europe. Andrea Bargnani, Maceo Baston, Primoz Brezec, Jose Calderon, Carlos Delfino, Jose Garbajosa, Rasho Nesterovic, and Anthony Parker all have international basketball experience and would be comfortable in D’Antoni’s system.
At the same time, the Bulls whose most experienced player is Larry Hughes (29, nine years in the NBA), is a very young team that would welcome a departure from anything that has to do with Skiles’ defense-first, defense-only mentality.
In his four seasons with Phoenix D’Antoni amassed an impressive 232-96 record. But despite having teams that were thought to be of championship caliber the Suns under D’Antoni have never advanced to the NBA Finals.
Comments
23 Responses to “*Breaking News* D’Antoni Gone as Suns Head Coach”
Got something to say?
-
USA Today Sports- Major League Baseball likely to change, not ban, maple bats
- Phillies' Utley could miss start of season after hip surgery
- Cowboys say Pacman Jones reinstated
- Browns' Quinn has broken finger, will try to play vs. Texans
- USOC removes USA Boxing from probation
- Kenseth seals multiyear deal, stays with Roush Fenway
Correct me if I’m wrong, but I was pretty sure that D’Antoni really only went full bore with that freewheeling style because he had Nash who’s practically the co-author of the style.
Calderon might the right engine to run a similar game plan (such as it was) in Toronto, but who’d run it in Chicago? Hinrich? Nah. Thabo? Triple nah.
Up until now, I never really believed smitch’s job was in jeopardy but if this bit re D’Antoni is for real, it might be too tempting for Colangelo to skip.
Ah, here we go: as of Monday night, Colangelo says Mitchell’s not going anywhere.
I have never understood how people go on about replacing smitch one year removed from his Coach of the Year. Don’t get that.
Charles, you’re overestimating Nash and underestimating Hinrich.
Hinrich could be the playmaker in a Suns style offense. He’s not as great as Nash, but he’s pretty good at running a team. Plus, he’s lightyears ahead of Nash on defense.
If you watched the game last night, Nash’s days might be numbered also. Given the way the West is contstituted, even if they had kept Marion, they wouldn’t be able be to beat the Lakers or Spurs. They wouldn’t match up with New Orleans or Utah but they might, I say might have been able to outscore them. But next year forget it.
While Nash is a great offensive player he is a huge liability on defense. He can’t guard anybody certainly not Parker, Williams or Paul so you’re playing four on five defensively against good offensive teams. So you had better find a coach who can institute a team defense scheme that helps Nash or Nash will be trade bait.
But on the other hand, Phoenix could have just as easily won this series with better coaching. First game was brain lock by not fouling. Had a double digit lead in game two. And last night, no free throws and brutal turnovers down the stretch.
Coach had to go, but does Nash follow?
The look on Nash’s face after that last turnover: priceless.
And I’m praying, literally praying that John Paxson hires D’Antoni. Something must be done to make my Bulls fun again. Someone needs to unlock the magical powers inside Tyrus Thomas. I don’t know if D’Antoni can do it, but I want to see him try.
Yo brotha Dwil just got word here that Avery Johnson has been fired also.
I guess the Mavs are gonna try and get Antoni………………minus the D because he believes in none.
Eric G it won’t happen the bulls and Reinsdorf always go the cheap route.
Antoni will ask for about 5 mill a year. He will probably be in Dallas.
Sorry to keep posting, but big man you are so right I have been saying this for years. The suns have to hide nash………..I mean the dude doesn’t even try and play defense.
Often time he guards Bowen when they play the spurs. However Pop let finley, parker and Manu play at the same time. So nash was forced to play defense on someone.
Did you see how during the series everytime nash guarded, finley, parker or Manu the spurs made sure to run a play for them on offense. Man I almost felt sorry for poor nash. They lit his @ss up like a blunt.
Dwil and all you guys please pray for Stern……..I don’t know what he will do. With Nash and Dirk knocked out the first round that guy might have a heart attack.
Only thing worse for stern would be for the lakers to win the championship and Kobe win finals MVP.
Stern would go into a coma if that happens.
Dwil here is the link to avery getting fired.
http://www.dallasnews.com/
Look at the top header.
No, I don’t think I’m overestimating Nash’s offensive capabilities. I think we’re going to see an alarming drop-off in his numbers going forward, but prior to this season, offensively, he was next to incredible.
The Suns offense is kind of like a Larry David show where everyone’s given just an outline of the general idea but basically the whole thing’s improv, no specific lines. At his best, there wasn’t anybody who could run that kind of offense as effectively.
