How is Mike Doing?

[slinslin]

Originally posted by sunsfn

The last part of this season will be a fun time to watch with Amare and Zarko back and playing.

Seriously Amare is pretty much the only real reason to watch these Suns.
When Amare plays it makes it much easier to swallow losses.

If he doesn't and we lose that really sucks.

 

[PhiLLmattiC]

What about Lenny Wilkins?

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by PhiLLmattiC
What about Lenny Wilkins?

Please say you are joking. I was too young to see Wilkins coach in his glory days, but I've haven't been impressed with what I've seen. He's the winningest coach of all time, but doesn't he also have the record for most losses?

I do like Mike D'Antoni's sense of humor. Check out this quote from the article on AZCentral about the big lineup.

"I've figured out what's wrong with us," D'Antoni said. "The problem is, when I coached in Europe we only played 40-minute games. If we were in Europe, we'd be 4-1 and I'd be a hero. I've got to figure out those last eight minutes. That's what's killing us."

Joe Mama

 

[dyle_ph1]

Originally posted by Joe Mama
Please say you are joking. I was too young to see Wilkins coach in his glory days, but I've haven't been impressed with what I've seen. He's the winningest coach of all time, but doesn't he also have the record for most losses?

I do like Mike D'Antoni's sense of humor. Check out this quote from the article on AZCentral about the big lineup.

"I've figured out what's wrong with us," D'Antoni said. "The problem is, when I coached in Europe we only played 40-minute games. If we were in Europe, we'd be 4-1 and I'd be a hero. I've got to figure out those last eight minutes. That's what's killing us."

Joe Mama

I've noticed that he has some very nice quotes every time he's interviewed. Hopefully the players don't take this as him not being serious about his job. Although it's nice that he makes fun of himself and admits his and the team's mistakes, the last thing the suns need is another laid back "player's" coach that will just let them play however they want to.

So far though, he's done a remarkable job of recognizing the team's weaknesses. Not yet on actually fixing them but he's having some progress. Like most of the people here, I'd like to see him utilize a full team to be able to really gauge him.

 

[Joe Mama]

Here is a very important excerpt from today's article on D'Antoni on AZCentral.


http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/1220dantoni1220.html

Another chance


By all accounts, it appears D'Antoni will get that chance. His contract is good through the end of next season. Suns President Bryan Colangelo confirmed that D'Antoni has been given a bump in pay, bringing his compensation package in line with head coaches.

"There is no 'interim' attached," Colangelo said. "He's our coach and he has a contract through next year."

In fact, Colangelo confirmed that agents representing some unemployed coaches have called to express interest in the job. They have been told there is no opening.

D'Antoni believes that his experience - and success - abroad can translate to the NBA. And this time he's going to stick around to try to prove it.

"It wasn't my intention to be a head coach right away," he said. "I was happy as hell being an assistant, especially with this group we have. But always in the back of your mind, if the opportunity presented itself - anywhere - I would have jumped on it.

"This is the last thing that I want to be successful at."

 

[F-Dog]

I've only been able to see one game (Portland), but like most everybody else, I like what I saw, for the same reasons--it seems like the Suns are playing smarter and taking advantage of their strengths. D'Antoni seems like a jovial guy, but at the same time he was willing to get in Marion's face when he made a couple of mental errors in a row.



I don't have any problem with trying D'Antoni because he's a Suns assistant, either. The only available name I would feel positive about is Pat Riley, and that's not going to happen for a number of reasons; most of the coaches I would have liked the Suns to get (like Carlisle and Bzdelik) were recently former assistants.

Besides, it looks like the C's were planning this for a while--that they essentially made their new coaching hire last summer. I like the fact that D'Antoni acquitted himself well in Denver, and his work in Italy speaks for itself, so I would be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt even if I hadn't been so encouraged with the Suns' play against Portland.



Without Amare and Zarko the Suns are a lottery team, no matter who's coaching them. I liked the way they looked against Portland much more than the last game I saw from the FJ era, though, so I'm relatively positive about the team's future, at least until the next game I'm able to catch.

 

[slinslin]

New Orleans 111 points
LA Clippers 106 points
SA Kings 107 points
Trailblazers 101 points
LA Lakers 107 points
Sonics 116 points

Suns-Sonics 92-91 OT
Suns-Rockets 102-87

In 8 games they allow more than 100 in 6 games, managed one lucky win at home against the Sonics because Rashard Lewis pulled a total choke job.

They beat the Rockets in Phoenix when the Rockets were on back to back games. That's their only real win under D'Antoni.

 

[Joe Mama]

Originally posted by slinslin
New Orleans 111 points
LA Clippers 106 points
SA Kings 107 points
Trailblazers 101 points
LA Lakers 107 points
Sonics 116 points

Suns-Sonics 92-91 OT
Suns-Rockets 102-87

In 8 games they allow more than 100 in 6 games, managed one lucky win at home against the Sonics because Rashard Lewis pulled a total choke job.

They beat the Rockets in Phoenix when the Rockets were on back to back games. That's their only real win under D'Antoni.

With the exception of last night's game against Seattle the Phoenix Suns have been there in the fourth quarter with a chance to win. They just haven't been able to get the job done. I still say they look a hell of a lot better under D'Antoni than they did with Frank Johnson. I also think you need to take a look at the teams they are playing.

The Suns could slow the game to a crawl and keep their opponents from scoring 100 points, but they would just lose 80-85 instead of 100-105. The fact is last year they were a team that barely got it done most nights, and right now without Amare and Zarko they're not getting quite enough. Also, last year I don't think the opposition was nearly as strong.

Again, who do you think would do a better job as head coach with his team in its current state?

BTW I don't buy this bull crap about how the Phoenix Suns should not have won that game against Seattle. Shawn Marion missed two free throws in that game and Marbury was 1-2. "If" they had just made two of those three missed shots by Suns would have won that in regulation. What "if" the Suns had made a few of the easy layups that they missed? No, it was not a runaway victory, but the Suns found a way to win the game.

Joe Mama

 

[Chaplin]

In my opinion, "should" and "could" are worthless, and an easy way for someone to load up on ammunition to blast a team for no reason.

 

[George O'Brien]

Until the Seattle game, the Suns were playing mostly good basketball. Their offense is much better than before, they are passing and getting assists, and their defense has mostly been better.

I suspect that the Sonics game was a fluke. The Sonics practically never missed from the oustide. As it was, there was one Sonics player hit a shot while almost flat on his back. It was that kind of day. None the less, the Suns will have to focus on learning to play better man defense.