The 2018-2019 Around the NBA thread

[Yuma]

I'm gonna lol if the Nets end up striking out in free agency.

I think they are looking big big names, but this would be the year to take your shot because there are a lot of fall back players on the market. All the rumors flying around, they could end up a good team, and be seen as a failure.

 

[Mainstreet]

I'm gonna lol if the Nets end up striking out in free agency.

It's the Nets versus the Knicks!

 

[Covert Rain]

Sounds good, I have to make sure I can get my own mic to work how I want it to--haven't done any good testing yet.

Might be time to get a new one. I bought a mic just for podcasting. There are some reasonably priced ones good for podcasting.

Is it old or have you simply not used it?

 

[Chaplin]

Might be time to get a new one. I bought a mic just for podcasting. There are some reasonably priced ones good for podcasting.

Is it old or have you simply not used it?

Simply haven’t used it.

 

[Mainstreet]

Extension talks with D'Antoni have started again with the Rockets.


Tim MacMahon‏Verified account @espn_macmahon

Sources: The Rockets have rekindled extension discussions with coach Mike D'Antoni and are nearing an agreement. Houston owner Tilman Fertitta has removed the buyout language that was the sticking point when talks previously broke down.


8:08 AM - 8 Jun 2019

 

[Finito]

Extension talks with D'Antoni have started again with the Rockets.


Tim MacMahon‏Verified account @espn_macmahon

Sources: The Rockets have rekindled extension discussions with coach Mike D'Antoni and are nearing an agreement. Houston owner Tilman Fertitta has removed the buyout language that was the sticking point when talks previously broke down.


8:08 AM - 8 Jun 2019

Just banging your head against the wall hoping for different results.

However Toronto looked at there roster and said we got a really talented roster and the coach of the year but we can’t win it all like this time to make changes.

 

[Mainstreet]

Just banging your head against the wall hoping for different results.

However Toronto looked at there roster and said we got a really talented roster and the coach of the year but we can’t win it all like this time to make changes.

A lot of things had to go right for the Raptors. The Lakers added Lebron and didn't go anywhere.

 

[Sunburn]

Parting with D'antoni really worked out great for us. He's a good coach. Easy to say you'll get a better one, harder to do.

 

[Covert Rain]

Parting with D'antoni really worked out great for us. He's a good coach. Easy to say you'll get a better one, harder to do.

D’Antoni was his own worst enemy back then and last time I checked we have the same number of titles we had before he got here. Is he better than some of the bad coaches we have had? OK but the end game is still titles.

 

[Raindog]

D’Antoni was his own worst enemy back then and last time I checked we have the same number of titles we had before he got here. Is he better than some of the bad coaches we have had? OK but the end game is still titles.

This x1000...

It wasn't that D'Antoni was a bad coach. But he raised obstinacy to an art form. A classic case of a coach who would almost rather lose than do anything that amounts to admitting he isn't 100% right about everything.

 

[AzStevenCal]

This x1000...

It wasn't that D'Antoni was a bad coach. But he raised obstinacy to an art form. A classic case of a coach who would almost rather lose than do anything that amounts to admitting he isn't 100% right about everything.

This board for the most part is very anti-D'antoni and I don't typically agree with the criticisms but this one I do. But I also think the organization played a role in it though in the way they handled the situation. Neither side of it came out clean IMO.

 

[Sunburn]

As I said, D'antoni is a good coach and I think he can win a title. The problem for him right now is the Warriors are just a better, more talented team. If the Rockets let him walk, chances are they'll be replacing him with someone lesser, just like we did.

 

[Yuma]

I think D'Antoni would have been successful if we could have got an Ibacka on the squad with Amare and Nash. The Suns theory was score seven seconds or less, for more times than your opponenet. Not really a defensive philosophy other than wear them out!

 

[Mainstreet]

As I said, D'antoni is a good coach and I think he can win a title. The problem for him right now is the Warriors are just a better, more talented team. If the Rockets let him walk, chances are they'll be replacing him with someone lesser, just like we did.

The Suns had a pretty good team in front of them with the Spurs when they had D'Antoni as well.

 

[BC867]

As I said, D'antoni is a good coach and I think he can win a title. The problem for him right now is the Warriors are just a better, more talented team. If the Rockets let him walk, chances are they'll be replacing him with someone lesser, just like we did.

