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[Arizona's Finest]

He had a bad attitude.

Anyway, I can't believe the thought process of some people here. Do you really think D'Antoni is mad that Banks played well because somehow it makes him look bad?

Wow.

Thats not what I am saying at all and as I stated I am one of DA's biggest supporters.

However, intentional or not, last night's press conference was a mighty big faux paux on Mike's part.

Next time a simple "Atta boy Marcus" will suffice.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Looks like DA reads the board

In todays Republic:

Banks: Let's do it again

After Banks hit his first two 3-pointers against Denver, he thought, "Why not keep shooting?" He finished with a season-high 23 points, hitting 7 of 8 from behind the arc.

"I would love to do it again," Banks said. "You know what I mean? I had a blast. It was fun getting back out there on the court, having a good time and helping contribute to this win."

Banks has spent most of the season on the edge of D'Antoni's rotation, playing only because of other players' foul troubles or injuries. That could change, D'Antoni said, and not just because of Banks' recent shooting. He praised Banks' shot selection, his perimeter defense and overall awareness.

"We need him," D'Antoni said. "That's why we got him. Now it's up to him. And if he plays like that, he's going to play. There's no doubt about that."

Said Banks: "Whenever he needs me, I'm coming in and giving 110 percent."

 

[green machine]

Thats not what I am saying at all and as I stated I am one of DA's biggest supporters.

However, intentional or not, last night's press conference was a mighty big faux paux on Mike's part.

Next time a simple "Atta boy Marcus" will suffice.

D'Antoni isn't stupid (despite what many of you think), and I imagine the way he handles egos is one of his strengths. That said, I don't think what he said about Marcus' game was a mistake or a faux paux. I think he was trying to say that yeah, it was one game, but let's see it consistently before we talk about taking minutes from the proven regulars.

 

[mojorizen7]

D'Antoni isn't stupid (despite what many of you think), and I imagine the way he handles egos is one of his strengths. That said, I don't think what he said about Marcus' game was a mistake or a faux paux. I think he was trying to say that yeah, it was one game, but let's see it consistently before we talk about taking minutes from the proven regulars.

I prefer the adjective "stubborn arrogance" when describing my opinion of D'Antoni.
If you believe that DA meant that he'd like to see some consistency from Banks before giving him regular rotation minutes....wasn't that the plan in the off-season? The last two years?
DA has had many opportunities to give Banks a chance to prove his worth.However, for some reason he hasn't provided those opportunities
so therefore how is DA going to find what he's looking for from Banks?
There's no logic there.

 

[Griffin]

DA has had many opportunities to give Banks a chance to prove his worth.However, for some reason he hasn't provided those opportunities
so therefore how is DA going to find what he's looking for from Banks?
There's no logic there.

Are you saying Banks was never given an opportunity to play in the last two years? Not once last season? What about the first eight games of this season? Banks had a number of opportunities to prove himself with this organization and until now he squandered them all.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

He had a bad attitude.

Anyway, I can't believe the thought process of some people here. Do you really think D'Antoni is mad that Banks played well because somehow it makes him look bad?

Wow.

When his responses are:

We cant expect banks to do that every game.
Ask raja bell if he's ok with banks getting his minutes.

It absolutely STINKS of bitterness. There was no praise for Banks, not even a hint of tough love, just indifference. How is that coaching?

On top of saying banks doesnt play because he jacks up shots, turns the ball over, and fouls too often. Yet barbosa has become a black hole, cant even really PLAY defense, and is way too turnover prone when playing point. But he still gets his time on the floor. Its contradictory.

Or how about how Diaw still gets 20+ minutes per game even though he has been jacking up more 18foot bricks this season than ever before, not to mention his points, rebounds, AND assists are shockingly lower than they should be. isnt diaw's performance more benchworth than banks' efforts?

How about accusing the fans of not being into the game while we hear reports of chemistry problems in the locker room that he has yet to control

How about claiming the fans flipflop on the regular season, saying we want them to take it easy then criticizing their play, all while dantoni cant figure out his take on it.

How about slogans of "enjoy the ride" and comments that he is focusing on enjoying the regular season and not take it as seriously as last year, yet refuses to play the rookies more than 60 seconds at a time, who have been absolutely demolishing the d-league.

Or how about the constant broken record of saying skinner is doing well and will be playing more, yet still cant even crack a 15 minute average per game

He WANTS to play a 7 man rotation, yet makes it sound like he has no choice. He creates his own drama and completely lacks the genetic code that factors in rationality and foresight into decision making.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Are you saying Banks was never given an opportunity to play in the last two years? Not once last season? What about the first eight games of this season? Banks had a number of opportunities to prove himself with this organization and until now he squandered them all.

