http://bleacherreport.com/articles/554749-mike-dantoni-championship-coach
Mike D'Antoni, Championship Coach?
By
Dan Galperin
(Contributor) on December 27, 201
By
Dan Galperin
(Contributor) on December 27, 2010
After a miserable decade, the New York Knicks finally seem headed in the right direction in 2010. They currently have an 18-12 record, good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They have a superstar in Amare Stoudemire and point guard that is able to work with Stoudemire and run coach Mike D'Antoni's high octane offense in Raymond Felton.
There is a good chance that another superstar, Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, will come to the Knicks during this season or in the offseason, when he becomes a free agency. Even without Anthony, the Knicks are thriving in D'Antoni's system, averaging an NBA best 107.9 points per game.
However, D'Antoni's system has not produced a championship in Phoenix and will not produce a championship in New York, because his system lacks defense.
For four years, Mike D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns were one of the best and exciting teams in the NBA, but produced no championships. With Steve Nash running the show and passing the ball to finishers such as Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and Joe Johnson, the Suns perennially won over 50 games in the competitive Western Conference and competed for the championship.
However, they did not win a championship with all that talent, because they did not play defense. In the regular season, D'Antoni's fast break style worked and the Suns were able to play their style of basketball, score 100-plus points a game and outscore the opponent.
However, in the playoffs, the Suns were not able to play their style of basketball as the game was played in the half court pace and the score was in the 90s. Even when the Suns controlled tempo, teams like the San Antonio Spurs beat them at their own game.
I have watched NBA basketball for 18 years and have never seen a championship team that did not play defense. The Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers were defensive teams. The 2003-2004 Detroit Pistons did not have a superstar on their team and won a championship with tenacious defense and hard work.
In the current NBA era, superstars are joining forces and creating star studded teams. When Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce in 2007, their first conversation with coach Doc Rivers involved Garnett emphasizing focus on the defensive end. The result was a championship in the same year.
This past offseason, LeBron James joined Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to play for the Miami Heat. You would think that there is a lot of offensive power on this team. That may be true, but they are currently first in the NBA in points per game allowed at 90.8. Who is second? None other than the Celtics at 91.2. The Knicks are allowing 106.6 points a game, good for 27th in the NBA.
The Knicks are playing good basketball for the first time in nine years. They have a superstar in Amare Stoudemire and can potentially get another superstar in Carmelo Anthony. However, like D'Antoni, these players do not focus on defense. As shown throughout the article, defense is vital to win a championship, especially in D'Antoni's system.
D'Antoni's system involves a fast pace with three-point shooting. However, an opponent can slow the game down and a three-pointer is a low percentage shot.
When these factors go away, D'Antoni's team needs to stop the other team from scoring. When the other team does not score, D'Antoni's team has a chance to recapture its offensive rhythm, especially since good defense can lead to the fast pace that D'Antoni is accustomed to.
However, defense is not in D'Antoni's vocabulary, so as long as he is coach of the Knicks the championship drought will continue in New York.
Mike D'Antoni, Championship Coach?
By
Dan Galperin
(Contributor) on December 27, 201
By
Dan Galperin
(Contributor) on December 27, 2010
After a miserable decade, the New York Knicks finally seem headed in the right direction in 2010. They currently have an 18-12 record, good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. They have a superstar in Amare Stoudemire and point guard that is able to work with Stoudemire and run coach Mike D'Antoni's high octane offense in Raymond Felton.
There is a good chance that another superstar, Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, will come to the Knicks during this season or in the offseason, when he becomes a free agency. Even without Anthony, the Knicks are thriving in D'Antoni's system, averaging an NBA best 107.9 points per game.
However, D'Antoni's system has not produced a championship in Phoenix and will not produce a championship in New York, because his system lacks defense.
For four years, Mike D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns were one of the best and exciting teams in the NBA, but produced no championships. With Steve Nash running the show and passing the ball to finishers such as Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and Joe Johnson, the Suns perennially won over 50 games in the competitive Western Conference and competed for the championship.
However, they did not win a championship with all that talent, because they did not play defense. In the regular season, D'Antoni's fast break style worked and the Suns were able to play their style of basketball, score 100-plus points a game and outscore the opponent.
However, in the playoffs, the Suns were not able to play their style of basketball as the game was played in the half court pace and the score was in the 90s. Even when the Suns controlled tempo, teams like the San Antonio Spurs beat them at their own game.
I have watched NBA basketball for 18 years and have never seen a championship team that did not play defense. The Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers were defensive teams. The 2003-2004 Detroit Pistons did not have a superstar on their team and won a championship with tenacious defense and hard work.
In the current NBA era, superstars are joining forces and creating star studded teams. When Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce in 2007, their first conversation with coach Doc Rivers involved Garnett emphasizing focus on the defensive end. The result was a championship in the same year.
This past offseason, LeBron James joined Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to play for the Miami Heat. You would think that there is a lot of offensive power on this team. That may be true, but they are currently first in the NBA in points per game allowed at 90.8. Who is second? None other than the Celtics at 91.2. The Knicks are allowing 106.6 points a game, good for 27th in the NBA.
The Knicks are playing good basketball for the first time in nine years. They have a superstar in Amare Stoudemire and can potentially get another superstar in Carmelo Anthony. However, like D'Antoni, these players do not focus on defense. As shown throughout the article, defense is vital to win a championship, especially in D'Antoni's system.
D'Antoni's system involves a fast pace with three-point shooting. However, an opponent can slow the game down and a three-pointer is a low percentage shot.
When these factors go away, D'Antoni's team needs to stop the other team from scoring. When the other team does not score, D'Antoni's team has a chance to recapture its offensive rhythm, especially since good defense can lead to the fast pace that D'Antoni is accustomed to.
However, defense is not in D'Antoni's vocabulary, so as long as he is coach of the Knicks the championship drought will continue in New York.
