Bonn1997 wrote:If we beat the Lakers, it proves that MDA sabotaged last season!

I'll agree to disagree. The Lakers started off 1-4 before D'Antoni coached a single Lakers game.

There is a such thing as player accountability... Or has that aspect of the game of basketball been removed? I mean, Mike D'Antoni can only coach from the sidelines. He can't put the ball in the bucket. Stop opposing defenses. Force Dwight Howard to drain his free throws. Magically heal Steve Nash. Magically heal Pau Gasol who's been out for the past 5 games (and out tonight as well). Etc, etc.

As a head coach, he pretty much has no other option other than to start a pretty awful 3rd string PG in Chris Duhon (due to both Nash/Blake being out). Yes, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard should create for a strong duo but then again, it's a new project as of right now. Still doesn't change the fact that as a head coach D'Antoni is limited with the Lakers. As of right now he's being forced to coach the likes of Duhon, Darius Morris, Jodie Meeks, Darius Johnson-Odom, Ron Artest, Antawn Jamison, Jordan Hill, Robert Sacre, Devin Ebanks and Earl Clark. Pretty much trash for surrounding depth.

I agree that D'Antoni wasn't the right coach for New York but to act as if these Laker struggles have became D'Antoni's fault for accepting the job is pretty naive. Just my personal opinion. When Nash, Blake and Gasol all return? It just might become a different stroy...

NYKMentality wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:If we beat the Lakers, it proves that MDA sabotaged last season!

I'll agree to disagree. The Lakers started off 1-4 before D'Antoni coached a single Lakers game.

There is a such thing as player accountability... Or has that aspect of the game of basketball been removed? I mean, Mike D'Antoni can only coach from the sidelines. He can't put the ball in the bucket. Stop opposing defenses. Force Dwight Howard to drain his free throws. Magically heal Steve Nash. Magically heal Pau Gasol who's been out for the past 5 games (and out tonight as well). Etc, etc.

As a head coach, he pretty much has no other option other than to start a pretty awful 3rd string PG in Chris Duhon (due to both Nash/Blake being out). Yes, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard should create for a strong duo but then again, it's a new project as of right now. Still doesn't change the fact that as a head coach D'Antoni is limited with the Lakers. As of right now he's being forced to coach the likes of Duhon, Darius Morris, Jodie Meeks, Darius Johnson-Odom, Ron Artest, Antawn Jamison, Jordan Hill, Robert Sacre, Devin Ebanks and Earl Clark. Pretty much trash for surrounding depth.

I agree that D'Antoni wasn't the right coach for New York but to act as if these Laker struggles have became D'Antoni's fault for accepting the job is pretty naive. Just my personal opinion. When Nash, Blake and Gasol all return? It just might become a different stroy...

Bonn1997 wrote:Yeah, that was sarcasm on my part. The only reason this thread was started is so that people could pile on MDA, which in turn means to many that he, rather than Melo, was responsible for last year.

Yea, but I'm not sure why any Knicks fan would ever harp all over D'Antoni. No, he wasn't the greatest of head coaches but he did come here during a time in which our franchise was turned upside down. He came here to help turn our franchise around during a time in which we were in deep salary cap hell. Not alot of pure/overall talent and due to this? Was forced to scrath/turnover roster after roster. During MDA's time here, I'm not sure any head coach was forced to play so many different players. The list goes on and on. Never once had continuity. He came here to lose, just for a chance to later win.

I'm glad we have Woodson because I've always been a defensive minded fan (Throwback 90's type), but Woodson himself has benefited from D'Antoni's tenure here.

Iman Shumpert.
J.R Smith.
Steve Novak.
Carmelo Anthony.
Amar'e Stoudemire.
Tyson Chandler.

Were all acquired under coach D'Antoni. Raymond Felton even returned (due to his 17.1 points and 9.0 assists under coach D'Antoni).

I'll always have a certain type of respect for coach D'Antoni. He doesn't have an ego, or else, he wouldn't have came to the Knicks in essence destroying his career winning percentage that he worked for in PHX, just to lose during rebuilding mode in order for a chance to later (have a chance) at winning.

But if I must choose, we must beat down Brooklyn because:
1. They're in our division
2. They're in our conference
3. Both the Lakers and Rockets are in the bottom 3rd of the Western conference so if things continue the way they do...there's very little chance those games will effect us come playoff time.