Results tagged “mikedantoni”

When we previously noted on the Knicks burgeoning interest in signing free agent guard Allen Iverson, it seemed as though it was a long shot to happen. But new reports have come out in the last two days that are making us question everything.

No one was expecting the Knicks to be good this year, but their 1-9 start has exceeded even the most pessimistic projections. They don’t play defense, allowing opponents to shoot 50.7% from the field and they don’t look like they are even trying for long stretches of the game. Yet somehow, Mike D’Antoni escapes criticism.

On Election Day, vote for the Knicks as the most naïve organization in sports. The Knicks met with Stephon Marbury on Monday and told him they are not going to play him or even dress him for games unless someone gets hurt. Amazingly, Knicks’ management seems to think this problem will now be resolved. Mike D’Antoni told the media, "Pretty soon that story is not going to be fun to read because it is going to be the same old story. You are going to be beating a dead horse.”

In the Knicks' 116-87 loss last night to the 76ers, Stephon Marbury once again found himself on the bench and not in action throughout the course of the game. But unlike the season opener, Marbury was prepped for his bench time by Coach Mike D'Antoni and supported the team while in street clothes. Now the question remains: what the heck do the Knicks do with him?

76ers 116, Knicks 87: The Knicks aren't the only team in the Atlantic Division that can put up the points. Philadelphia held New York to an ugly 33% from the field and Mike D'Antoni wasn't able to find a single player on his bench to give the team a spark, despite trying except Eddy Curry. The 76ers also out rebounded the Knicks 61-43 and forced the Knicks into taking 28 three pointers, which they only made 7 of. Elton Brand led Philly, picking up a double-double on 24 points and 14 rebounds.

       

• Knicks 120, Heat 115: For one night at least, the memories of the plodding, disorganized and selfish Knicks teams under Isiah Thomas were a distant memory. Mike D'Antoni's Knicks ran the Heat out of the building in the ex-Suns coach's first game as the New York head man. This game is going to be a good indicator of what can be expected of the Knicks this season. It had an up-tempo pace, little or no defense and a 40-point opponents' fourth quarter that made it a lot closer than it needed to be. But the D'Antoni Knicks are 1-0, so that's enough with the negatives. Jamal Crawford led the way with 29 points, and Zach Randolph, who could be a force now that Thomas is gone, had 20 points and nine rebounds.
• Nets 95, Wizards 85: Vince Carter played like the captain he was named before the game, scoring 21 points and leading the Nets to a win over a Wizards team playing without Gilbert Arenas. The most encouraging sign in this was had to be Yi Jianlian's 17 points. Part of the haul gotten in exchange for Richard Jefferson, Yi was mostly a disappointment in his first season with Milwaukee last season. If he can impress like this, maybe the Nets won't be as bad as anyone expects.
• Mapleleafs 6, Devils 5 (shootout): Even though Martin Brodeur stopped 48 shots on goal, the Devils fell to the Maple Leafs in an shootout. The Devils blew leads of 2-0 and 4-3 and had to rally to send the game into overtime. Finally, Niklas Hagman's shot in the fourth round of the shootout got past Brodeur. This is the Devils' third straight loss.
Continue reading "Last Night's Action: Dawn of a New Era?"

Renaldo Balkman, a much-ridiculed Isiah Thomas 2006 draft pick who turned into something of a fan favorite, won't be wearing the blue and orange of the Knicks next season. He got sent to Denver for Taurean Green, Bobby Jones (who?) and a 2010 second-round draft pick. This move is purely a salary dump for the Knicks, who stand to gain $2 million if the luxury tax is included. The team may not even include Green and Jones on its roster, which is currently bloated. The best part of this deal: Thomas apologists defended the pick of Balkman in the first round by saying Phoenix, then coached by current Knicks head man Mike D'Antoni, would have nabbed the South Carolina product with its pick if New York had tried to wait until the second round. Guess not.

Boy were we wrong about fan reaction at the NBA Draft. Not only did the fans boo the Knicks selection of Danilo Gallinari, but they even started a “Fire Donnie” chant. Why the hate for Gallinari? Well, the fans wanted OJ Mayo and drafting a European player probably brings back memories of Frederic Weis. Perhaps the booing was just Knicks fans getting out their leftover animosity from this past season. Gallinari isn’t a bad pick however. He doesn’t play defense (so he fits right in) but he is extremely good with the ball and can score which makes him a perfect fit for Mike D’Antoni’s system. However, with the addition of Gallinari, the Knicks have a glut at the 3 and the 4 spots, so expect some sort of trade to happen soon, preferably the end of the Zach Randolph era.

Mike D’Antoni was introduced as the new Knicks coach at MSG today, simply stating he was excited to be here before answering questions from the press. D’Antoni defended his reputation as a coach who didn’t emphasize defense saying that his teams averaged 58 wins over the past four years which means “our team was the best defensive club on the floor 58 nights a year”. He went out of his way to praise Donnie Walsh a number of times and Walsh reciprocated saying, “He can adjust his style to the personnel. We will work together to build this team to be competitive as quickly as possible.”

According to reports, Mike D’Antoni has agreed to become the next coach of the Knicks. D’Antoni will receive a four-year/$24-million deal to move from Phoenix where he led the Suns to 50+ wins in every full season he coached.