Hill to Become 3 Point Threat?!?!

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

that's all well and good, but as far as "not making that mistake again" re: KT, did you not read the thoughts DA had on the fishing trip with Kerr where he lamented the Spurs forcing us out of our comfort zone and how we bent to their will. Who do you think he's talking about there Joe? Someone besides KT? Even if he's not talking about that, how he didn't realize KT worth BEFORE the series is STILL beyond me. Everyone in here was talking about - it was plain as day - hell, even George knew it was needed and that's saying something.

As far as DA doing very, very well - no one's, at least I'm not, saying that he hasn't, but there's a difference between doing very, very well and being a title caliber coach. Rick Carlisle did very, very well with the Pistons, but it wasn't until they got Larry Brown that they actually became relevant title contenders. Same with Doug Collins with the Bulls before Phil got there and same with even DelHarris before Phil got there. I just wonder if DA is more Rick Carlisle/Stan Van Gundy/Doug Collins/Del Harris than Larry Brown/Phil Jackson/Greg Popovich.

I think this year is the tale of the tape - there should be no excuses for DA now.

damnit. i hate when cheese beats me to the punch making the same points i make and doing a better job of it.

 

[Gaddabout]

I think it's a lot easier for an NBA player to hit a three when:

- His coach has given him the green light
- He doesn't have to create his own shot
- His point guard creates an open shot for him

I'd be willing to bet Hill hits a great deal higher percentage of 3s this year. I don't think he's ever been in a place where he didn't always have the ball in his hands or had someone who could consistently create space for him to shoot.

 

[Rab]

I think it's a lot easier for an NBA player to hit a three when:

- His coach has given him the green light
- He doesn't have to create his own shot
- His point guard creates an open shot for him

I'd be willing to bet Hill hits a great deal higher percentage of 3s this year. I don't think he's ever been in a place where he didn't always have the ball in his hands or had someone who could consistently create space for him to shoot.

You may be right, but personally, I'd rather he play to his strengths. I just don't think the Suns need more 3 point shooters.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

D'Antoni talked about about hill's midrange and passing game mostly it seemed. He didn't say anything about 3pt shooting until a reporter asked. I'm sure he'd like Hill to be a 3pt threat but his comments about forcing Hill to shoot 3s seemed tounge in cheek.

in other words, all our teeth gnashing is seemingly for naught. awesome!

 

[Treesquid PhD]

trust me, if he could shoot it effectively he would have. it's called enhancing your arsenal. it makes you more dangerous. and it's never easy to just "extend your range a few feet" some people are limited in their range. and finally your most ludicrous comment . . . "put in say an extra hour a day in practice" . . . do you remember one of his key reasons for coming to phoenix? i think it was easier, shorter practices (i'm paraphrasing). he wants to take it easy on the body, not put in more work.

It's not ludicrous at all. Pat Hill was on KGME this morning and said they had trouble keeping Hill out of the gym last season and they forced him to rest on back to back games. But towards the end of the season Hill decided that he didn't need to do that anymore and played the last 20 games straight. I think the term he used was "gym rat", so did Kerr tonight. But hey we can take ESPN's or Bruce Cooper's version of the truth or Pat Hill's, whatever, makes no difference to me which you choose.

oh just one more bit of info, during Hill's interview on Gambo and Ash he said he couldn't wait to get in there and start working out, right after the interview.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

Oh and Dan D'antoni wanted me to pass on this letter

Dear Mike D'antoni hunters, go watch your Marcus Banks summer league highlights on NBA.com, pop a Valium, be happy and ****, kthxbye.

 

[Joe Mama]

that's all well and good, but as far as "not making that mistake again" re: KT, did you not read the thoughts DA had on the fishing trip with Kerr where he lamented the Spurs forcing us out of our comfort zone and how we bent to their will. Who do you think he's talking about there Joe? Someone besides KT? Even if he's not talking about that, how he didn't realize KT worth BEFORE the series is STILL beyond me. Everyone in here was talking about - it was plain as day - hell, even George knew it was needed and that's saying something.

