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Ouch.
http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/22405
Abundantly clear
It's been audible for a while now. This discontent with the Suns coach was bound to grow as soon as things turned south. It has been building on the radio waves and message boards. The sentiment was clear at Game 3, whether it be from fans or those behind the scenes. The morning soccer fields and coffee shops all had fans with a sense of resignation about their team and some hopes for one to be forced from their coach.
The Mike D'Antoni job speculation is no surprise, considering the regression of this Suns team over the course of this series. What is more startling is to hear the voices in the locker room questioning their coach more than ever.
It was one thing when D'Antoni (offense) and Steve Kerr (defense) were citing different roots for Phoenix's problems Thursday. It's another when the head coach begins to lose his players.
"They play playoff basketball," Suns power forward Amare Stoudemire said in admiration of the Spurs, a team about to eliminate him from the postseason for the fourth time in his career. "It's plain and simple. There's no out-of-control plays. There's no shooting the ball within the first seconds. They take their time and make sure they get a basket. They make sure they get a good shot every time down. And that's how they win the le. You got to make sure you get a good shot every time down and you got to make sure you defend well. You can't stop all teams from scoring. Teams are going to score but they make sure they play solid defense out there and they get a good shot offensively every time down and that's how you win a le.
"They've got a strategy that they uphold."
He said his staff gives them a strategy too but that the Spurs "have seen it all and know how to counteract."
Suns point guard Steve Nash first started questioning the Suns' defensive game plan after Game 2, saying that Phoenix needed to consider doing something different against San Antonio's highly efficient pick-and-roll sets. That sentiment was further affirmed with Game 3.
He said the Suns "didn't know where to turn" when the Spurs started hitting the mid-range shots on the perimeter.
"That was sort of the game plan," Nash said of Parker hitting jump shots. "But when he starts making all his shots, we probably have got to adjust."
The idea that the Spurs big three can't outscore the Suns if Phoenix clamped down on San Antonio's role players is now three games flawed and looking worse with each game.
"It's not working, is it?" Nash said. "So we should probably adjust."
Going under screens on Tony Parker worked on young Parker, the one who relied entirely on being the NBA's top guard for points in the paint. He can shoot a jump shot these days. The Spurs got a shooting coach too. And hitting four of them in the first few possessions gave him a rhythm that lasted all night, not that he had to fight any perimeter resistance as the Suns stayed the course defensively after prioritizing offensive improvement Thursday.
The voices on the record weren't the only ones questioning why Phoenix hasn't tried to force more shots from the likes of Bruce Bowen, Ime Udoka and Michael Finley.
"We didn't have answers for them, obviously," D'Antoni said.
Grant Hill was supposed to be an answer. The Shaquille O'Neal trade never would have been made if the staff did not believe in Hill playing the role of versatile defender that Shawn Marion once held. But he can't. His body, the only concern about relying on him all along, has let him down with a groin and abdominal strain that does not let him took anything like the player he was before his appendectomy.
The Suns don't look like the team that many argued would have beat the Spurs last season if not for the suspensions. And they're not. James Jones is in Portland. Kurt Thomas was starting for San Antonio. And it took giving up three first-round picks not to have them on the roster anymore.
Now, the series billed as the best first-round matchup looks like as much of a mismatch as Game 4 and ABC's prime afternoon slot.
Ouch.
yes. Keep these articles coming, media. Keep building up the discontent. Let's get Mike D'Antoni out of there!
If Spurs finish this series off, Suns can change coaches and try to get a more defensive mindset in there but it is a little tough when your 2 best players Amare and Nash are awful defenders. Amare can block a shot now and then thanks to his athletic ability but he is a bad one on one defender and Nash is not getting any younger and could never defend anyone. Personally i think this was The Suns last shot at the le with this group when they added Shaq to the mix. Shaq will give them nothing next season.
Certainly seems like change is on the horizon for PHX.
I can't really see steve kerr putting up with PHX's lack of defense for much longer.
Either way, I think D'Antoni is on his way out. And who takes over? kerr? maybe... maybe?
This is really the culmination in a long failed experiment. You can't just preach no defense, no defense, no defense for years and years and then expect things to change just because of Shaquille O'Neal. Defense is something you take pride in. It's something you work for. It's not something you decide to just flip-on one day like a light switch. I don't think it's D'Antoni's fault anymore than it has been for the past few years. Same with the front office. You can't just plug in washed up versions of Shaq and Hill and expect that to give you a defensive iden y. Same with the players. You can't just play no defense for years, continue to not play it and then blame your coach when the philosophy that you bought into and promoted falls apart. (I'm looking at Nash and Amare here) If anything, this series is a condemnation of the entire suns franchise and the style of play they have propogated for years. D'Antoni isn't any more guilty, or less guilty, than anyone else. They need changes across the board.
incompetent is the 1st word comes to me when I think of d'antoni. dumbass is the 2nd word
Interesting article. Hard to believe that by next year how many "playoff teams" will be having new coaches possibly; George Karl, Avery Johnson, Mike D'Antoni...
It'll be interesting to see how this plays out and who will replace who.
When GMs change, they tend to change coaches. Mike D is in trouble. Steve Kerr certainly is not going to take responsibility for this.
It was his brilliant idea to bring Shaq in here. If they get swept, a lot of heads may roll, the fallout will likely go beyond just the coach. The Suns will be both angry and embarassed by this.
Amare's intelligence seems to be growing by each game.
- Mars
How would you guys feel about Larry Brown?
It's his fault in that it's his system..
Clearly, 4-5 years is long enough to either say it was a success or a failure..
Ultimately, the answer to that is to be laid at his feet.
Well, yeah. My only point is that his players, owner, management, fans; all of them bought into that system for years. A lot of people knew that it would never work. Defense is half of the game for christsakes. But the Suns (all of them from the players to the front office) enabled D'Antoni to keep trying anyway.
Ultimately it will cost D'Antoni his job, as it should, but I think the rest of the organization needs to take not just some, but a lot of accountability as well. Like I said, I think they need changes across the board. Easier said than done with the Shaq contract, but it's time to rebuild from the ground up.
Those are direct hits to D'Antoni coming from his players. Have they finally learned the lesson? A bit too late maybe.
Switch "We" for "I"."We didn't have answers for them, obviously," D'Antoni said.
I wonder who would trade for Shaq after seeing this series
Nobody next year, but when he has only one year left and that contract is set to expire someone will bite. Unless of course the Suns decide to suck the next 2 years and keep that cap room.
if steve kerr is still in phoenix, and avery johnson gets the boot in dallas, will avery find himself in phoenix?
No with a team with Shaq and Amare in the post then you know what? You gotta get your bigs the ball. Let them take the short 5 footer or dunk shot. You play inside out. Throw the ball in and let the defense collapse then kick it back out. On defense don't give up anything easy. Defend the lane. Never give up anything easy. Collapse on the penetrating guard and double the ball handler.
Johnny Come Lately...
Better late than never, though.
Denver's another trainwreck . . .
how about D'antoni in Dallas?
jeff van gundy will have a busy summer looking at offer sheets.
The Denver Nuggets
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