Paladin55 wrote:The present day Suns offense looks awfully familiar to me when I watch them. Shows me how important the PG is in our kind of offense. Nash can pass, hit the J, and drive with success and consistency- not of our PGs can do all of those things on a regular basis.

Of course the importance of the PG in our system also makes you wonder why the Knicks did not try to pick up a true PG from a draft class with more than enough PGs to go around.

Well, my opinion about the not drafting a PG goof is that they wanted S. Curry and let the hype or reality about Brandon Jennings' attitude cloud up their scouting calendar. But then they tried to get a facilitator via free agency (Nash, Hill, Kidd). Best we got was super late via trade with a Tracy McGrady held together with duct tape.

OT: I wonder what Toney D.'s potential is as starting point. Look at Rondo's development... though look at Rondo's teammates.

nyk4ever wrote:

D'Antoni sees Suns' sweep of Spurs as vindication

Originally published: May 10, 2010 7:39 PM
Updated: May 10, 2010 9:37 PM
By ALAN HAHN alan.hahn@newsday.com

Mike D'Antoni said the Phoenix Suns' win over nemesis San Antonio proves his style of basketball works.
After years of being tripped

Photo credit: AP | After years of being tripped up by the Spurs, Jason Richardson and the Phoenix Suns finally overcame their rival in the conference semifinals. (May 9, 2010)

Mike D'Antoni watched Sunday with a smile as the Suns, as he put it, "slayed an old nemesis" by sweeping the Spurs in a Western Conference semifinal.

He appreciated what it meant for his former allies Steve Nash, Amar'e Stoudemire and coach Alvin Gentry, but D'Antoni also took from the Suns' success a measure of personal vindication.

That's his system the Suns are playing. And they're back in the conference finals for the third time in six years.

"What I'm really happy about is you see the way Orlando and Phoenix play, they're arguably two of the best teams, and that's how we need to play,'' the Knicks' coach said. The Magic also uses a spread offense featuring the pick and roll and three-point shooting. "They're reaffirming the blueprint that'll get us to a championship. And that's what we've got to do in New York."

D'Antoni said he thinks the Suns "have a legitimate shot at beating the Lakers'' in the Western Conference finals. He would love to see the Suns play the Magic in the NBA Finals, for two obvious reasons:

(1) The offensive style he believes in would be guaranteed to win a championship, which many detractors say it can't do.

(2) It would mean LeBron James' Cavaliers didn't reach the Finals for the third consecutive year. That might motivate him to consider joining the Knicks as a free agent this summer.

Finally overcoming the Spurs was something to savor because of the bitter history, but there is some reality to consider. Despite upsetting the second-seeded Mavericks in the first round, the Spurs hardly are a championship contender anymore. "The Spurs aren't half the team they were," D'Antoni said. "Tim Duncan isn't the problem he used to be."

But the Suns are exactly what they were under D'Antoni. Gentry is credited for re-establishing D'Antoni's offense while also emphasizing defense after D'Antoni's replacement, Terry Porter, was fired last season.

Stoudemire routinely points out that Gentry talks more about defense than D'Antoni ever did. Statistically, however, the Suns aren't more efficient than they were under D'Antoni.

According to HoopData.com, Gentry's Suns ranked 23rd in defensive efficiency (110.2) compared with D'Antoni's teams, which for his four seasons were 16th (106.8) on average.

"They're playing better defense, and you've got to give Alvin credit for that," D'Antoni said. "Amar'e can say what he wants, but we talked every day to him about defense. I mean, we're not stupid. We emphasized and tried, but he wasn't ready to buy into it totally.

"And Alvin got him to buy in, and I think that's Alvin's strength. He got a bond with Amar'e that I probably couldn't reach, and it's worked."

The Dolan family owns controlling interests in the Knicks, MSG and Cablevision. Cablevision owns Newsday.

I feel a D'AnToni article coming soon discussing BLUEPRINTS....meanwhile I sent these stats to his arrive on his desk sharply 6:00a.m. today for him to look over

against Cats

Game 1 30 3pt FGA
Game 2 27 3pt FGA
Game 3 30 3pt FGA
Game 4 33 3pt FGA

against ATL

Game 1 23 3pt FGA
Game 2 23 3pt FGA
Game 3 29 3pt FGA
Game 4 37 3pt FGA

against C's

Game 1 22 3pt FGA
Game 2 18 3pt FGA

And Phx got blown out trying to use the BLUEPRINT of Track Meet 400meter relay style spread quick PNR offense.... by the Lakers