As far as DA doing very, very well - no one's, at least I'm not, saying that he hasn't, but there's a difference between doing very, very well and being a title caliber coach. Rick Carlisle did very, very well with the Pistons, but it wasn't until they got Larry Brown that they actually became relevant title contenders. Same with Doug Collins with the Bulls before Phil got there and same with even DelHarris before Phil got there. I just wonder if DA is more Rick Carlisle/Stan Van Gundy/Doug Collins/Del Harris than Larry Brown/Phil Jackson/Greg Popovich.

I think this year is the tale of the tape - there should be no excuses for DA now.

I didn't read that stuff from Mike D'Antoni. If he loses to San Antonio again because he tries to force small ball I'll be right there with you saying perhaps he should be replaced. Of course you were saying that you think he will be replaced. I just don't see that happening.

However I believe Mike D'Antoni has turned a corner. Unfortunately it came about two thirds of a game too late, and because a couple of his players couldn't keep themselves on the bench he missed out on a chance to redeem himself.

Whether he adjusts or not I don't think there's any way Mike D'Antoni gets fired next summer.

Btw, I don't think the Detroit Pistons were any more contenders under Larry Brown than they were under Rick Carlisle until they went out and got Rasheed Wallace at the trade deadline for almost nothing. As if that wasn't enough help, Karl Malone got injured for the Lakers at the end of the Western Conference finals.

jesus, more hyperbole - who is acting like this? If this is really the way it's gonna be for the rest of the summer, you and Chandler Mike should put up a new sticky that lists a new rule for the board:

ANY SOMEWHAT NEGATIVE/CONTENTIOUS OPINION IS COMPLETELY UNWARRANTED AND SHOULD BE MET WITH SCORN, RIDICULE AND UNABASHED HYPERBOLE.

Honestly cheese, take it easy. Did you somehow miss that part of my post when you responded the first time? Like I said in my previous post. Go back and read this thread from the beginning. This is how almost every thread in this forum has gone recently. It starts off with good news, and within a page it's Mike D'Antoni should be gone next year, Steve Kerr shouldn't be the GM, the ownership is cheap, the Phoenix Suns care more about money than winning, et cetera.

IMO when you say that the Phoenix Suns' seasons ended prematurely the last three years you make it sound like they lost to teams they shouldn't have. I mean I could understand if Dallas' fans were saying they should replace Avery Johnson if he didn't get it done next season. His last season definitely ended prematurely, and that Dallas team should have beaten Miami a couple years ago.

Btw, with whom are you going to replace Mike D'Antoni? I swear you are going on ignore as well if you say Larry Brown.

Keep in mind that I'm not telling you what to post. I'm not telling anybody what to post. This is me disagreeing with you. I'm not asking you to post sunny and delight because I disagree. You know darn well I've never been like that.

Joe

 

[Cheesebeef]

I didn't read that stuff from Mike D'Antoni. If he loses to San Antonio again because he tries to force small ball I'll be right there with you saying perhaps he should be replaced. Of course you were saying that you think he will be replaced. I just don't see that happening.

However I believe Mike D'Antoni has turned a corner. Unfortunately it came about two thirds of a game too late, and because a couple of his players couldn't keep themselves on the bench he missed out on a chance to redeem himself.

Whether he adjusts or not I don't think there's any way Mike D'Antoni gets fired next summer.

Btw, I don't think the Detroit Pistons were any more contenders under Larry Brown than they were under Rick Carlisle until they went out and got Rasheed Wallace at the trade deadline for almost nothing. As if that wasn't enough help, Karl Malone got injured for the Lakers at the end of the Western Conference finals.



Honestly cheese, take it easy. Did you somehow miss that part of my post when you responded the first time? Like I said in my previous post. Go back and read this thread from the beginning. This is how almost every thread in this forum has gone recently. It starts off with good news, and within a page it's Mike D'Antoni should be gone next year, Steve Kerr shouldn't be the GM, the ownership is cheap, the Phoenix Suns care more about money than winning, et cetera.