He is talking subjectively and youre responding objectively. Of course Banks was on the floor a few times last year, but claiming those first few games and 3 minute episodes every 10 games could be argued to be far from an "opportunity."

 

[mojorizen7]

Are you saying Banks was never given an opportunity to play in the last two years? Not once last season? What about the first eight games of this season? Banks had a number of opportunities to prove himself with this organization and until now he squandered them all.

By opportunities do you mean "Alright Banks,get in there and maintain this lead, run the offense that we run with Nashy, BUT don't take any bad shot's, and absolutely DON'T turn the ball over because if you do i'm going to yank you right back out and sit you on the bench for another 2 weeks."
Give me a break dude. Banks has not been allowed to develope and grow within this offense like say........Barbosa who's D'Antonis little pet who was allowed to take bad shots and play out of control and STILL get minutes. Playoff minutes no doubt!
Barbosa was ALLOWED to develop and find his role. That hasn't happened near enough with Banks is what i'm sayin.
So after Banks fails to become a solid back-up to Nash after 8 games(you said) it's good practice as a head coach to just say... [DA]"Ok Marcus,i've quit on you. You're not good enough."
Hell no. This guy has some talent and we're payin him a pretty paycheck so....
I say... [DA]"Put the work in Marcus and i'll get you into the rotation and we'll work to where we need to be."
So what if it cost's us a couple games along the way?
Some say DA doesn't like or get along with Banks.
Uh...who was the GM that went out and got him? Maybe Mike didn't do his homework to well or wasn't there for the interview process? I don't know.

 

[mojorizen7]

Damn, Y.J.G.S. has got my back on this one? Cover your heads...the sky is falling!

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[Griffin]

He is talking subjectively and youre responding objectively. Of course Banks was on the floor a few times last year, but claiming those first few games and 3 minute episodes every 10 games could be argued to be far from an "opportunity."

By opportunities do you mean "Alright Banks,get in there and maintain this lead, run the offense that we run with Nash, BUT don't take any bad shot's, and absolutely DON'T turn the ball over because if you do i'm going to yank you right bak out and sit you on the bench for another 2 weeks."
Give me a break dude. Banks has not been allowed to develope and grow within this offense like say........Barbosa who's D'Antonis little pet who was allowed to take bad shots and play out of control and STILL get minutes. Playoff minutes no doubt!
Barbosa was ALLOWED to develop and find his role. That hasn't happened near enough with Banks is what i'm sayin.
So after Banks fails to become a solid back-up to Nash after 8 games(you said) it's good practice as a head coach to just say... [DA]"Ok Marcus,i've quit on you. You're not good enough."
Hell no. This guy has some talent and we're payin him a pretty paycheck so....
I say... [DA]"Put the work in Marcus and i'll get you into the rotation and we'll work to where we need to be."
So what if it cost's us a couple games along the way?
Some say DA doesn't like or get along with Banks.
Uh...who was the GM that went out and got him? Maybe Mike didn't do his homework to well or wasn't there for the interview process? I don't know.

With regards to LB, Barbosa was already here when D'Antoni took over. He was already a rotation player, he didn't take anyone's minutes.

And the eight games I referred to were at the start of this season. Last season, Banks played in each of the first 19 games. That was his first opportunity. Yes, it was unreasonable to expect him to carry Nash's load, but his performance in those games was still very disappointing. He was given another chance later that season when he played in 11 consecutive games. He showed that he can score, though not consistently. He didn't get his teammates involved, and forced up some bad shots. It was clear he wasn't going to work out for us at point guard. Blame the front office for thinking he could play point in our system, blame DA for not realizing sooner that Banks needs to play off the ball more, but don't blame him for not giving Banks an opportunity to fulfill the role he was specifically acquired for.

This year, Banks wasn't asked to carry the offense. He was simply asked to take good shots, shoot the ball relatively well, and play tough D. In your opinion, did he do any of this at the start of the season? You can always argue that if Banks was given 30 minutes a game every night like LB then he would prove himself, but on a 60-win team with established all-stars and role players those type of minutes are not earned easily. If Banks did his job in his 10-15 minutes a game earlier in the season, his minutes would probably increase and Diaw's, Bell's, Hill's and Barbosa's decrease some as a result. But Banks didn't show much consistency in those games either.

