You know what I realized? This is because Nate's antics were undermining MDA's authority on the team. This had to happen if MDA was to hold on to the team. And that's it.

look, if mda didn't bench nate, this bs would have gone on allll season long and mda would have the respect of NO ONE in that locker room. benching him for good sent a strong message-- play basketball, don't eff around.

djsunyc wrote:nobody knows what nate has or hasn't done and why d'antoni is not playing him. same behavior meaning instead of avoiding drama, coach/gm are right in the middle of it for the 2nd straight year.

we all know that nate was a goof off and he wasn't serious about the game or the team.

this is much less drama than if they allowed nate to play and bull**** around every game. two of isiah's guys caused this drama, don't forget. although nate is much less of a knucklehead than steph ever was, nate just couldn't get it together to act like a grown up. and that put him in this position. MDA HAD NO CHOICE. they tried EVERYTHING with that guy and he still 'wasn't about it'. no way to defend nate here, i just don't see it. it's not any one incident that did this, it's his 'body of work'.

which is a shame, should have traded for him at some point last season or this.

djsunyc wrote:i'm not defending nate...i'm just saying the guy is an expiring deal, why not just cut him instead of this nonsense?

why cut him if he can possibly (and I use that term loosely) be used in a trade. He's not creating any problems on the bench, he's actually the first guy out there congratulating teammates when they come off the floor. Whats the point of just cutting him?

orangeblobman wrote:you don't think he did that, tms? i'm willing to bet he tried talking to him, tried tons of stuff. mda IS the players coach, which is why nate had about 1000000000 chances and mda threw praise on him and always seemed trying to encourage him to turn the corner. but he never did. the benching was his last option i think.

dunno if he did or didn't, but at whatever point MDA decided he wasn't gonna play Nate anymore, he shoulda went immediately to Walsh & told him he had to get him off the team cuz he was a disruption to what he was trying to accomplish... benching him like this accomplished nothing but making Nate even less of a trade commodity than he was before... how does that help our cause?

TMS wrote:i think MDA is handling this like a scorned lover instead of a grown man... if he had a problem with Nate he should have sat him down on a 1 on 1 & had a long talk with him & explained that if he didn't change his ways & play the type of ball MDA wanted then he'd write his own ticket out of NY... i dunno if that ever happened or not but judging from Nate's own comments after the benching, he doesn't even know what he did wrong to warrant this benching to begin with... not trying to say that Nate wasn't acting like a knucklehead, he obviously was, but at that point if MDA deduced that Nate would never change his ways he should have spoken w/Donnie Walsh about it & encouraged him to seek out a trade to unload him... this whole benching thing has gone too far if u ask me... even an ultra-disciplinarian coach like Tom Coughlin wouldn't have benched 1 of his best players like this for this prolonged of a stretch to try & prove some kinda point... & MDA is supposed to be a player's coach?

Papabear Says

I agree. Now we will get nothing in return for Nate.

Papabear wrote:

orangeblobman wrote:you don't think he did that, tms? i'm willing to bet he tried talking to him, tried tons of stuff. mda IS the players coach, which is why nate had about 1000000000 chances and mda threw praise on him and always seemed trying to encourage him to turn the corner. but he never did. the benching was his last option i think.

Papabear Says

Yes he is a players coach. You mean a free for all. Shoot the ball in 7 seconds! hoist up 50 3s in every game. Yes that's a players coach.

may be a players coach but Nate is dumb as a drum.
Player can improve on his game and skills but if he is dumb this is forever.

orangeblobman wrote:it's not the same old behavior. nate undermind coach's authority. something had to be done. this is the last of the malcontents, once nate is purged the transformation is over ('cept for curry and jj, but they're in no position to cause problems).

look, if mda didn't bench nate, this bs would have gone on allll season long and mda would have the respect of NO ONE in that locker room. benching him for good sent a strong message-- play basketball, don't eff around.

Papabear Says

So you think with Nate gone this team will turn around?? I don't think so. They will still be playing Mike D's game on pot Luck. 50 3s No defense except for Jefferies the guy you want traded.
The problem I have is that Mike D tried to destroy this kids career and thats wrong. I bet David Lee ain't comin back and the only way we will be able to sign a good player is that he has no place else to go.