IMO when you say that the Phoenix Suns' seasons ended prematurely the last three years you make it sound like they lost to teams they shouldn't have. I mean I could understand if Dallas' fans were saying they should replace Avery Johnson if he didn't get it done next season. His last season definitely ended prematurely, and that Dallas team should have beaten Miami a couple years ago.

Btw, with whom are you going to replace Mike D'Antoni? I swear you are going on ignore as well if you say Larry Brown.

Keep in mind that I'm not telling you what to post. I'm not telling anybody what to post. This is me disagreeing with you. I'm not asking you to post sunny and delight because I disagree. You know darn well I've never been like that.

Joe

all I'm saying Joe is that you can disagree with me without the hyperbole. It's not like I just called you out for it - someone I agreed with used the same kind of hyperbole about "real suns fans" and I called him our for it as well. it just ruins the discussion because it distorts what the discussion is IMO.

but you're right, my statement actually should read "DA SHOULD be replaced" not will be if he doesn't make the necessary adjustments.

 

[Joe Mama]

I guess that's true, but he was the coach of an even better team in Indy that same year (61 win I believe) and Brown coached the pants off him and Carlisle's never proven anything since, has he? There's no comparison between Brown's body of work and Carlisle's, is there?

Actually, if I'm remembering that Detroit team correctly, in the first round they were down 0-22 Tracy McGrady and a bunch of scrubs before getting their act together in the first round. Then they were getting beaten up by a New Jersey before Jason Kidd was injured. Then against the Pacers in the next round they were fortunate enough to have Jermaine O'Neal go down in the first or second game. Lastly, they got the LA Lakers with Karl Malone out for a couple games and on one leg the other.

Joe

 

[Cheesebeef]

Actually, if I'm remembering that Detroit team correctly, in the first round they were down 0-22 Tracy McGrady and a bunch of scrubs before getting their act together in the first round. Then they were getting beaten up by a New Jersey before Jason Kidd was injured. Then against the Pacers in the next round they were fortunate enough to have Jermaine O'Neal go down in the first or second game. Lastly, they got the LA Lakers with Karl Malone out for a couple games and on one leg the other.

Joe

uh, Joe it was Carlisle's team that was down to 0-22 to T-Mac and it was also Carlisle's team that got their asses completely kicked by a weak ass Nets team 4-0 in the conference finals. The team you should be thinking of was the team that whipped Milwaukee in the first round in 5 games, was killing the Nets crushing them in the first two games before having a lapse and coming back against them against Kidd who who still playing just as well in the last five games as he did in the first two, then beating a 61 win pacer team where you bring up some phantom O'Neal injury even though he played every game of that series, putting up his normal numbers and then they killed the Lakers - even in Game 1 with a healthy Malone, much like they did the rest of the series.

And are you forgetting that's the same Larry Brown who led them the next year throughout the playoffs, beating the Heat, without homecourt (I'm sure you'll chalk that up to injury as well with Wade missing a game), even though they won Game 7 on the road with him playing and then taking a great SA team to 7 games.

Or maybe you're forgetting how ridiculously bad they looked two years ago, when they had the best record in the league and barely got past that awful Cleveland team and then got their asses whooped by the same Heat team they beat the year previous, even with homecourt. But oh yeah, Brown wasn't coaching that team now was he?

 

[Budden]

Mike D'Antoni is not going anywhere.

We've seen D'Antoni get outcoached before. I think the best example is in the 2006 playoffs against the Lakers. That series went to 7 games because the Lakers knew how to defend the style of play that Phoenix used in the regular season, and the Suns never adjusted. I certainly don't buy the "the Suns can't win a championship playing the way they do in the regular season" type of crap, but you need to be able to adjust to the other team's strategy a lot more in the playoffs. In 2006, the Suns were virtually knocked out because Phil Jackson and co. outcoached D'Antoni with Kobe and a bunch of craps playing out of their minds.

And Popovich comes to mind as probably a better coach.

