Mike D'Antoni: Should the New York Knicks Re-Sign Their Head Coach?
Now in his third season as the New York Knicks head coach, Mike D'Antoni has accumulated a record of 100-141.
And while that record is by no means impressive, one must take into account that he inherited the team from Isiah Thomas, who left the Knicks in ruins.
Moreover, this season D'Antoni has clinched New York's first playoff berth since the 2003-04 NBA season.
But seeing as though he only has one year left on his contract, and the New York Daily News has reported that he has recently been bringing his agent around team functions, the Knicks brass will be forced to ask themselves if D'Antoni is the coach who can lead them to their first NBA Championship since 1973.
Consequently, the following slides will address the pros and cons associated with D'Antoni's coaching, concluding with an answer as to whether the Knicks ought to re-sign him.
Pros
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Mike D'Antoni exploded onto the scene during the 2004-05 NBA season, leading the Phoenix Suns to a league-best 62-20 record—a full 33-game improvement from their previous campaign.
And for his efforts, D'Antoni was given the NBA Coach of the Year award.
However, he wasn't the only Sun to win an award during his tenure with the organization, as he coached Steve Nash to two consecutive MVP awards—demonstrating his ability to help point guards reach their full potential.
Moreover, he brought his Suns to two Western Conference Finals appearances, while averaging 58 wins per season during his four full seasons as head coach.
But winning wasn't all D'Antoni did during his time in Phoenix, as he also brought a new approach to the game, focusing almost solely on an fast-paced, high-scoring offense.
Since coming to the Knicks, he has had his team among the top 10 in scoring each year, despite mostly dealing with a sub-par roster.
Therefore, it is apparent that Mike D'Antoni is one of the best offensive coaching minds in all of the NBA.
Cons
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Despite all of his offensive accolades, Mike D'Antoni is severely lacking on the defensive end.
His teams have regularly ranked among the worst defensive teams in the NBA, in both opponents' scoring average and defensive efficiency.
Moreover, given that he has coached a number of current and former All-Stars such as Steve Nash, Joe Johnson, Shawn Marion, Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, one wouldn't be out of line in claiming that much of D'Antoni's success has been a result of his teams' talent, rather than due to his own abilities.
And when one factors in his lack of substantial playoff success (i.e. he never made the NBA Finals despite coaching one of the best teams), then there is certainly a serious cause for concern.
Verdict
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So should the New York Knicks re-sign Mike D'Antoni?
Well, given the pros and cons, it doesn't appear that such a move would be in their best interests.
However, that doesn't mean that that they won't do it.
Instead, it appears as though D'Antoni's future is tied to the future of the Knicks president Donnie Walsh.
Walsh and D'Antoni have constantly praised one another through the media this season, and it seems as though they have been on the same page with regard to how the team should be handled.
Consequently, various sources reported that the two were not pleased after team owner James Dolan stepped in and became a key player in the Carmelo Anthony trade.
And with until April 30 to exercise the one-year team option on Walsh's contract, he may not be with the team much longer.
Therefore, if Walsh goes, then D'Antoni—who Dolan likely views as a Walsh guy—might soon follow.
Nevertheless, the New York Post has reported that the the decision to stay with the team is being left up to Walsh, but his displeasure over having to deal with Dolan may still ultimately turn him away.
And while Walsh's departure would certainly be a blow to the Knicks—who had been one of the worst-managed teams in recent NBA history—at least it would mean that the team could finally move on from the Mike D'Antoni experiment.
