ducks
10-18-2005, 09:44 AM
D'Antoni may assist U.S. basketball team
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 15, 2005 12:00 AM
If Mike Krzyzewski becomes head coach of the 2008 U.S. men's Olympic and 2006 World Championship teams as expected, Suns coach Mike D'Antoni would be a natural fit to sit alongside him on the bench.
The New York Post reported Friday that D'Antoni would be the team's lead assistant. The hire would make sense because of D'Antoni's international experience, the NBA perspective he would bring and his ties to Jerry Colangelo, managing director of USA Basketball's senior men's national team.
Colangelo said the head coach would be announced Oct. 26 in New York in conjunction with NBA Board of Governors meetings. He said assistants would be named within two or three weeks of that, but did not confirm the Krzyzewski or D'Antoni talk.
"I've indicated that Mike brings an awful lot of consideration to the table for this staff because of his international experience as a player and coach," Colangelo said.
D'Antoni did express interest in an Olympic position this summer, but said Friday that he did not know where it stood.
Talk from elsewhere
Former Suns player Quentin Richardson and almost Suns player Scott Padgett talked about Phoenix this week.
"If (the Suns) used me as the scapegoat, that's fine," Richardson told the New York Daily News. "I don't point fingers. All I can do is get back in the gym and work hard. I'm just excited about being able to be the real Quentin Richardson and play the way I love to play."
Richardson, limited by a hamstring strain recently, was traded to New York in June with Nate Robinson for Kurt Thomas and Dijon Thompson.
"I'm thrilled that I'm getting back to playing the way I play, downright dirty and nasty," Richardson said. "When I get people down in the post, I'm going to abuse them and score."
Padgett, now with New Jersey, agreed to sign with Phoenix in July but that changed when Brian Grant signed in August for the $1.67 million biannual exception. The Suns then could only offer Padgett almost $1 million.
"That Phoenix situation killed me," Padgett told the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger. "When it didn't happen, all the teams I had been talking to had moved on and got other pieces. I was sitting there with nothing. I was going nuts."
The Nets are paying him $1.6 million this season.
Tonight's game
Clippers at Suns
When: 7 p.m.
Where: America West Arena.
TV/Radio: None/KTAR-AM (620).
Clippers update: The Clippers could hold out Shaun Livingston (sore back), Elton Brand (thigh bruise) and Chris Kaman (grandmother's death). New Clippers faces include Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley in the backcourt and draft pick Yaroslav Korolev, a wing player who might play some "point forward." Former Suns players Walter McCarty and Yuta Tabuse also joined the Clippers. Tabuse is battling for the last roster spot.
Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 15, 2005 12:00 AM
If Mike Krzyzewski becomes head coach of the 2008 U.S. men's Olympic and 2006 World Championship teams as expected, Suns coach Mike D'Antoni would be a natural fit to sit alongside him on the bench.
The New York Post reported Friday that D'Antoni would be the team's lead assistant. The hire would make sense because of D'Antoni's international experience, the NBA perspective he would bring and his ties to Jerry Colangelo, managing director of USA Basketball's senior men's national team.
Colangelo said the head coach would be announced Oct. 26 in New York in conjunction with NBA Board of Governors meetings. He said assistants would be named within two or three weeks of that, but did not confirm the Krzyzewski or D'Antoni talk.
"I've indicated that Mike brings an awful lot of consideration to the table for this staff because of his international experience as a player and coach," Colangelo said.
D'Antoni did express interest in an Olympic position this summer, but said Friday that he did not know where it stood.
Talk from elsewhere
Former Suns player Quentin Richardson and almost Suns player Scott Padgett talked about Phoenix this week.
"If (the Suns) used me as the scapegoat, that's fine," Richardson told the New York Daily News. "I don't point fingers. All I can do is get back in the gym and work hard. I'm just excited about being able to be the real Quentin Richardson and play the way I love to play."
Richardson, limited by a hamstring strain recently, was traded to New York in June with Nate Robinson for Kurt Thomas and Dijon Thompson.
"I'm thrilled that I'm getting back to playing the way I play, downright dirty and nasty," Richardson said. "When I get people down in the post, I'm going to abuse them and score."
Padgett, now with New Jersey, agreed to sign with Phoenix in July but that changed when Brian Grant signed in August for the $1.67 million biannual exception. The Suns then could only offer Padgett almost $1 million.
"That Phoenix situation killed me," Padgett told the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger. "When it didn't happen, all the teams I had been talking to had moved on and got other pieces. I was sitting there with nothing. I was going nuts."
The Nets are paying him $1.6 million this season.
Tonight's game
Clippers at Suns
When: 7 p.m.
Where: America West Arena.
TV/Radio: None/KTAR-AM (620).
Clippers update: The Clippers could hold out Shaun Livingston (sore back), Elton Brand (thigh bruise) and Chris Kaman (grandmother's death). New Clippers faces include Sam Cassell and Cuttino Mobley in the backcourt and draft pick Yaroslav Korolev, a wing player who might play some "point forward." Former Suns players Walter McCarty and Yuta Tabuse also joined the Clippers. Tabuse is battling for the last roster spot.