Mike D'Antoni: Latest News, Rumors and Speculation on Former Head Coach
Mike D'Antoni may well be getting another chance to be a head coach in the NBA with the franchise he's had the most success with.
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Report: Suns Interested in D'Antoni
Monday, Jan. 4
ESPN insider Marc Stein reported the Phoenix Suns' former coach will be on the list of candidates to succeed Jeff Hornacek in the event the team opts to replace him.
The Suns made two trips to the Western Conference Finals during D'Antoni's tenure. He went on to have brief stints with the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers.
D'Antoni runs a unique, uptempo system not unlike what the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors used to seize the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Phoenix ultimately didn't play good enough defense to claim the Association's top prize, but D'Antoni produced undeniable results in the desert with his innovate brand of basketball. Star point guard Steve Nash won two league MVP awards under his watch.
Although his stops in New York and L.A. weren't as fruitful, there's history to suggest D'Antoni can thrive with the proper personnel in place. If he were to land with the Suns again, he'd have a roster that would suit his style quite well as it stands.
Eric Bledsoe is injured and out for the rest of 2015-16, but he is a playmaking guard who can work off the ball and run the point. The same is true for Brandon Knight. This year's lottery draft pick, Devin Booker, is the type of three-point marksman D'Antoni covets.
Markieff Morris, Mirza Teletovic and Jon Leuer are all stretch 4-type of players who would fit in D'Antoni's "Seven Seconds or Less" offense.
Given D'Antoni's current situation as associate head coach of the reeling Philadelphia 76ers, whose roster is an abject abomination, he may well entertain the idea of a return to the Suns.
Defense is still lacking in Phoenix, as the Suns currently rank 28th in points allowed per contest. They haven't managed to stand out in the crowded Western Conference during Hornacek's tenure and are in the midst of a nine-game losing streak, so D'Antoni could be the spark the team needs to get back on track.