But otherwise, people sometimes act like firing D'Antoni will solve the Suns' coaching problems. In this short millenium, the Suns have had Danny Ainge, Scott Skiles, Frank Johnson, and D'Antoni as the coach, and I am all but positive that none of those other coaches would have coached this team to the success that they've had with DA. The fact is, as much as this team is defined by Nash's mastery, it is defined by D'Antoni's style. He and Nash have basically revolutionized the way basketball is played in the NBA. So you have to realize that firing D'Antoni would at least alter that. Then, who do you replace him with? Dan D'Antoni?

As great as this team is, they're not better than the Spurs or Mavs. Are they neck and neck with those teams? Yes. Could Grant Hill be the guy who puts us over the top? Possibly. But being in one of the best conferences ever, losing in the 2nd or 3rd round isn't as much of a colousal failure as some of you make it out to be.

 

[green machine]

Mike D'Antoni is not going anywhere.

We've seen D'Antoni get outcoached before. I think the best example is in the 2006 playoffs against the Lakers. That series went to 7 games because the Lakers knew how to defend the style of play that Phoenix used in the regular season, and the Suns never adjusted. I certainly don't buy the "the Suns can't win a championship playing the way they do in the regular season" type of crap, but you need to be able to adjust to the other team's strategy a lot more in the playoffs. In 2006, the Suns were virtually knocked out because Phil Jackson and co. outcoached D'Antoni with Kobe and a bunch of craps playing out of their minds.

And Popovich comes to mind as probably a better coach.

But otherwise, people sometimes act like firing D'Antoni will solve the Suns' coaching problems. In this short millenium, the Suns have had Danny Ainge, Scott Skiles, Frank Johnson, and D'Antoni as the coach, and I am all but positive that none of those other coaches would have coached this team to the success that they've had with DA. The fact is, as much as this team is defined by Nash's mastery, it is defined by D'Antoni's style. He and Nash have basically revolutionized the way basketball is played in the NBA. So you have to realize that firing D'Antoni would at least alter that. Then, who do you replace him with? Dan D'Antoni?

As great as this team is, they're not better than the Spurs or Mavs. Are they neck and neck with those teams? Yes. Could Grant Hill be the guy who puts us over the top? Possibly. But being in one of the best conferences ever, losing in the 2nd or 3rd round isn't as much of a colousal failure as some of you make it out to be.

I beg to differ, as I think the Suns are better then the Mavs. It is a paper-rock-scissors game, with the Suns being better then the Mavs who are better then the Spurs who are better then the Suns.

 

[Griffin]

The way I interpret D'Antoni's comments is that he wants Hill to be confident shooting the three when he is open. Playing within the Suns offense, Hill will probably find himself open behind the arc several times a game, so it would help if he could hit that shot every now and then. I doubt Hill will take a lot of threes though; he's career average is just 25%. But in 1999/2000 (last year with Detroit) he went 34/98 from behind the arc (35%) so it's not like he cannot make the shot, it's just not his strength. I do wonder what happened that year though. Prior to that season he had only made 22 threes in 121 attempts over the course of five healthy seasons.

 

[Budden]

And as far as people getting on D'Antoni's case about saying that Grant Hill needs to be a better 3 point shooter, that is just a joke.

D'Antoni, and his system, as the epitome of allowing players to succeed by being the players that they are best at being - nothing more, nothing less. Everybody knows that Shawn Marion would be a much better player if he could handle the ball as well or better than a 3rd grade power forward, create plays for himself and others, get to the foul line for something other than a technical free throw, etc. But D'Antoni realized that Marion will never be that way, and he's said on numerous occassions, "Shawn is gonna be Shawn, and he's a helluva player the way he is."

In the same way, I think D'Antoni is imploring Hill to become a better 3pt shooter because he realizes that Hill is the kind of player who actually can improve his deficiencies. When he came into the league in 1995 - even when he was at the top of his game - he wasn't a great midrange shooter. He attacked the basket and made athletic, smart plays, but he wasn't a shooter. Now, he's a superb midrange player, who has made the dribble jab and pullup jumper his go-to move. He's shown he has the wearwithall to recognize his deficiencies and make his game evolve as his athletic prowess has diminished.

