Mike D'Antoni: Not Coach Enough for the New York Knicks to Win an NBA Title
Finally, the New York Knicks are back to being the hottest ticket in town.
With Carmelo Anthony’s arrival, the New York Knicks are a must-see team again. Many have argued that this move for Anthony is a move for the future. Why wait for the future? The Anthony trade makes the Knicks viable contenders in the Eastern Conference this year.
Along with Anthony comes Chauncey Billups, one of the clutch playoff performers in the NBA today. The Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Orlando Magic are all beatable, as all the upper echelon Eastern Conference teams have shown flaws in the armor.
The biggest obstacle the Knicks have in winning the Eastern Conference this year and maybe even future years is not LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose or Paul Pierce. It's Mike D’Antoni.
The former Coach of the Year had a great roster in Phoenix, possibly the best roster to never win an NBA title, but the D’Antoni Suns never had to face a powerful dynasty like the Jordan runner-ups or the Kobe/Shaq/NBA referee-victimized Sacramento Kings.
With two-time MVP Steve Nash running the offense and tempo, D’Antoni’s job was easier than being Martin Brodeur’s backup during the Devils’ Stanley Cup years. During D’Antoni’s reign in Phoenix, the biggest nemesis the Suns had were the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks, and both teams had inferior rosters compared to the Suns.
D’Antoni’s lack of any emphasis on defense made the Suns unable to make a stop in crucial situations. Gregg Popovich consistently out-coached D’Antoni in the playoffs, and there were no answers or adjustments during the game to counter.
And finally, D’Antoni’s failure to utilize his bench led to players being worn out by later rounds in the playoffs. D’Antoni’s style requires more than an eight- or nine-man rotation throughout the season, which he clings to for dear life.
In 2006, after falling to Dallas in the Western Conference Finals, an exhausted Shawn Marion stated that the team did not have anything left. So the following season, what did Coach D’Antoni do? He clung for dear life to the eight- or nine-man rotation, splurging to the 10-man rotation in blowouts.
Has D’Antoni changed his ways? No! Seems like when the going gets tough, D’Antoni’s bench keeps shrinking. In the eight games before acquiring Anthony, the Knicks averaged a nine-man rotation. After acquiring Anthony, the Knicks have been averaging close to a nine-man rotation in games decided by 10 points or less.
As seen with Phoenix, D’Antoni will get you to the playoffs, but he will not have you be the belle of the ball. But not many coaches in the NBA are coach enough to get an NBA team to the promise land.
Since 1982, only nine coaches have led teams to NBA Championships. If only nine different coaches have won the title in close to 30 years, the need for a successful coach is more important in the NBA than any other American professional sport.
Hopefully, the New York Knicks realize this before the window of opportunity closes like it did in Phoenix. The frugal ownership of the Suns refused to give Amar’e Stoudemire a lengthy contract because his body was uninsurable. How big could this window of opportunity be for the Knicks?
