Mike D’Antoni Introduced As Knicks Head Coach
May 14, 2008
“I look at the roster and that’s the roster I’m going to win with,” D’Antoni said at a news conference at Madison Square Garden.
Thus began the reign of the 24th head coach in Knicks history. He shrugged off doubts about whether his system or not could work with the Knicks’ current personnel. He shrugged off doubts about his defensive weaknesses - “We held the other team to less points than us 58 times a year… 31 times on the road…”.
Mike D’Antoni answered questions about his thoughts on the current roster of the Knicks team, including one Stephon Marbury:
“Back in those days in Phoenix, [the trade] was kind of a business decision,” D’Antoni said while addressing the New York media. “I have no problem with Steph whatsoever. I think he’s a very talented basketball player and I look forward to working with him.”
Whether he really means it or not remains to be seen. In attendance of the press conference were the three Knick players who are all former Suns: Quentin Richardson, who had his most successful season under D’Antoni before signing with the Knicks as a free agent; Stephon Marbury, who played less than 20 games for Mike before being shipped out as a “business decision”; and Nate Robinson, who was a Sun for about 3 minutes after the Suns drafted him, then traded him to the Knicks.
Marbury was entertaining as always. Posting and Toasting has footage of Marbury’s interview with the MSG Network after the conference:
“Deranged grin: check. Miami Vice outfit: check. Inexplicably sweat-drenched skin: check. “Running in the mountains” with his brother in L.A: check. We missed you, Steph.”
Yes, Marbury did say he was “running in the mountains” as part of his training to get into shape for the D’Antoni system. My GF always describes Marbury’s clothes as “pastel, Easter-colored suits”.
“As far as I found out, I was part of the organization. Why can’t I come?” Marbury said when asked why he showed up. “I think it’s great. It’s new life. Having a guy who’s an upbeat coach, an upbeat style, [it’ll] make us play different.
While we are giving love to Seth over at P&T, I have to admit I did enjoy this recent fan post on the David Lee Hawk.
The NY Post wonders if D’Antoni’s signing with the Knicks might lead to a Steve Nash trade.
While D’Antoni pines for Rose, he also can try to get Nash to New York if he really wants. Nash can opt out of his contract after next season and force Phoenix into a sign-and-trade with the Knicks.
Nash presumably would want that, as he has lived in the offseason in Greenwich Village with his wife and twin daughters for the past four years. Nash actually makes regular appearances at the Knicks’ summer basketball camps for kids.
“He loves the vibe, loves the culture,” a Nash friend said.
Nash, however, will be 35 next summer and obtaining him would likely ruin Walsh’s bid to get under the salary cap in 2010 for the younger superstars. If Nash doesn’t opt out, he’ll be a free agent during that 2010 class, and D’Antoni could get him then, too.
It seems completely unlikely that Phoenix would trade Nash, even if he forced their hand. Nor are the Knicks going to sign Nash as a 36-year free agent in 2010, if they can even get under the cap by then. Most importantly of all, you have to wonder how much the fact that everyone seems to be writing or, as in this case, implying, that Steve Nash is the only point guard who can make the D’Antoni system work (let’s just give it a name already? Can we call it the “Euroffense”?) is getting on D’Antoni’s nerves. You think that wasn’t part of the reason he took off, for a fresh start? The criticism of his system over the past year - it used to be “can’t win a title without defense” (absolutely true, by the way), but then it became “can’t win with a behemoth like Shaq in the middle”, and now it’s “can’t win unless you have a guard like Steve Nash running the point”. That criticism has to be eating away at Mike D’Antoni. Wouldn’t he love to prove he run his system, with some success, even with “points” like the combo guards Marbury, Jamal Crawford (the first Knick player he mentioned in his press conference) and Nate Robinson.
Steve Nash? Eff him - my system is so good, I will win with freaking Stephon Marbury! After this I’m going to add another degree of difficulty, and have Eddy Curry be my point. Let’s see Phil Jackson’s triangle top that!
It’s pretty incredible how much people associated with the Suns want to remove themselves from under the “Nash Umbrella”. First Joe Johnson, then Shawn Marion, and now you have to wonder how much of a factor it played in Mike D’Antoni’s decision to leave, and sign with the Knicks.
Another aspect, not touched on enough: as Jordi from The Serious Tip pointed out to me, the last time the Knicks hired a coach with a reputation for being an offensive genius, and questions about his ability to adapt or change his style to match the slower Knicks roster, revolved around Pat Riley coming in to coach the Patrick Ewing Knicks. What was Mr. Showtime going to do with Ewing and crew? What he ended up doing is adapting, and becoming a defensive guru. As Jordi pointed out, what’s to say that Mike D’Antoni won’t have a similar reinvention.
There is still the question of what the Knicks will do with their draft pick, which will be #1, 2, 3, 5, 6, or 7. Top two, and you will almost certainly see Derrick Rose as the new Steve Nash. Anywhere else, and the Danilo Gallinari Watch begins.
