Will Mike D'Antoni Win a Championship with the New York Knicks?

(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Since before he was even hired as the New York Knicks' head coach, there were constant grumblings from media members and fans alike that Mike D'Antoni's "run and gun" style would never be conducive to winning championships in the NBA.

Yes, his coaching style does have its flaws, and yes, his teams do lack a consistent defensive presence. 

However, I truly believe that with a solid roster matching his playing style, D'Antoni has the potential to lead the Knicks to a title in a few years' time.

Of course, as big of a fan as I am of D'Antoni, I will admit that right now, the Knicks are not playing good (or average, or even mediocre) defense.

But when judging the D of one of Mike's teams, you cannot just cite stats like opponent points per game and claim he's deficient as a coach.

With the "run and gun" style that D'Antoni employs, teams are guaranteed not only more possessions, but also more open looks due to most shots being taken in transition.

Even though they give up large point totals, that does not mean that D'Antoni's teams are incapable of playing solid defense.

Mike cares more about making opponents work for their scores than the number of points allowed. He believes that, during the course of the track meet of a game that his team's style creates, the opposing team will get worn out and fold, allowing his team, in turn, to "out-offense" the opponent.

There have been too many times this year that I have been pressed to my television screen, begging David Lee to hedge more aggressively on a screen-and-roll or for the Knicks not to switch off of ball-screens (leaving countless mismatches late in games for teams to easily capitalize on).

Sadly, I've got to lie to myself that the Knicks play even average defense. But I believe that this is as much of a result of an undermanned roster as it is bad defensive game planning. 

It is unfair to expect any coach to turn a front court of David Lee (a true power forward) and either Jared Jeffries (a scrub) or Al Harrington (a terrible defensive player) into a competitive defensive lineup. Not only is there a complete lack of size, but there is also no true shot-blocking presence keeping opposing guards out of the lane.

Even in Phoenix, D'Antoni utilized a small front-court lineup in order to maximize his team's potential in the transition game. While Amare Stoudemire was more of a shot-blocking presence in the paint than anyone the Knicks have, the Suns were still among the worst in the league in opponent's field goal percentage and opposing PPG year after year.

But to give the man credit, this was not because of flawed schemes or overmatched lineups, but rather, the lightning-fast tempo of the "Seven Seconds or Less" (SSOL) offense. Within this offensive system, ranking badly within the league in these categories is a fact of life.

But looking back at Mike's Phoenix squads, the Suns forced opponents to work much harder for their points than New York does by following the game plan that their coach set in order to take advantage of the opponent's lack of endurance.

The system worked better in the desert largely due to the personnel fitting D'Antoni's style much better. Until Steve Kerr entered the equation and messed with the chemistry in Phoenix, D'antoni's lack of defense was not a problem. In his four seasons there, he averaged 58 wins per season.

When asked about his defensive schemes, D'antoni once said,

"One thing's for sure, we averaged 58 wins in four years, so 58 times a year we were the best defensive team on the floor".

I will be the first to admit that regular season wins do not translate into championships and that the Playoffs are a different type of basketball.

But Mike was just two wins away from leading the runnin' and gunnin' Suns to the NBA Finals. And he did that without Amare in the lineup for nearly the entire season. That has to mean something. 

In New York, D'Antoni has brought a certain amount of toughness. While that has never been his strong suit, he has turned a soft team of prima donnas into a group that could well grind their way into the postseason, despite having far less talent than the year before. True, it is in the Eastern Conference, but we are taking baby steps here.

Furthermore, D'Antoni has brought his unique offensive system to the Knicks and has thereby restored excitement in the Garden.

Within his attack, three things are stressed: the fast break, the pick-and-roll, and endurance. 

D'Antoni operates under the belief that in the fourth quarter, while his guys are shooting with fresh legs, the opposing players will be running in concrete. 

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