D'Antoni wants Hill to improve his 3 point shooter, and I think Hill might be able to do that. But if it turns out he simply can't become even a decent 3 point shooter when he's open, D'Antoni will most likely just say, "fine" and put him wherever he can succeed and best help the team.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

The way I interpret D'Antoni's comments is that he wants Hill to be confident shooting the three when he is open. Playing within the Suns offense, Hill will probably find himself open behind the arc several times a game, so it would help if he could hit that shot every now and then. I doubt Hill will take a lot of threes though; he's career average is just 25%. But in 1999/2000 (last year with Detroit) he went 34/98 from behind the arc (35%) so it's not like he cannot make the shot, it's just not his strength. I do wonder what happened that year though. Prior to that season he had only made 22 threes in 121 attempts over the course of five healthy seasons.

This is the most rational explanation in the last 6 pages.

I doubt dantoni is set on making hill a 3pt machine, he just wants him to be able to make it when he is open, because he will be open at the 3 a lot, at least for the first half of the season until teams wise up. Right now he isnt a 3 point threat, so it benefits the zone defense that is played against us.

Making hill add a 3 point shot to his arsenal simply enhances his ability to slash and drive to the rim.

 

[azirish]

hmm, i think you're wrong on your first point. didn't someone here post something to the effect that dantoni said the reason they lost was b/c they didn't stay true to their style, hinting at the fact that they played into the spurs hands by playing kurt too much??? won't make the same mistake? sounds like he's mad he didn't make the mistake MORE.

Are we absolutely sure he was being serious? D'Antoni haters bring this comment up over and over, but I have not seen any followup interviews where he's confirmed that he's really serious.

Obviously, small ball was useless against Duncan this year and he figured it pretty quickly. Unless they can figure out a way to have Amare avoid getting into foul trouble playing Duncan, they will have not choice because double teaming Duncan simply doesn't work or at least doesn't work consistently.

At the same time, the Suns need to learn how to rotate much much quicker on the double teams. They make it too easy to pass out of the double teams by not playing denial and forcing cross court passes.

 

[Joe Mama]

uh, Joe it was Carlisle's team that was down to 0-22 to T-Mac and it was also Carlisle's team that got their asses completely kicked by a weak ass Nets team 4-0 in the conference finals. The team you should be thinking of was the team that whipped Milwaukee in the first round in 5 games, was killing the Nets crushing them in the first two games before having a lapse and coming back against them against Kidd who who still playing just as well in the last five games as he did in the first two, then beating a 61 win pacer team where you bring up some phantom O'Neal injury even though he played every game of that series, putting up his normal numbers and then they killed the Lakers - even in Game 1 with a healthy Malone, much like they did the rest of the series.

And are you forgetting that's the same Larry Brown who led them the next year throughout the playoffs, beating the Heat, without homecourt (I'm sure you'll chalk that up to injury as well with Wade missing a game), even though they won Game 7 on the road with him playing and then taking a great SA team to 7 games.

Or maybe you're forgetting how ridiculously bad they looked two years ago, when they had the best record in the league and barely got past that awful Cleveland team and then got their asses whooped by the same Heat team they beat the year previous, even with homecourt. But oh yeah, Brown wasn't coaching that team now was he?

Yes, you are definitely right about the series against Orlando. I knew I should have looked that up. That's why I said "if I remember correctly".

In the first two games in the conference on my finals they crashed New Jersey at home and men were crushed in the next two games by the Nets in New Jersey. Jason Kidd might have been playing as well at the end of that series as he did at the beginning, but he was clearly hampered by injuries.

The series against Indiana was tied 2-2, but at the end of game 4 Jermaine O'Neal badly sprained his knee. Please check out the headline of the recap for a game 5.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=240530011

"Indiana got only 11 points from Jermaine O'Neal, who sprained his left knee in Game 4 and had to have it drained Sunday afternoon. Jamaal Tinsley, playing with an injured left leg, also struggled throughout."

