Yo. Hope everybody's staying dry on this dreary Monday. A few things to check out as we begin an era under a new coach:
- J.E. Skeets has the best roundup of D'Antoni reactions (expect some D'Angst, D'Animosity, and D'Anger).
- The best one I've read comes from Knickerblogger, where David Crockett weighs the potential pros and cons of the D'Antoni hire. The team's probably not going to be anything special anytime soon with some serious changes, but we do have a number of young, useful players under the lumpy, misshapen surface. Also love this part:
Finally, the other thing I love is that it is relatively easy to find complimentary players for D’Antoni’s style at fairly reasonable prices. Raja Bell, James Jones, Anthony Parker, T.J. Ford, Kurt Thomas, and Boris Diaw were all basically considered minor acquisitions when they joined Phoenix or Toronto (Phoenix’s closest imitator).
Great point. D'Antoni's system is an excellent one for cheap nobodies to become somebodies. If you can run fast and hit a jump shot, you can probably make it with the Knicks now.
- The consensus in those not completely opposed to the hire is that D'Antoni is a tough, adaptable guy. He's got an odd career of proving himself, and all this hating from the cynical media just might stoke that fire. Howard Beck sums it up best.
- Is this move geared towards a future coup for LBJ? I can't say it isn't.
- In other news, the Dolans and Cablevision weren't satisfied with the amount of money they spent on D'Antoni, and have purchased Newsday. Considering that the company does a portion of the reporting on the Knicks, I'm wondering if anything is going to change around there...
That's all for now. Have a pleasant evening.