NBA Basketball News, Rumors, Articles, Interviews

  NBA NEWS & RUMORS
News
NBA rumors
Media Links
Basketball Blog

  EMAIL & FORUMS
Message Board
Free Email

  SCORES & STATS
Scores
NBA Stats
Previews
Recaps
Standings
NBA Video
Schedule
Transactions

  NBA FEATURES
Fantasy Basketball
Power Rankings
NBA Awards Watch
NBA Articles Archive
NBA Salaries
Free Agents
Interviews
Depth Charts
MVP Race
Rookie Watch
NBA Draft
NBA Mock Draft




  MORE BASKETBALL
History
NBA All-Star Weekend
Business
Playing Tips
NBA Throwback Jerseys

  MORE LEAGUES
Olympics
World
USA
Minors
Summer

  WEBSITE INFO
About Us
Write For Us
Advertise
Contact Us


nba basketball news rumors



InsideHoops NBA [Home]

Suns coach D'Antoni does it the right way

 


"LIKE" US ON FACEBOOK


 






| Apr. 16, 2006

Mike D'AntoniWhile debate swirls around Steve Nash’s candidacy to repeat as the NBA’s MVP, precious little has been written about the job Suns coach Mike D’Antoni has done this year. D’Antoni, like his brilliant point guard, has been a huge factor in helping the Phoenix Suns overcome adversity and remain one of the elite teams in the NBA.

The fact that the Suns hold a comfortable lead in the Pacific Division, despite losing superstar Amare Stoudemire for an entire season and two other starters from last year’s 62-20 squad, speaks as much about D’Antoni’s adaptability as it does about Nash’s on-court leadership. The two are an extension of one another, and D’Antoni is as deserving to repeat as NBA Coach of the Year as Nash is entitled to another MVP award.

The Suns’ record this season is a tribute to the system that D’Antoni has installed in Phoenix and reinforces the belief that D’Antoni and the Suns success last year wasn’t a fluke. Even without an offensive force like Stoudemire the Suns are still averaging 108 ppg, only two less then a year ago. They continue to give up 103 ppg, as they did in the 2004-5 campaign.

While Larry Brown has shuffled players in and out this year, looking for guys who’ll "play the right way," D’Antoni has inserted the equivalent of bargain basement NBA guys like Boris Diaw and Raja Bell, who have thrived in the Valley of the Sun.

Even, Tim Thomas, persona non grata throughout the league, has had a rebirth under D’Antoni.

Diaw, Bell and Thomas have all adapted to an offense that allows tremendous freedom as long as you run and remain within a team concept. Diaw, in particular, is having a breakout season. He’s developed into the versatile, key player that he always had the talent to be, but probably never would have become under any other NBA coach then D’Antoni.

In a direct comparison between D’Antoni and Brown, look at the career year that Quintin Richardson had in Phoenix last season and his current achievements with the Knicks. Richardson, by the way, is one of a handful of Knicks, who has allegedly bought into coach Brown’s system.

D’Antoni’s method succeeds because it’s user-friendly: you hustle, you stay unselfish, you move constantly and you’ll get good looks all night long. What’s there for an NBA player not to like?

Amazingly, the Suns have held their own defensively while playing "small-ball" all season. What they lack in size is made up for with speed and hustle. Their tallest starter was Kurt Thomas, 6'9", playing out of position at center. He went down with a stress fracture a month ago and will return only if the Suns make it deep into the playoffs. In the meantime, the Suns have basically been using Nash and four perimeter players.

With the playoffs starting in another week, most NBA experts feel that the Suns can’t go far with their current lineup. D’Antoni and the Suns have been fooling the critics all season long. I wouldn’t count them out so fast.

Read InsideHoops.com twice a day, every day.










MAIN BASKETBALL SECTIONS
NBA Basketball
College
High School
Streetball
Basketball Forum
BASKETBALL SOCIAL MEDIA
RSS (of our blog)
On Twitter
On Facebook
On Instagram
On YouTube
KEY BASKETBALL WEBSITE INFO
About Us
Contact Us
Advertise
Write For Us

All content copyright 1999-2023, InsideHoops.com. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy. Terms of Use.
Partner with USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties. Owned by InsideHoops Media Inc.