He might have put up 20-11 in the next game, but he was still badly injured. That was a game that Pacers lost 65-69.

Karl Malone missed about half of the 2003-04 season with a knee injury, but he came back at the end. He was fine until the beginning of the finals. Still, the series was tied 1-1. From game 3 on Karl Malone was essentially worthless. In fact he didn't even play in Game 5. Furthermore, Karl Malone was the glue that held that together. With him that season I believe there were something like 38-4 or 37-5 while they were around .500 without him.

Look, by now we should all realize that the teams that win championships are the teams that are able to stay healthy and catch some breaks. If you go back and look at the champions all of those teams were the ones that stayed nearly completely healthy. I'm not even saying that Detroit would not have won the championship if it hadn't been for these injuries to their opposition. However, you cannot deny that this Detroit Pistons team caught some major breaks along the way to the championship. As has been noted already, they also got Rasheed Wallace for almost nothing at the trade deadline.

I'm right there with you if you want to talk about the effect Phil Jackson had on those LA Lakers teams. Those teams prior to Jackson were playoff disappointments... if I remember correctly.

Joe Mama

 

[TucsonDevil]

does anyone else have a feeling that this is it for DA this year, win or else? ... this team has too much talent on it not to win the title next year and the only thing that can seemingly hold us back is philosophy, for good or bad.

I've been saying this for a couple of months now. We have had the most talented team the past three years, period. We have the best play-maker, period. I guess you can point to injuries, but I can also point to lack of player development, lack of bench play, and horrible player personnel moves that were directly controlled by one person - Coach D'Antoni. Yeah, I like his style of play, but that jackass can't call a TO to save his life, and constantly pisses in the wind. I will withdraw my support for Coach D by January if he doesn't have at least a 9-man rotation. (I bet he is shaking in his boots/loafers now)

 

[elindholm]

It is a paper-rock-scissors game, with the Suns being better then the Mavs who are better then the Spurs who are better then the Suns.

This is a myth perpetuated in part by Bill Simmons, based on a couple of fluke minutes in the 2006 playoffs. The Mavericks are not better than the Spurs. Had the two teams met in this year's playoffs, San Antonio would have won.

 

[Joe Mama]

I've been saying this for a couple of months now. We have had the most talented team the past three years, period. We have the best play-maker, period. I guess you can point to injuries, but I can also point to lack of player development, lack of bench play, and horrible player personnel moves that were directly controlled by one person - Coach D'Antoni. Yeah, I like his style of play, but that jackass can't call a TO to save his life, and constantly pisses in the wind. I will withdraw my support for Coach D by January if he doesn't have at least a 9-man rotation. (I bet he is shaking in his boots/loafers now)

You've got to be kidding. The Phoenix Suns have not had the most talented team over the past three years, period. A lot of Phoenix Suns fans would like to believe that, but it simply isn't true. In 2004-05 the team came out of nowhere and had a great run. That was arguably the most talented team in the NBA, but it was young talent... not necessarily the best players. still, they got to the Western Conference finals and lost to the eventual champions. They also did that with one of their best players on the bench with his face broken.

I don't know how anybody could criticize Mike D'Antoni for the job he did in 2005-06. He should have gotten his second Coach of the year award that year. They had no Amare Stoudemire all season, they lost Kurt Thomas two thirds of the way through this season, and then Bell was playing on one leg in the Western Conference finals.

Honestly, I would say that San Antonio has been the most talented team over the last several years. Even though he's pretty boring, Tim Duncan has been the best player in the NBA, especially when it comes to playoff style basketball. They have two other All-Star caliber players and a bunch of great role players on top of that.

Joe Mama

 

[TucsonDevil]

You've got to be kidding.

Joe Mama

No I'm not kidding. Three All-Stars, 2 League MVP trophys, First team all NBA, First team all defensive, 6th man, MIP, COY, 3 division titles, etc....

Translated into ... 2 WCF... Dallas had less and went further. Miami won the thing with one good player, one old great player, and filler. San Antonio is a better team because they have a greater coach.... PERIOD. Name one thing the Spurs have over the Suns.