Now here's another chance. After the failed experiment at point guard, I begun to envision him as an Eddie House type player, being able to provide instant offense off the bench. The defense would be a bonus. But House only averaged 17 minutes a game that season with Phoenix. In my opinion, Banks needs to show that he can perform at a consistent level regardless of the amount of minutes he plays. If he does that, his minutes will slowly increase and he will be part of the regular rotation.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Damn, Y.J.G.S. has got my back on this one? Cover your heads...the sky is falling!

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I have justice's back, if you happen to be on that side, then welcome aboard!

 

[mojorizen7]

With regards to LB, Barbosa was already here when D'Antoni took over. He was already a rotation player, he didn't take anyone's minutes.

Are you telling me that when DA took over this team that Barbosa was already an established reg rotation player that showed he could come in and not make continous mistakes? Thats simply not true.
Whom developed Barbosa into the player he is today?
He was a guy with alot of speed and not much of a game when he got here.

And the eight games I referred to were at the start of this season.

I realize those are the games you're speaking of.

This year, Banks wasn't asked to carry the offense. He was simply asked to take good shots, shoot the ball relatively well, and play tough D. In your opinion, did he do any of this at the start of the season?

Not entirely no. My point is do what you're payed to do Mike...coach somebody! Look at it this way. Are there back-up PG's out there right now that are playing at the level that Banks has to this point?
I say yes. And those "not so effective PG's are getting more regular minutes than Banks is/has. Why? Probably because they're needed to eat minutes for the starter, or get coached, or because thats what that particular squad has got to work with. You don't give up on a guy who you brought in,who's shown flashes at times, who you need to rest your aging starter, and who's carrying a hefty contract.

If Banks did his job in his 10-15 minutes a game earlier in the season, his minutes would probably increase and Diaw's, Bell's, Hill's and Barbosa's decrease some as a result.

Maybe. I seriously doubt that but i can't say. I believe that Diaw would have to get traded or break both legs to get off of DA's ridiculously short rotation.

 

[mojorizen7]

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Why am i posting on the NUGGETS at SUNS thread? I didn't even see the game.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

I posted a game replay, slacker.

 

[Griffin]

Are you telling me that when DA took over this team that Barbosa was already an established reg rotation player that showed he could come in and not make continous mistakes? Thats simply not true.
Whom developed Barbosa into the player he is today?
He was a guy with alot of speed and not much of a game when he got here.

I meant that Barbosa was part of the rotation, meaning he played some meaningful minutes every game. But remember that when D'Antoni took over we were a horrible team and there was plenty minutes to go around. After Marbury was traded, Barbosa became our starting point guard by default and logged around 30 minutes a game. So yeah, he was a regular rotation player even though his role, and his minutes, shrank considerably when Nash arrived the following season. Banks wasn't afforded the same opportunity because he came to a team where most of the roles (except for the backup point, which was his to earn) were already established.

Are there back-up PG's out there right now that are playing at the level that Banks has to this point?
I say yes. And those "not so effective PG's are getting more regular minutes than Banks is/has. Why? Probably because they're needed to eat minutes for the starter, or get coached, or because thats what that particular squad has got to work with. You don't give up on a guy who you brought in,who's shown flashes at times, who you need to rest your aging starter, and who's carrying a hefty contract.

Obviously if we had completely given on on Banks, he wouldn't be playing right now. My point is that he hasn't shown enough so far to warrant LB-type playing time, but I am all for giving him the opportunity to contribute, so long as he can do so in limited minutes, because I too believe we need more depth.

I believe that Diaw would have to get traded or break both legs to get off of DA's ridiculously short rotation.

But Diaw is a front-court player and there are more minutes available there than at guard. He still gets 25 minutes a game but that is six fewer than last season even though we aren't any deeper at those positions.

 

[msdundee]

From Jerry Brown's column today:

"D'Antoni is also trying to win a championship and keep harmony on the floor, and Banks' minus-160 plus/minus rating last year left the coach no alternative but to bury Banks on the Phoenix bench.

"I told Marcus before this season, 'We needed you last year, and we need you this year,' " D'Antoni said. "The guy has all the athletic talent in the world. But he has to do things within the context of what we're trying to accomplish as a team. Lately, he's done a much better job of that."

For fans, the seven 3-pointers Banks nailed and the 23 points he scored in just 20 minutes during Monday's 137-115 rout of Denver jump out. In his last five games dating back to Dec. 22, Banks has hit 14 of 21 3-pointers (67 percent) and averaged 11 points in just 15.6 minutes.

