D'Antoni To Stress Defense!?

[George O'Brien]

D’Antoni: I think getting older, getting stronger, getting in the weight room, will help a lot. Just these guys this year seeing offenses and understanding the schemes that we had and they become second nature. I thought we were getting better defensively. That doesn’t mean that we were good by any long shot. But that’s one way. They could just automatically come into it as they get older and just working on your body. Mostly, defense is just concentration at that moment and playing hard. We just have to get through to them as a coaching staff. You can set the tome in preseason and in training camp that defense is the most important thing that we need. If you get 10-12 players that can play, then the guys that don’t want to play defense don’t play. That’s the best way to do it.

I like hearing that he will bench guys who don't play defense, but I wish he focused more on technique.

 

[Dylan]

I agree technique has to be teached, but defense is also a lot about
effort and focus on defense... but like D'Antoni said, the benching is
the best way to do it... that will make them put forth the effort and focus.
That is exactly what Lute Olson does, if you don't play defense, you will
sit, no matter how much you score... this last season, the UA's depth
problems didn't allow Olson to use this like he wanted to... I read many
times that is what was frustrating to him.. that he wished he had depth
so he could sit people who weren't playing defense... when I saw that
quote from D'Antoni I thought that was great!!!

 

[PhxGametime]

Suns won't sign Steve Nash after these statements?

 

[Errntknght]

The more D'Antoni talks the worse he sounds. If he was thinking in terms of a high post offense for the future he'd have had to mention it by now, surely. This last quote indicates he thinks he has a pretty good offense and that the guys are executing it. Doesn't he watch the stinking games? I suppose the offense looks pretty good in practice running against the subs playing his crummy defense but it dies against serious defense. Teams stopped throwing zones against us because it's embarrassing to worry that much about a cellar dweller but when we start to move up they'll do it again. (McDyess and Lampe would help some against a zone but what makes anyone think Mike isn't planning on Jake being the main guy at center next year.) And, his SF is still playing auxillary SG.

I'm to the point of thinking that a high post offense is simply not in D'Antoni's basketball vocabulary so there's no way we'll ever see it as long as he's here.

Up until now the chances of the Suns hiring a coach of any stature were zero but new ownership may change that. I can imagine a guy with zero basketball knowledge saying, "A guy with 9 championships wants to coach our team and our coach has never had a team in contention for the playoffs, right? Wouldn't we have to be stupid not to change? I'd really rather not look stupid so you, my operating team, will explain to me in detail why we shouldn't do it. And hurry because I'm interviewing him in an hour."

Granted this team looks like a bad fit for the triangle but I'd much rather watch Jackson and Winter stuggling to implement it than watch D'Antoni muck around with this mess he's got. I've seen enough of that already, thanks.

 

[Joe Mama]

Where does he say that everything is just fine on offense? Where does he say that they will not run and high post offense? Why are you so hung up on the high post offense as the only way to go?

Only a fool does not see that while the offense isn't perfect it isn't the biggest problem with this team. The defense was awful. It was obviously the weakness of this team. Hell, if they could improve their defense their offense would be much better. It would give them more opportunities to run the basketball down the opponents throats.

Joe Mama

 

[George O'Brien]

Where does he say that everything is just fine on offense? Where does he say that they will not run and high post offense? Why are you so hung up on the high post offense as the only way to go?

Only a fool does not see that while the offense isn't perfect it isn't the biggest problem with this team. The defense was awful. It was obviously the weakness of this team. Hell, if they could improve their defense their offense would be much better. It would give them more opportunities to run the basketball down the opponents throats.

Joe Mama

I agree. What he did say is that the players have to learn to pass the ball which of course means the other players have to learn to move without the ball. But I don't think the problem was primarily scheme but simply getting the players to react to situations better and know each other better.

Compare the Suns offense to other high scoring teams and the thing that stands out is how much younger the Suns are and how short a period of time they have played together.

In any case, I think the Suns offense right now is good enough to get them into the playoffs. It's their defense that stands in the way.

 

[Errntknght]

Joe, "Where does he say that everything is just fine on offense?"

You know, I just went back and read the quote and realized his statement "Just these guys this year seeing offenses and understanding the schemes that we had and they become second nature." is not about the teams offense at all. I read it as saying the guys were understanding their own offensive schemes and they'd become second nature. Reading it more carefully, I'm not sure what it means but it clearly doesn't mean what I thought.

On the other hand in a very recent quote he did say the he thought the offense was pretty good - perhaps in another part of this same article.


>> Where does he say that they will not run and high post offense?<<

What? I said he's never mentioned the high post offense so how could you interpret that as me claiming he said we'd never use it.


>>Why are you so hung up on the high post offense as the only way to go?<<

I don't think the high post offense is the only way to go. But I do think with a C who can shoot from some distance and pass pretty well, a high post offense would fit Amare's, and JJ's games extremely well. With minor adjustments, it would also work well against zone defenses. It would probably fit Marion's game if he played on the baseline instead of being a second SG. As to the C we have Lampe who has promise of being a good fit for the HP and McDyess has the shooting range though he's probably weak in the passing part. Maybe Zarko could be the high post man in some lineups. Sounds like enough to worthy of serious consideration to me and better than what I've seen the team doing on the floor.

My arrival at the high post starts with the premise that we'd like to keep the opponents C well away from the low post, so as to facilitate Amare operating there. Now our C could float around the floor in an ad hoc fashion or we could structure an offense that has our C out away but still performing more useful things than just keeping out of the way. Out high he could run the pick & roll/fade with JJ or the pinch post manuever - more good stuff. That fairly shouts "high post offense" to me.