I never said this guy is a defensive wizard. In fact, as everyone oughta know, he’s pretty much a sieve on defense. But that was never the Suns’ calling card and he had just enough help from the matrix to cover his inevitable lapses.
Anyway, point being there’s no one on Chicago’s roster at present who can provide the offensive punch or leadership to run a D’Antoni-Suns offense. Whether or not Hinrich might be a better overall guard could be debateable, but offensively I can’t see how there could be a discussion worth having about who’s better.
Maaan, it’s not even CLOSE.
FWIW, I think NJ has the hosses for a Suns-style offense moreso than Chicago.
“Hinrich could be the playmaker in a Suns style offense. ”
This might be your very first post where I can say that I completely disagee with you… are you seeing some tape of Kirk that I’m missing?
Folly, way to work in Larry David… and whaddya think about Knicks landing Avery/
I feel for D’Antoni, he was a victim of his own success, you can’t win that many regular season games without ever playing for a championship. His two best teams suffered bad luck in the playoffs. His first year, Joe Johnson got his jaw broken in the playoffs, and last year Amare got suspended (without throwing a punch) for coming off the bench.
D’Antoni had to see this coming, his power base–The Colangelos– were gone from the team, and Kerr was not going to risk his job with a coach he did not hire.
Don’t forget who referred the Spurs/Suns last year. A lot of funny calls. Can you fixed, boys and girls?
How about Nash for Baron Davis, straight up? Change of scenery might do them both good.
Kidd is toast. Don’t know what he does. I could never figure out why he wanted to come West so bad. Too many young guards who can light him up. The only way he could keep Dallas in games against Spurs, Jazz, Suns, Lakers or even G State is to score 20 a game or keep the scoring differential between him and his opposite number to 10 or so. Never averaged twenty and can’t hold the young turks to under 30. Done
Don’t forget who refereed the Spurs/Suns last year. A lot of funny calls. Can you fixed, boys and girls?
How about Nash for Baron Davis, straight up? Change of scenery might do them both good.
Kidd is toast. Don’t know what he does. I could never figure out why he wanted to come West so bad. Too many young guards who can light him up. The only way he could keep Dallas in games against Spurs, Jazz, Suns, Lakers or even G State is to score 20 a game or keep the scoring differential between him and his opposite number to 10 or so. Never averaged twenty and can’t hold the young turks to under 30. Done
oops sorry about the double post; need to diasble the back button
MODI
It had to happen sometime. I know Hinrich regressed this year, but I think he has it in him to be a playmaker.
We shall see.
MODI, iono bout Avery. Obviously, he burned out his team. He’s a hardass and there’s lotsa hardasses around (Skiles, anyone?). Thing is, til you’ve won a chip or two, not too many guys are gonna put up with too much tude for long. No tales outta school there, right? Mitchell was on the borderline of losing his team a couple years ago til he wised up and learned something about give and take, easing up off the accelerator sometimes and picking his spots. We can only hope Avery gains the same wisdom.
No doubt the Knicks need an ass-kicker, but mostly they need a system. Is Ave that system guy? I really have no idea. From what I’ve been reading, that asst coach in Boston seems like the perfect match.
UPDATE: after more reading, sure seems like AJ is a system guy. Defensive system guy, kinda half-court-minded. Might could be a good fit with the Knicks afterall.
AJ might be the right guy for the Knicks’ roster. His offensive system consists of bad pick and rolls and isos. Starbury, assuming he plays, should be able to dominate with isos.
Folly, not only that, but the Knicks do need a serious kicvk in the ass…
oh, and as far as I’m concerned, Avery has already won a championship… but the NBA powers that be gave it to Dwayne Wade
oh yeah, panzeh… from a system perspective, Marbury has been completely misused the last three years with regards to his talent. He’s is great with isos with people who can pick and roll and pick and pop.
And if Avery takes over, he will know not to have 5 scorers who need the ball in the line-up at the same time…
Like he did Stackhouse he would know to make crawford a 6th man… streaky 41% shooters should be coached not allowed to have free rein for 40 minutes…
MODI
I can’t believe your one of those cats who whine about Wade’s rings.
Look, the Mavs struggled in three straight years to stop a dominant guard. Maybe there is a team flaw, not a massive conspiracy. Wade attacked the basket and deserved the vast majority of the calls he got.
He won that ring.
My best team of NBA is Phoenix Suns and I always follow them wherever they go if only have some time. I do not care if Suns tickets are always a little bit pricy but prices mean nothing to me when the matter is related to my favourite team. Phoenix Suns tickets are pricy but we should never mind when we want to watch our favourite teams. Without doubt there are other NBA teams that are great teams too but I have a special love for Suns and always do my best to attend their games.