With his 7.5 man rotations, and huff-and-puff 7-seconds or less offense, and lack of defense, has he ever been a Coach for the post-season?

Or one to just put on a show during the regular season? His results, no matter which team, say the latter.

 

[Cheesebeef]

As I said, D'antoni is a good coach and I think he can win a title. The problem for him right now is the Warriors are just a better, more talented team.

I'm sorry. No. Just no. The problem for him is when the going gets tough for DA teams, DA team choke. Plain and simple. The Rockets without KD and Boogie are NOT a more talented team than the Rockets right now and that more talented Rockets team rolled over and died AFTER KD went out and got bitch-slapped out of the playoffs AT HOME facing a KD-less team. And last year couldn't beat that team when they were up 3-2 in a series with a game 7 at home one year. And before you bring up CP3's injury last year, again, that didn't seem to phase the less talented Warriors this year when DA choked per usual at the biggest moment.

If the Rockets let him walk, chances are they'll be replacing him with someone lesser, just like we did.

You DO remember that the Suns got back to the WCF the year in 2010, right? You DO realize that in DA's last year (2008) the Suns got embarrassed out of the playoffs in an ugly 4-1 series loss against the Spurs where his team all but rolled over and died after a heartbreaking loss in Game 1, to not only get smoked in Game 2 in SA but just get the SNOT KICKED OUT OF THEM AT HOME in a must win Game 3, right putting them down 3-0 and all but ending the series?

DA hadn't gotten to the WCF in two straight years. Porter was an abomination of a coach, but once they just put someone merely mediocre as coach (Gentry) they not only got back to the peak of DA's success and made the WCF, but that Gentry led team accomplished something DA NEVER could... beat the tar out of the Spurs in the playoffs.

DA is what he is. A coach that when given A TON of talent and MVP caliber players, can win a bunch of regular season games and ultimately underachieve in the playoffs. And when he doesn't have an MVP candidate, his teams are abysmal (Denver, LA, Knicks).

The complete and utter choke job by the Rockets cemented that legacy in stone this year. Arguing he can win a title when his team is completely healthy and couldn't beat a completely beat up Warriors team just wreaks of still not wanting to admit you were wrong that DA is anything more than a good regular season coach.

The Suns didn't fall apart because they let DA leave. Gentry proved if you weren't just a complete moron like Porter, Nash and Amare could get you back to the same heights with or without DA. The real reason they fell apart was because they were rightly afraid Amare's knee was going to do the same and so they parted ways. DA had nothing to do with that.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Parting with D'antoni really worked out great for us.

Actually, the coaching change DID work for us. In DA's last year, 2008, he got us smoked out of the first round in an ugly 4-1 series ass-whipping by the Spurs. Amir was injured in 2009 and when back and healthy in 2010, Gentry's team not only won the first round, but then did something DA NEVER could, kicking the crap out of the Spurs in a 4-0 SWEEP and got us back to the WCF, which was the peak under DA, but something DA hadn't even accomplished in his last two seasons.

It wasn't a coaching move that derailed the team. It was Amare's knees which we rightly didn't want to take a chance on. Gentry had already shown the ability to match going just as far as he did in the playoffs.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Actually, the coaching change DID work for us. In DA's last year, 2008, he got us smoked out of the first round in an ugly 4-1 series ass-whipping by the Spurs. Amir was injured in 2009 and when back and healthy in 2010, Gentry's team not only won the first round, but then did something DA NEVER could, kicking the crap out of the Spurs in a 4-0 SWEEP and got us back to the WCF, which was the peak under DA, but something DA hadn't even accomplished in his last two seasons.

It wasn't a coaching move that derailed the team. It was Amare's knees which we rightly didn't want to take a chance on. Gentry had already shown the ability to match going just as far as he did in the playoffs.

Gentry is a much better coach than the credit he gets.

 

[BC867]

I'm sorry. No. Just no. The problem for him is when the going gets tough for DA teams, DA team choke. Plain and simple. The Rockets without KD and Boogie are NOT a more talented team than the Rockets right now and that more talented Rockets team rolled over and died AFTER KD went out and got bitch-slapped out of the playoffs AT HOME facing a KD-less team. And last year couldn't beat that team when they were up 3-2 in a series with a game 7 at home one year. And before you bring up CP3's injury last year, again, that didn't seem to phase the less talented Warriors this year when DA choked per usual at the biggest moment.


