NEW YORK – In the lowest of the losing, Mike D’Antoni delivered history lessons to the New York Knicks. Only the Knicks coach wasn’t pitching the past of Madison Square Garden, Red Holzman and Clyde Frazier and Willis Reed, but a self-proclaimed genius born of the desert sun. Before his players, sources say, D’Antoni had started down the don’t-you-know-who-I-am route and recited his résumé of 60-victory seasons and scoring records and revolutionary basketball.

He let it be known, too, that the non-believers among them should feel free to march into Donnie Walsh’s office and demand his dismissal. More than one Knick privately laughed that they didn’t know there was an “I” in coach.

D’Antoni can call the bluff of his boss today, but he’d better be careful tomorrow. The Knicks are a mess, and league friends of D’Antoni believe he has deep regret for passing on Chicago for New York. He let his ego and agent push him out of Phoenix, and let his desire for money over winning pass on Chicago. Make no mistake, though: That was two months ago and this is now. New York has a Garden winning streak of six games, and New York isn’t on his case for the holidays.

For the first time, D’Antoni has modest contentment in New York. After a terrific meeting with Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf in the spring of 2003, a promise that he would give the Bulls 24 hours to formulate an offer, D’Antoni took the money and ran to the New York Knicks. They had a worse roster, the worse salary cap situation and, of course, the most money to pay him.

Looking back, the Bulls made the cheapest possible hire, Vinny Del Negro. He had never coached as a front-office executive for the Suns, but league sources say D’Antoni considered him as one more undermining force within the organization. Of course, D’Antoni thought everyone was out to get him in the desert. Seven seconds or less wasn’t just an offense, but how rapidly he could turn something innocuous into a conspiracy.

Less than two years later, Del Negro has a playoff appearance, an epic seven-game playoff loss to the Boston Celtics and the most tenuous coaching status in the NBA. D’Antoni could’ve had his precious point guard, Derrick Rose(notes), but he chased the money and mirage of LeBron James(notes) to New York. Mostly, D’Antoni made two terrible mistakes: never trying to work things out with Steve Kerr in Phoenix and never letting Reinsdorf make him a competitive offer.

I'm usually amenable to what Adrian has to say but this article feels like a complete slap in the face to our coach and then to NY as well. Who is Adrian to say what is going on in the mind of , and why blame him for going to the place where he was most sought after and most welcomed. He even has his own show on MSG for Chrissakes. What were the Bulls going to give him, half the money and a prayer that they might win the lottery and get Derrick Rose? And Phoenix practically pulled the welcome mat from out under his feet after delivering winning season upon winning season.

Hell yeah I'd toot my own horn to these loser Knicks if I'm Mike freaking -2 WCF, gold medalist - D'antoni and show them what winning is about. What the point of hiring a winning coach if he has to play down to the level of the culture in the locker room. He is a leader, that's what a good coach is. If you want to look at what a good coach isn't see Negro, Vinny Del mailing in games. I can't remember the last time I saw a coach do so little with the talent he had, and it's a backhanded compliment to say that D'antoni in Chicago would have created a winner while Negro is floundering. Hell freaking yeah to Pringles, I want him around for as long as he's willing to coach winning basketball.

ALL good coaches are ego maniacs and control freaks. Show me one that isnt... the closest I can think of are Doc Rivers and Flip Saunders, both of whom have been run out of town in jobs they did very well in.

Its funny timing, because Del Negro has been awful and MDA is clearly showing he can make adjustments and has the Knicks looking like a real NBA team

TRU wrote:I saw "Negro" and thought this post was going to be about some racist ****.

i did too!

Neither coach was put in the position to win this year anyway.

Knicks are getting leads in games. This is big. Keeping it without a solid inside go to guy is tough but I'd rather blow leads than never have one at all.

I don't have a problem with MDA stepping up and doing the "Do you know who the phuck I am?" in a young lockerroom without leadership. IM sure MDA is tired of no one sitting on nate and his distractions while not terrible in a winning atmosphere wears thin when your losing. Nobody should be clowning around when losing. No good teams is jovial when losing.