I'll start.... Their coach >>>>>>>>>>> Mike D'Antoni

 

[elindholm]

Name one thing the Spurs have over the Suns.

I'll start.... Their coach >>>>>>>>>>> Mike D'Antoni

It's not quite that simple. The Spurs play a style that the NBA endorses for the postseason. The Suns don't. Bringing in a bump-and-grind coach would help, but the Suns really don't have the roster for that.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Are we absolutely sure he was being serious? D'Antoni haters bring this comment up over and over, but I have not seen any followup interviews where he's confirmed that he's really serious.

Obviously, small ball was useless against Duncan this year and he figured it pretty quickly. Unless they can figure out a way to have Amare avoid getting into foul trouble playing Duncan, they will have not choice because double teaming Duncan simply doesn't work or at least doesn't work consistently.

At the same time, the Suns need to learn how to rotate much much quicker on the double teams. They make it too easy to pass out of the double teams by not playing denial and forcing cross court passes.

yes, i'm a "hater" . . . why do you people need to say these things. i don't hate dantoni i just see holes in his coaching philosophy. am i not allowed to discuss those without being called a hater? and why is it always those of us that want to discuss shortcomings that are called names? ridiculous.

as for the substance of your post (and yes, i suppose there is some beyond the name-calling), we have no way of knowing if he was serious or not. all we DO have to go on is that he said something to this effect. in the absence of anything to contrary we have to take him at his word, no? anything else is just conjecture on your part. at least i am relying on something he actually said.

 

[Rab]

yes, i'm a "hater" . . . why do you people need to say these things. i don't hate dantoni i just see holes in his coaching philosophy. am i not allowed to discuss those without being called a hater? and why is it always those of us that want to discuss shortcomings that are called names? ridiculous.

as for the substance of your post (and yes, i suppose there is some beyond the name-calling), we have no way of knowing if he was serious or not. all we DO have to go on is that he said something to this effect. in the absence of anything to contrary we have to take him at his word, no? anything else is just conjecture on your part. at least i am relying on something he actually said.

There seems to be a lot of people here who won't allow anything negative about the Suns be said without labeling that person a "hater" or "not a true Suns fan", or whatever.

This team does have holes. Mike D'Antoni has made mistakes personel wise, and player development wise. Does that make him a horrible coach? No, or course not. I don't think many here are ungrateful for how he has helped changed the basketball scene here in the valley. He's a really good coach, but has even admitted to not knowing what to do with his rotation. That doesn't instill me with a lot of confidence as a fan. There is no question that his stubborness, and his short leash with bench players has hurt this team at times.

It's because of the above that I get a little uneasy when I hear him say Grant needs to shoot the 3, not to mention during the press conference he kept mentioning and cracking jokes about using a short rotation. Even if he was joking about it, nothing in his demeanor tells me he is going to change much in that regard. I think this is what generates the concern for some Suns fans. I think Steve Kerr is going to want to see more bench play, and if the lack therof keeps occuring, this is where D'Antoni's future is going to be questioned.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

There seems to be a lot of people here who won't allow anything negative about the Suns be said without labeling that person a "hater" or "not a true Suns fan", or whatever.

This team does have holes. Mike D'Antoni has made mistakes personel wise, and player development wise. Does that make him a horrible coach? No, or course not. I don't think many here are ungrateful for how he has helped changed the basketball scene here in the valley. He's a really good coach, but has even admitted to not knowing what to do with his rotation. That doesn't instill me with a lot of confidence as a fan. There is no question that his stuborness, and his short leash with bench players has hurt this team at times.

It's because of the above that I get a little uneasy when I hear him say Grant needs to shoot the 3, not to mention during the press conference he kept mentioning and cracking jokes about using a short rotation. Even if he was joking about it, nothing in his demeanor tells me he is going to change much in that regard. I think this is what generates the concern for some Suns fans. I think Steve Kerr is going to want to see more bench play, and if the lack therof keeps occuring, this is where D'Antoni's future is going to be questioned.

HARUMPH!