NBA News, Notes, and Observations: May 9, 2008

"I'm back."

When Michael Jordan made his first comeback during the 1994-95 season he put out a press release with those two words announcing his return.

I know I'm not Michael Jordan. I'm not even Lamont Jordan. But I didn't know how else to announce my return.

For those of you that don't know, I got married on April 12, left for my honeymoon soon after that, and then moved to a new place just a few days after I got back.

Since then my life has been consumed with packing and unpacking boxes, numerous trips to Home Depot, and waiting for my Internet, gas and telephone to get turned on.

The good news is that NBA Playoffs didn't wait for me.

This week's NNO is super-sized as my way of saying sorry for the long delay.

Since I no longer have potential playoff match-ups to end each article with, I've decided to use trivia questions until next season.

This weeks trivia question:

Kobe Bryant is tied for the longest tenure of any player with his current team, 12 years. Which player does Bryant share that distinction with?

(Answer at the bottom of the page) 

1) D'Antoni to the Knicks?

This seems to be the hot rumor of the day.

Suns' owner Robert Sarver has given Mike D'Antoni permission to talk with other teams about their coaching vacancies. The reason Sarver hasn't fired D'Antoni is because he'd still be on the hook for the remaining two years and $8.5 million left on D'Antoni's contract.

D'Antoni won't quit, because then he'd be forfeiting the money. So Sarver has given him permission in hopes that another team would be willing to basically take the contract off his hands.

D'Antoni is talking to the Knicks because they might be desperate enough to not only take on those last two years, but give Mike D an additional two or three years at $6 million per year. 

This move makes so little sense on so many levels that you'd think Isaiah Thomas was still running the show in New York. Don't forget that the Knicks are still paying Thomas $18 million over the next three years.

If the only way that D'Antoni leaves Phoenix is to make greater-than—or equal-to— the remaining two years and $8.5 million he has left on his current contract, then the Knicks will be paying $10 million next year just in coaches salaries.

D'Antoni makes for a much better fit with the Bulls than he does with the Knicks. But it looks as though he couldn't care less. He's obviously going to go to whichever team is willing to give him the most money.

The only guy that seems to like money more than D'Antoni is Sarver.

Sure, D'Antoni should have payed more attention to defense. But ultimately, Robert Sarver is the one to blame for the Suns' inability to win a championship. Had Sarver not given away Kurt Thomas and James Jones in an effort to save money, then the team probably would've hung onto Shawn Marion and given their title hopes the one last shot that group of guys deserved.

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