>>Only a fool does not see that while the offense isn't perfect it isn't the biggest problem with this team.<<

Only a fool or someone who's tired of belaboring the obvious. I've beat up coach Mikey for his defensive failings so often I just thought I'd give it a rest... let the second string have a go at him. (Uncivil remarks mustn't go entirely unpunished! )

 

[George O'Brien]

Actually the Suns already run a high post offense, of sorts. What they don't run is an offense designed to go through the high post like the Kings run (or did when they played well). I think it would make sense, especially in preparation for Lampe to be the Suns eventual starting center because he has a repuation for being a very good passer.

The Suns revised their offense a number of times this season with the biggest adjustment coming when Marbury was traded and then later when Amare returned. I'm guessing they will make more adjustments over the summer as they will have more time to work with the players.

None the less, the offense will be changed again depending on what players are added over the summer.

 

[sly fly]

Joe, "Where does he say that everything is just fine on offense?"

You know, I just went back and read the quote and realized his statement "Just these guys this year seeing offenses and understanding the schemes that we had and they become second nature." is not about the teams offense at all. I read it as saying the guys were understanding their own offensive schemes and they'd become second nature. Reading it more carefully, I'm not sure what it means but it clearly doesn't mean what I thought.

On the other hand in a very recent quote he did say the he thought the offense was pretty good - perhaps in another part of this same article.


>> Where does he say that they will not run and high post offense?<<

What? I said he's never mentioned the high post offense so how could you interpret that as me claiming he said we'd never use it.


>>Why are you so hung up on the high post offense as the only way to go?<<

I don't think the high post offense is the only way to go. But I do think with a C who can shoot from some distance and pass pretty well, a high post offense would fit Amare's, and JJ's games extremely well. With minor adjustments, it would also work well against zone defenses. It would probably fit Marion's game if he played on the baseline instead of being a second SG. As to the C we have Lampe who has promise of being a good fit for the HP and McDyess has the shooting range though he's probably weak in the passing part. Maybe Zarko could be the high post man in some lineups. Sounds like enough to worthy of serious consideration to me and better than what I've seen the team doing on the floor.

My arrival at the high post starts with the premise that we'd like to keep the opponents C well away from the low post, so as to facilitate Amare operating there. Now our C could float around the floor in an ad hoc fashion or we could structure an offense that has our C out away but still performing more useful things than just keeping out of the way. Out high he could run the pick & roll/fade with JJ or the pinch post manuever - more good stuff. That fairly shouts "high post offense" to me.

>>Only a fool does not see that while the offense isn't perfect it isn't the biggest problem with this team.<<

Only a fool or someone who's tired of belaboring the obvious. I've beat up coach Mikey for his defensive failings so often I just thought I'd give it a rest... let the second string have a go at him. (Uncivil remarks mustn't go entirely unpunished! )

How about just getting some players who can play ball?

 

[F-Dog]

I'm to the point of thinking that a high post offense is simply not in D'Antoni's basketball vocabulary so there's no way we'll ever see it as long as he's here.

Granted this team looks like a bad fit for the triangle but I'd much rather watch Jackson and Winter stuggling to implement it than watch D'Antoni muck around with this mess he's got. I've seen enough of that already, thanks.

I don't get this perspective at all.


When D'Antoni took the job, his two centers were Jake and Jahidi. I'm sure you'll agree that putting either of those players in the high post doesn't make much sense.

McDyess was healthy for what, 15 games? He's the only starting 'center' on the Suns that I would trust to try and make decisions from the high post. And, maybe I'm seeing things here, but didn't McDyess spend an awful lot of his time on offense hanging around the top of the circle?


I know you don't like D'Antoni and nothing will convince you otherwise, but I also know that there isn't a coach in the league that isn't constantly second-guessed on his strategy and tactics--Phil Jackson included. If you weren't watching, Mr. Triangle just finished coaching four HOFers to a 72-point explosion in the first game of the playoffs.


What I like about D'Antoni isn't as much the X's and O's (although I haven't had nearly as much to complain about on that account since Frank Johnson left). It's that he took a team full of very young players and had them playing with effort and a sense of purpose, and in the process seemed to earn their friendship and respect.

I also like the fact that the players seem to feel confident in their preparedness, and I hear that the Suns' practices are now much more orderly and purposeful than before.

 

[SweetD]

Has there been anything saying that Mike will even be the coach next year? I thought he only had a one year contract that is now over???

 

[George O'Brien]

Has there been anything saying that Mike will even be the coach next year? I thought he only had a one year contract that is now over???

He is still under contract for the coming season.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

I don't get this perspective at all.


When D'Antoni took the job, his two centers were Jake and Jahidi. I'm sure you'll agree that putting either of those players in the high post doesn't make much sense.

McDyess was healthy for what, 15 games? He's the only starting 'center' on the Suns that I would trust to try and make decisions from the high post. And, maybe I'm seeing things here, but didn't McDyess spend an awful lot of his time on offense hanging around the top of the circle?


I know you don't like D'Antoni and nothing will convince you otherwise, but I also know that there isn't a coach in the league that isn't constantly second-guessed on his strategy and tactics--Phil Jackson included. If you weren't watching, Mr. Triangle just finished coaching four HOFers to a 72-point explosion in the first game of the playoffs.


What I like about D'Antoni isn't as much the X's and O's (although I haven't had nearly as much to complain about on that account since Frank Johnson left). It's that he took a team full of very young players and had them playing with effort and a sense of purpose, and in the process seemed to earn their friendship and respect.

I also like the fact that the players seem to feel confident in their preparedness, and I hear that the Suns' practices are now much more orderly and purposeful than before.

Great post, couldn't agree more.