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| Mike D'Antoni's time in the league looks like it's coming to an end. (Credits: AP Photo) |
It's a weird narrative, Mike D'Antoni's career that is. For so long D'Antoni was revered as an innovator, a coach with a penitence for getting his players in position to score the ball at will. Yet now his coaching career has taken an ugly, strange turn and it looks like D'Antoni might struggle to find work this summer or maybe ever again.
The biggest knock on D'Antoni was that his team's didn't play defense. That's probably more of a fact that his offense is so free flowing and so prone to turnovers and fast breaks than it is D'Antoni not caring about defense. He cared about defense, he just thought that the best defense was a blisteringly efficient offense. How could you argue with him either? He won at least 54 games four straight seasons including two unbelievable 60-win campaigns. He made at least the conference semis all four seasons in Phoenix and if it wasn't for a few injuries/questionable suspensions we might be talking about a ring on D'Antoni's finger. But luck went south and the offensive minded coach never got his opportunity in the NBA Finals.
D'Antoni did capitalize on his opportunity to coach the New York Knicks, though, a franchise amidst a complete transformation after the Isiah years. Unfortunately he was thrust into a situation where the Knicks were waiting for the mega summer of 2010; at first his Knicks squads were terrible. But they were at least bearable to watch; D'Antoni made them fun. While the summer didn't exactly go the Knicks way, the coach was reunited with his old star pupil, Amar'e Stoudemire. Things were looking up and basketball was slowly becoming relevant in New York again and then Carmelo Anthony happened.
Adding Carmelo was a mixed blessing. For one, the Knicks raised their profile. They had two legitimate stars to begin building a championship contender with. On the other hand, D'Antoni had encountered a problem. He couldn't exactly figure out how to use Carmelo. The newly acquired superstar thrived in isolation play, something that was seen as poison to the coach's fast-paced offense. While everything seemed to come together late in that first season when the Knicks went on a seven-game winning streak, the playoffs became a quick, ugly venture. Boston disposed of them in four games.
With the prospects of Amar'e and 'Melo together for a whole season, Knicks fans were giddy. Then the lockout ended any hopes of the two coming together in training camp. Then the Knicks went 8-15 and it became increasingly clear that D'Antoni had no idea how to handle Carmelo. Then 'Melo got hurt and Linsanity saved the season. But the ugly play from earlier in the season coincided with the superstar's return. In mid-March, with the Knicks on a six-game losing streak, D'Antoni was fired. Mike Woodson is 71-34 since taking over for D'Antoni. Wow.
Out of nowhere, the Lakers picked D'Antoni up after a sluggish 1-4 start under Mike Brown. This was a move that was applauded by some, but shredded by others. Mike D'Antoni was the Lakers man? After what happened with Carmelo? Reportedly chosen over the great Phil Jackson? No way they said some analysts said. And they were right.
I can almost 100% guarantee you that D'Antoni will be gone at the end of the season, no matter what the Lakers do on Wednesday. He made it abundantly clear that he isn't of the NBA head coach quality, unless he's in the picture perfect situation. Players have to adjust to him. He's void of adaptability. There was so much creativity when he originally introduced his offensive system to the NBA, yet there hasn't been an ounce of ingenuity since. How do you struggle so mightily with both Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony? How can you not utilize such immense talent (offensive talent) To make matters worse he doesn't know how to handle players minutes. You want to know why Kobe tore his achilles? The 34-year-old had averaged more than 45 minutes a game over his last eight. You don't think there's a legitimate connection there, you're a D'Antoni apologist. Especially with D'Antoni's track record of running stars into the ground (look at Amar'e's health right now...) it just makes you think does this guy even know what he's doing?
You can try to argue that the success with the Suns outweighs the failures in L.A. and New York, but the past is never fresher than the present. Phoenix was a perfect situation for him and I don't know if it can be recreated. Sure it can be recreated, but it's highly doubtful that the mix of an electric point guard, athletic pick-and-roll big man and great shooters will ever fall into place for him like they did in the desert.
D'Antoni's time in the National Basketball Association looks like it's coming to end. Maybe it's time for him to try his growing failure of a system over in Europe, I mean that is where he made his name as a player...
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