But D'Antoni likes that Banks is playing more under control (two turnovers in his last 60 minutes). He likes the energy and defensive intensity Banks used to annoy Denver's Allen Iverson on Monday - and the added offensive threat is a great bonus, leading the coach to say he's committed to finding consistent minutes for Banks.

"Right now, he's a plus if he's going to play that way," D'Antoni said. "I'm excited about what I've seen, but I don't want to get too excited yet. If he plays this well, and he earns time that cuts into what other people are getting, so be it."

.......

If Banks' bench time last year was part of the learning process, it wasn't wasted. The same has happened with other players who make a move and have problems adjusting to a different style of play. Now Marcus knows what they need/want from him, and D'Antoni likes what he's seen in the past several games. The energy is there along with some good defense and -- most important -- he's moving the ball much better. Banks has some size, he's strong, and he plays hard. We know he wants the playing time, and a couple of good games can be all it takes to turn on the light bulb. With the rest of the season to build on that and increase the comfort level when he's on the floor, he could be a real asset in the post season.

 

[Arizona's Finest]

The comments DA made in todays papers make me think he realized he was a little to harsh on Banks after the game and has been making up for it since.

Points awarded: YJGS, Mojo, AF

Points taken away: Griffen, Green Machine

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

Read Jerry's column earlier, Dantoni has just pulled one of the more impressive Dr Jekyll/Mr. Hyde impersonations I have experienced in recent years.

 

[DeAnna]

He had a bad attitude.

What I always heard was that he was not a good 'practice' guy - didn't put in the extra work. By his own admission, Banks is putting in the extra work now (he was on radio yesterday).

Coach Mike said himself 'he knows what he needs to do - not turn the ball over, be a good team guy, and play good defense."

Sounds pretty simple to me. That's how you can earn the coaches trust.

 

[nowagimp]

What I always heard was that he was not a good 'practice' guy - didn't put in the extra work. By his own admission, Banks is putting in the extra work now (he was on radio yesterday).

Coach Mike said himself 'he knows what he needs to do - not turn the ball over, be a good team guy, and play good defense."

Sounds pretty simple to me. That's how you can earn the coaches trust.

LB went through the same thing, he needed to play under control, limit the turnovers, and pass the ball effectively before he got the PT. Banks looks much more deliberative this year, he's watching the defensive alignments when he handles the ball. His shooting form also looks much better, he sets his feet nicely before shooting. I even remember Joe Johnson going through the same learning process. Banks could be a real bright spot this year as his reactions become reflex.

 

[Errntknght]

Barbs never received the kind of treatment that Banks did even though he fell totally apart when he was asked to be the the backup to Nash. And he was a bad defender - he was targeted by opponents. Quick guys blew by him for a steady stream of 'and 1s' and bigger guys backed him down. Over the course of a year with his own personal coach and steady PT he gradually improved at playing under control and passing the ball reasonably well at times. He got much better at finishing and even developed a bit of mid-range game. Defensively his progress was slower but he did improve though he's still an average defender at best. All this time he got nothing but kind words from Mike - at least in the quotes we saw.

What Mike said about Banks after the Denver game was appalling - and it was hilarious that he chose Raja to mention as the one who might lose PT. Raja, who has been complaining that D'A was forcing him to play injured - and looking just like that on the floor.

Playing time should not be an issue with anyone on the team except for Shawn Marion - who is playing for a contract. Amare is self limiting and he isn't even in shape. Diaw doesn't earn what he gets now and Barbosa is having lots of off games - possibly due to a nagging injury. Nash, Bell and Hill will only benefit from less wear and tear. We can't keep the tempo up for 48 minutes and its not really up to speed except for relatively short bursts. Banks could easily get 20 minutes per game - and if he doesn't perform then DJ and/or Tucker ought to get them.

IMO, all three of them should get minutes so we're better prepared for every contingency. Keep giving them more until the team is playing entire games at a maximum tempo. It may not be enough to win it all but its the only chance this team has. The good news is that Banks and DJ are very good defenders - just think they could cut down the number of times Amare has to go chasing after a guard on the perimeter, picking up useless, silly fouls and wasting energy better spent defending the paint.

 

[cly2tw]

The good news is that Banks and DJ are very good defenders - just think they could cut down the number of times Amare has to go chasing after a guard on the perimeter, picking up useless, silly fouls and wasting energy better spent defending the paint.

I drool over this outlook! Amare has become a beast to protect the basket. His main problem is positioning after helping out on defense and smarts at boxing out. With Banks type of perimeter defense, it's only one left, and he is learning from failure on boxing out for sure.