D’Antoni Optimistic as Knicks’ Skid Grows
By HOWARD BECK
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The losing streak is long, the record far shy of .500 and the coach is not sure who should start games or finish them. These are familiar late-December concerns for the Knicks, though not so much for their first-year coach, Mike D’Antoni.
In four glorious seasons in Phoenix, D’Antoni rarely tinkered with his lineup or worried about his leading scorer. The Suns never had a losing record after November, and a long losing streak usually meant three in a row.
But the Knicks carry an 11-18 record and a six-game losing streak into their final game of the calendar year, Tuesday night at Charlotte. D’Antoni benched two starters on Sunday and may change the lineup again for the game against the Bobcats. He is still searching for the right fourth-quarter crew as well.
D’Antoni said he knew there might be days like these when he left the Suns and committed himself to the Knicks’ rebuilding project last spring. But it is another thing to actually live through it.
“You cope with it,” D’Antoni said Monday. “Nobody’s happy with it. But it doesn’t help any to put your head in the sand and feel sorry for yourself.”
He admitted to being momentarily distraught after Sunday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets and said of the losing streak, “You sleep less and you worry about it more.”
Yet D’Antoni generally projects the same indefatigable optimism that he had in training camp in early October. The Knicks traded their two best players last month and have played the entire season with a patchwork roster, but D’Antoni is still talking playoffs (the Knicks were two games out in the Eastern Conference as of Monday).
“We’re in a tough spot right now,” he said. “And if I can’t get over it, then I don’t know how I can get my players over it. I think it’s all tied in together. The thing I fall back on, if the locker room’s good and they’re really trying, I can take whatever happens. And that’s the main thing. We’re trying to do the right thing, and good things will happen.”
On Sunday, that meant moving Al Harrington and Nate Robinson — the Knicks’ two best scorers — to the bench. The move may be temporary, especially in Harrington’s case. But both players have shown bad body language and poor shot selection, and the Knicks are not going anywhere unless those two are at their best.
Harrington was explosive and exuberant in his first few weeks as a Knick, and earned player of the week honors earlier this month. Somewhere along the way, he seemed to lose his bravado. According to Harrington, D’Antoni asked him to “just play with a little bit more joy again.”
Harrington added, “So that’s something I can do.”
The coaches also want Harrington to expand his game and to keep his energy high even when he is not scoring in bunches. Like a lot of N.B.A. players, Harrington sometimes loses focus when his shot is not falling.
“My whole thing is when you lose, I can’t be happy when I lose,” Harrington said. He added: “It is a work in progress, and we’re trying to get better. And all our spirits collectively need to be at a high level.”
That is a message D’Antoni has been hammering for weeks, even as he tries to keep his own frustrations in check. The last time a D’Antoni team lost six straight games was in January 2005, and all that did was drop the Suns to 31-10. D’Antoni has endured more intense disappointment — like having his le hopes crushed by the San Antonio Spurs three times in four years.
“You lose to the Spurs in the playoffs, you lose part of your heart,” he said. “Right now, it’s just kind of kicking you in the groin or whatever. But that stuff never leaves you. This will leave you. We get on a win streak, I won’t remember this little stuff.”
The Spurs are still in his head.
D’Antoni has endured more intense disappointment — like having his le hopes crushed by the San Antonio Spurs three times in four years.
“You lose to the Spurs in the playoffs, you lose part of your heart,” he said. “Right now, it’s just kind of kicking you in the groin or whatever. But that stuff never leaves you. This will leave you. We get on a win streak, I won’t remember this little stuff.”
Not just his
good luck to d'antoni and the knicks.
The Knicks are a great team........for me to poop on!!!
They'll be a force to reckon with on 2010 though.
They will look like idiots in 2010. I mean, if every team offers a max deal, are you going to a team whose future is uncertain or go to a team where you can cement your legacy and not be called a money .
Remains to be seen if they give all that money to LeBron who will they have to play with him. And which other big time player will be willing to be 2nd to him.
James won't leave Cleveland, Wade will stay in Miami. The only ones I can see moving is Amare or Bosh. The Cavs and Heat are going in the right direction I don't see why Wade and James will want to leave those teams. The Cavs have pretty much all they need to seriously challenge Boston and Miami needs only 1 big man that can score. Boozer? Bosh? Amare?
I am not so optimistic about the Heat, Marion has regressed a lot these two seasons, Haslem isn't going to be around for much longer, and they don't have anyother wing players that are that impressive. Aside from Wade and Beasley that roster is still a huge work in progress. Now, if they get Boozer, it's another story.
The Cavs on the other hand are looking better and better every day, their decision to hire Mike B has paid off huge dividends. He instilled a defensive philosophy when everyone wanted to see LeBron run up and down, but he knew well what it takes to win. And now that the team has improved a bit offensively not only do they have the pieces, they also have the right philosophy going forward.
As for 2010 I expect Bosh and Amare to move, especially with Nash being almost done. I know Dirk is an FA as well, but I think the Mavs will use the opportunity to restructure his contract. Slowly they are starting to think about 2010 as well, and will probably be a player too.
The 2005-2006 Suns started 31-4, then lost 6 straight?That is a message D’Antoni has been hammering for weeks, even as he tries to keep his own frustrations in check. The last time a D’Antoni team lost six straight games was in January 2005, and all that did was drop the Suns to 31-10. D’Antoni has endured more intense disappointment — like having his le hopes crushed by the San Antonio Spurs three times in four years.
Why don't I remember this?
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