You DO remember that the Suns got back to the WCF the year in 2010, right? You DO realize that in DA's last year (2008) the Suns got embarrassed out of the playoffs in an ugly 4-1 series loss against the Spurs where his team all but rolled over and died after a heartbreaking loss in Game 1, to not only get smoked in Game 2 in SA but just get the SNOT KICKED OUT OF THEM AT HOME in a must win Game 3, right putting them down 3-0 and all but ending the series?

DA hadn't gotten to the WCF in two straight years. Porter was an abomination of a coach, but once they just put someone merely mediocre as coach (Gentry) they not only got back to the peak of DA's success and made the WCF, but that Gentry led team accomplished something DA NEVER could... beat the tar out of the Spurs in the playoffs.

DA is what he is. A coach that when given A TON of talent and MVP caliber players, can win a bunch of regular season games and ultimately underachieve in the playoffs. And when he doesn't have an MVP candidate, his teams are abysmal (Denver, LA, Knicks).

The complete and utter choke job by the Rockets cemented that legacy in stone this year. Arguing he can win a title when his team is completely healthy and couldn't beat a completely beat up Warriors team just wreaks of still not wanting to admit you were wrong that DA is anything more than a good regular season coach.

The Suns didn't fall apart because they let DA leave. Gentry proved if you weren't just a complete moron like Porter, Nash and Amare could get you back to the same heights with or without DA. The real reason they fell apart was because they were rightly afraid Amare's knee was going to do the same and so they parted ways. DA had nothing to do with that.

That is an accurate and perfect response! Mike D'Antoni relies on gimmicks. He is a showman. He wears down his players. He doesn't build balanced teams or strong playoff teams.

 

[boisesuns]

I agree with the general assessment of DA’s coaching shortcomings, but there’s also some very “Spurs” things that got in the way of the suns teams. It was only part of the equation but there was certainly a few events that lead to us not being able to get over the hump:

-the Horry hip check
-“leaving the bench” (see above)
-floppinobili
-Bruce Bowen
-probably some corrupt refs...right?
-Joey Crawford?!

Am I missing anything?

 

[SirStefan32]

My problem with D'Antoni was always his stubbornness. He refused to adjust year after year. It's no coincidence that the Suns were not able to beat the Sprus until D'Antoni was gone. How did they do it? By having an actual second unit instead of playing a seven-player rotation. I don't even think he didn't know how to adjust- he simply refused to adjust because he was convinced that his way would eventually work.

 

[Mainstreet]

Knicks workout Tacko Fall. They have the #55 pick in the second round in addition to #3.

 

[Hoop Head]

I agree with the general assessment of DA’s coaching shortcomings, but there’s also some very “Spurs” things that got in the way of the suns teams. It was only part of the equation but there was certainly a few events that lead to us not being able to get over the hump:

-the Horry hip check
-“leaving the bench” (see above)
-floppinobili
-Bruce Bowen
-probably some corrupt refs...right?
-Joey Crawford?!

Am I missing anything?

Add Nash's bloody nose from the 07 Spurs series, game 1. Had the trainers been able to sew that up so Nash could have played throughout the remainder of the game without being pulled repeatedly, as well as all of the stops in play, the Suns could have won that game and that swings the momentum in the Suns favor. The Suns did win game 2, both of those games were in Phoenix. Suns lost game 111-106 but the score was 100-99 Spurs when Nash's nose exploded.

Video of that game...

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That doesn't feel like 12 years ago. That seems like yesterday, in a way, it still stings like it happened yesterday.

 

[Ronin]

Add Nash's bloody nose from the 07 Spurs series, game 1. Had the trainers been able to sew that up so Nash could have played throughout the remainder of the game without being pulled repeatedly, as well as all of the stops in play, the Suns could have won that game and that swings the momentum in the Suns favor. The Suns did win game 2, both of those games were in Phoenix. Suns lost game 111-106 but the score was 100-99 Spurs when Nash's nose exploded.

Video of that game...

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

That doesn't feel like 12 years ago. That seems like yesterday, in a way, it still stings like it happened yesterday.

You can also add Joe Johnson breaking his face during the playoffs. If only we had JJ for the whole Spurs series.

 

[GatorAZ]

You can also add Joe Johnson breaking his face during the playoffs. If only we had JJ for the whole Spurs series.

I think Raja’s calf injury vs Dallas the next year was more significant than JJ in 05’.