D’Antoni says Barkley went ‘overboard’
Mike Tulumello, Tribune
Mike D’Antoni is tiring of hearing people critique how he divides up minutes among his players. That seems to go double for Charles Barkley, the ex-Suns star and current TNT broadcaster.
Barkley criticized D’Antoni at length Tuesday night, saying the Suns coach is running the risk of wearing out Steve Nash for the playoffs by playing him too much now. He also said the Suns don’t play their backup point guards enough to allow them to develop confidence.
The next night, D’Antoni fired back at Barkley, pointing to past criticisms of Barkley’s efforts at staying in shape.
“He didn’t train. And he blew championships. If you train, maybe you don’t blow championships.
“That’s why Phoenix is on the schneid,” he said, a reference to the Suns’ status as the NBA’s most successful franchise not to have won a title.
In Nash, he said, “We have a guy who trains.”
D’Antoni said the Suns have only two players in the top 40 in minutes played — Shawn Marion (No. 17 at 38.6 minutes) and Raja Bell (No. 25 at 37.5 minutes).
Nash is playing 35.1 minutes per game this season.
He averaged 34.3 minutes two years ago and 35.4 minutes last season. And in those two seasons, D’Antoni said Nash not only didn’t wear down, “His numbers in the playoffs were off the charts.”
As for not developing backup point guards, D’Antoni said Leandro Barbosa has played extensively and has played well.
So, “You’re talking about a third point guard (Marcus Banks).”
On Thursday, D’Antoni softened his tone, but stuck to his point: “He said everybody knows Steve breaks down in the playoffs, and the Suns break down. I don’t know of any evidence. That’s the only thing I’m worried about.”
He pointed out the Suns had two straight great Game 7s last year against the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, “and we weren’t tired.”
“Then Raja went down, and Dallas was a better team (in the conference finals),” D’Antoni added.
“Two years ago, we beat Dallas without Joe Johnson, and then San Antonio beat us (in the conference finals).
“We’re not apologizing for what we did in the playoffs the last two years.”
Barkley, speaking through a TNT spokesman, declined to respond.
D’Antoni was asked if he expects criticism from fans if Nash goes down with an injury and the Suns flop again. The team recently went 1-3 without him.
He pointed out the Suns also were missing Boris Diaw and Kurt Thomas.
“You can’t lose three of your top seven. It’s unbelievable.”
He also said, “If he goes out, we’re going to lose. You can write it down.
“We won 29 games (the season) before he got here.”
The Suns coach said he thought Barkley went “overboard” in his critique, saying, “Just make your point and move on. But they belabored it for about half an hour.”
He acknowledged the Suns could latch onto Barkley’s thinking in tough times, a situation he wants to head off.
“I just want our guys not to have excuses. … You start feeling sorry for yourself when things aren’t going right and you might say, ‘There’s an excuse I can hang onto.’
“We’re not going to do that.”