I’ll be keeping close tabs on this. The Next Big Thing for the Knicks will be learning what pick they will have at the 2008 Draft at the draft lottery next week.
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5 Responses to “Mike D’Antoni Introduced As Knicks Head Coach”
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“It’s pretty incredible how much people associated with the Suns want to remove themselves from under the “Nash Umbrella”.
Bigtime, and that is what the media has done to the Suns… everybody loves Nash who plays with him, but no one can stand the disproportionate media attention
also. what are your thoughts on the Knicks drafting Bayless… and I ain’t talkin’ about Skip…
MODI>
So true about the “Nash Umbrella”. I do believe that Nash helps those guys get easier shots in the system that they’re running. But, Joe Johnson is still good in ATL, Shawn Marion is still a good player….
The Knicks need to just draft the best player available, period. And hopefully they won’t cave into the experts whims and draft some soft European player if they drop down past #5. Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose would probably put smiles on the faces of most in the Big Apple. I’m sure David Stern has been putting the Knicks’ lottery balls in hopes of lightening them up, and giving them a better chance to get a top 3 pick. Too bad there’s no such thing as a dominant player coming out of college anymore. Imagine if Roy Hibbert had lived up to what folks thought he’d be with a monster senior year…..
Modi: Agree - it’s definitely a media thing more than a “I don’t like Nash” thing, but still… it’s gets tiring to hear that all your success is because of Steve Nash. Imagine being D’Antoni, and having spent years perfecting your knowledge of offense, your system, in Europe. Then, after all that success out there, you find similar success here in the States. But instead of crediting you as the brains of the Suns, the majority of the comments are that your success is due to “two-time MVP Steve Nash running the point”? Let’s just say I might feel like I had something to prove, you know? Or better yet, I might feel like I have something to show ya’ll….
Kos: I don’t think I’ve seen any “expert” matching the Knicks up with a Euro just yet. I think most experts have Mayo or Bayless going to NYK at #5 (if they don’t get a top-2 pick). I’ve started the Danilo talk, mainly because I think D’Antoni is going to push hard for him. Do I want him? I don’t know - I’m not a big fan of Euros, but the Knicks do need a SF more than anything else, and one that can hit 40% from downtown is a good fit for D’Antoni’s system (The EurOffense).
Modi: If the Knicks don’t get a top-two pick, there are a myriad of ways the Knicks could go, and still make me happy - Mayo is a defensive point , which would help the pathetic defense of the Knicks. And he has just enough court vision to potentially blow up in The EurOffense. He would have been the #1 pick, had he not had such a so-so freshman season.
Danilo, as I said above, is a decent choice. Eric Gordon will be a big scorer, like Ben Gordon or Jamal Crawford. He’s a bit redundant to the Knicks, as they have enough combo guards, but he’s not a bad player talentwise. Jerrod Bayless has a great first step, so he’s kinda like Parker or Paul in that way, but not as fast. I really like his shooting%, particularly the high FT and 3PT%. Still, he wasn’t that regarded at the begining of the year, which generally means he’s not that athletic. And the fact that he went to Arizona confirms it! Arizona types are good three shooters with smart play, but lack explosive athleticism - see Mike Bibby, Richard Jefferson, Gilbert Arenas (! yes, he’s an explosive shooter, but not a supreme athletic talent), Jason Terry, Channing Frye, Damon Stoudemire, et al… (note: the exception to prove the rule is Andre Iguodala).
The one guy I don’t like is Anthony Randolph. Thank goodness the Knicks will not be looking to draft a big man at all.
I’ll be doing, like I did last year, a preview (along with Seth from Posting & Toasting) of all the potential Knick draftees, once we have figured out what pick they have.
And I’m not even opposed to trading down, if it nets us assets - frees up cap space, gets us a talented player, gets us good future picks, whatever. Pretty much anything the Knicks do can be sold to me, if it makes sense.
I will make you one promise, one guarantee: No matter what, if the Knicks don’t get the #2 pick, and use it on Derrick Rose, whatever they do will be heavily criticized by the local media. Use the #5 on Mayo - heavy criticism. Use it on Danilo - heavy criticism. Trade down - heavy criticism. Use the #1 on Michael Beasley (a better player than Rose, even if a bad fit for the Knicks) - heavy criticism. Trade the pick straight up for Kobe - heavy criticism! Got to love the NYC press….
kos, no question about it that Nash makes everyone better, but the media alsmost made it like he MADE Joe Johnson or Shawn Marion who were both all-stars before and after Nash. Now we will find out about D’Antoni.
If the Knicks lost one less game, they would have the third best slot instead of 5th.
SML, I agree with you on Nash. It does get tiring and don’t blame others for wanting to prove something…
Mayo I will definitely take at #5 and any critics can kiss may ass