AnubisADL wrote:

Paladin55 wrote:

fishmike wrote:I do think MDA has a massive ego, and that probably caused a departure in Pho which he regrets on many levels. Its quite warm there this time of year

ALL good coaches are ego maniacs and control freaks. Show me one that isnt... the closest I can think of are Doc Rivers and Flip Saunders, both of whom have been run out of town in jobs they did very well in.

Its funny timing, because Del Negro has been awful and MDA is clearly showing he can make adjustments and has the Knicks looking like a real NBA team

This is the most promising development at this point in the season, along with the fact that he has everyone playing defense, something he allegedly had no idea about as a coach.

I think some are getting carried away with our supposed "defense" when it is really some of the teams we beat have issues generating offense. Charlotte, New Jersey, New Orleans, and 7 man Portland team went through lots of scoring droughts because they weren't hitting wide open jumpers. This is no different than previous years where teams would play zone and we'd have Crawford, Richardson, and Jefferies trying to shoot teams out of the zone. We lose to teams that can match our offensive output and actually play some defense.

Our wins are based on hitting jumpers and we have been. We are also getting production from Duhon as well.

defense is no different from his offense - it is just a lot of movment and energy. Going into the passing lane, having players who can swithc and guard multple positions, mobile zone. Mike have something going to establich his own defensive style. Interesting to see if this will work against better teams... Then we will have something new...

I wonder who the sources are? The combination of rigidity and ego when you are not being successful is not good. It is good that he has made some adjustments.

CrushAlot wrote:NEW YORK – In the lowest of the losing, Mike D’Antoni delivered history lessons to the New York Knicks. Only the Knicks coach wasn’t pitching the past of Madison Square Garden, Red Holzman and Clyde Frazier and Willis Reed, but a self-proclaimed genius born of the desert sun. Before his players, sources say, D’Antoni had started down the don’t-you-know-who-I-am route and recited his résumé of 60-victory seasons and scoring records and revolutionary basketball.
He let it be known, too, that the non-believers among them should feel free to march into Donnie Walsh’s office and demand his dismissal. More than one Knick privately laughed that they didn’t know there was an “I” in coach.

I wonder who the sources are? The combination of rigidity and ego when you are not being successful is not good. It is good that he has made some adjustments.

Probably Nate Robinson. He wants out.

This so called journalist needs to work WITH the drugs. Not against them

The players who complained are GONE. Off the roster not sitting on our bench.

fishmike wrote:

AnubisADL wrote:

Paladin55 wrote:

fishmike wrote:I do think MDA has a massive ego, and that probably caused a departure in Pho which he regrets on many levels. Its quite warm there this time of year

ALL good coaches are ego maniacs and control freaks. Show me one that isnt... the closest I can think of are Doc Rivers and Flip Saunders, both of whom have been run out of town in jobs they did very well in.

Its funny timing, because Del Negro has been awful and MDA is clearly showing he can make adjustments and has the Knicks looking like a real NBA team

This is the most promising development at this point in the season, along with the fact that he has everyone playing defense, something he allegedly had no idea about as a coach.

I think some are getting carried away with our supposed "defense" when it is really some of the teams we beat have issues generating offense. Charlotte, New Jersey, New Orleans, and 7 man Portland team went through lots of scoring droughts because they weren't hitting wide open jumpers. This is no different than previous years where teams would play zone and we'd have Crawford, Richardson, and Jefferies trying to shoot teams out of the zone. We lose to teams that can match our offensive output and actually play some defense.

Our wins are based on hitting jumpers and we have been. We are also getting production from Duhon as well.

totally disagree. Watch the games and tell me this team isnt defending better. Knicks are playing better on defense but most of all they are playing harder.

The team is playing better defense, trying harder.

But what's been bugging me when watching the games is how easily our defenders switch. I understand switching on hard cuts and picks, but we switch without the offense even trying to get us to switch.