Mike D'Antoni would maximize the talent on the Los Angeles Clippers. |
As they sit and watch an inevitably lame duck coach in Vinny Del Negro ride a wild roller coaster seasons toward some disappointing early playoff exit, the Los Angeles Clippers have a decision to make for next year; who's going to be the man at the end of the bench? Given the circumstances that happened in New York and the team assembled here in L.A., Mr. "run-and-gun" D'Antoni seems like a very likely and smart choice for the next Clippers head coaching job.
Just imagine Chris Paul under Mike D'Antoni's wide open system. Paul is arguably the best all-around offensive point guard in the game and would absolutely flourish under D'Antoni who can turn mediocre point guards into monsters. Whether it be the drive and dish to a corner 3 point threat, or the devastating pick and roll game with Blake Griffin, Paul and D'Antoni would be a match made in heaven. Remember Nash and Stoudemire in Phoenix? We're talking a consistent 50-win season every year for the Clippers and just imagine the shootouts they would have with the offensive-minded Oklahoma City Thunder. Unbelievable.
Clippers fans would also eat D'Antoni up. I'm not sure whether they actually care about winning a championship, but I can certainly tell you that they want to be entertained. That's exactly what a D'Antoni Clippers-led team would be, straight scintillating. The Staples Center would become the stage for basketball's most exciting Hollywood act(at least when it was a red night and not a yellow one.) So what if it has become clear that D'Antoni will never alter his system or ever win a championship, Chris Paul and co. fit all too perfectly for him. If the Clippers want to sell the you know what out of the Staples Center and maybe even rip the spotlight right out of the Lakers hands, then they must hire D'Antoni.
There of course are some roadblocks to this picture perfect scenario. One is the most obvious, if Vinny Del Negro can end this mutiny and maximize this team's potential, which in laymen terms means take them to the Western Conference Finals, then he'll most likely come back. You have to reward for post season success like that. The second roadblock isn't as much of a roadblock as it is a prerequisite to success. The Clippers are currently 12th in 3 point shooting percentage, and while that isn't terrible, it's not great either. D'Antoni's offense is centered around the point guard's ability to drive to the hole and either dish off of the rolling screener or hit someone behind the arc for three. With that being said, it won't be hard to find a Jason Kapono or Steve Novak but I actually really like them bringing in Lou Williams(if he opts out) to play the SG position alongside Chris Paul. The options are pretty wide open for the Clippers who have some cap space to play with.
As we saw in New York with Carmelo and D'Antoni, a superstar can force a coach out of a city. We might just see the same happen with Del Negro and Chris Paul. As ironic as this whole situation is, CP3 will thrive under D'Antoni, as in a 25 and 15 type of thriving. Another factor that should help increase the potential of this scenario is that Paul will
If the Los Angeles Clippers know what's good for them, which often they don't, they'll bring in D'Antoni and watch a offensive masterpiece emerge out of Del Negro's ashes.
0 comments:
Post a Comment