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Let D’Antoni Coach By Christopher Sells
11.4.2008 - Updated on 11.4.2008
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If you take a look at the Knicks’ season stats page, you’ll find only 11 players listed. No big deal right? It just means that Mike D’Antoni just hasn’t gotten around to playing that 12th man yet. It is pretty early in the season after all. New York has only played three games this season. That unlucky player has 79 more chances to feel like a real NBA player.
A closer look reveals this, however. The players on New York’s roster who haven’t seen the court outside of practice and warmups are Jerome James, Eddy Curry, Jared Jeffries and Stephon Marbury. Those players will earn a combined $42.8 million this year. Yes, really.
To be clear, Jeffries is out with a broken leg suffered in a preseason practice but should return near the end of the month. Curry is listed with a bruised knee, though he was never in the Knicks’ rotation in the first place. James took Curry’s spot on the roster but is unlikely to get any playing time. And Marbury’s saga has been well-chronicled by much of the local, and even national, media.
Here’s my point though: Why does it matter? Who cares? Joey Dorsey hasn’t seen a minute in his young career with the Rockets and no one seems to have noticed. Sure it’s because he’s a relatively unknown rookie and plays behind an established froncourt. But the coach is the person who has decided that he hasn’t deserved time just yet.
This brings me back to D’Antoni. When he was hired last year, it was very clear that changes would be made on the team. So in the cases of Curry, James and Marbury, it’s not completely surprising that they haven’t played. D’Antoni-coached teams play uptempo, which requires a great deal of conditioning and a point guard who can push the ball and make good decisions.
Those three players, at least according to D’Antoni, don’t fit his plans. It’s his team and he’s allowed to make those decisions, right? He is the guy who has been watching them play and judging their abilities since he took the job. If anyone should know, it would be him.
However, there have been differing opinions from fans and even from the front office. Donnie Walsh has been interviewed and is expressing that there needs to be some sort of compromise in the Marbury situation and the NBA Players Association is rumored to be involved. Sure, he’s probably a better player than Chris Duhon and Nate Robinson. Yes, he’s currently making nearly $21 million to sit on the bench in street clothes. But that’s the coach’s decision right?
Clearly coaching isn’t what it used to be. In the NBA, the head coach is expected to manage players’ egos and situations while still putting forth a quality on-court product. When the team doesn’t perform as expected, the coach is typically the first person to take the blame. Never mind that he isn’t the person lacing up his sneakers and playing, he’s going to get canned most times because it’s easier to replace a coach than to overhaul your roster.
In the case of the Knicks, people should really let D’Antoni do this his way. He’s only been at this for three regular-season games. What he’s doing might just work out, but even if it doesn’t, let him have some time to implement his system. He has already been yanked from his Corvette and forced to drive a Hyundai. Give him some time to get used to driving a four cylinder and make some upgrades where he feels they are necessary.
In the meantime, everyone should let the Knicks be the Knicks. They are what they have been in the past and what most logical minds expected they would be so far this year. But it’s still early. When things turn around, everyone will know it. Until then, let D’Antoni do his job his way.
[image:http://www.flickr.com/photos/andynugent/] |
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Posted by
Sami A
on 11.6.2008 | It’s pretty obvious the Knicks aren’t going anywhere this season, even with Marbury...So why would you put a guy in the lineup who is going to take away shots from other developing players? Zach Randolph in the lineup should be enough . | Posted by
SitMarbury
on 11.5.2008 | The Knicks hired D’Antoni to help improve this team. He didn’t choose this roster, he was stuck with it. Marbury has always been a selfish ballhog and hasn’t helped any team he’s been on win, because ballhog point guards generally don’t. It doesn’t matter how much money he makes, he still needs to earn his spot on the court. It would be stupid of D’Antoni to play guys who don’t fit into his system just because of how much money they make. If the people paying the bills don’t like it, too fu*^ing bad...they should have known better than to pay so many lazy and/or selfish players so much money then. . | Posted by
kenny
on 11.5.2008 | they should still let him play what do they think "theyll be conteders" yeah ok news flash dantoni youll never turn the knicks in to a contender let him play you wont do any better or any worse with em . | Posted by
don’t matter
on 11.4.2008 | Marbury has been a loser everywhere he’s gone,they’ll lose with or without him. Weird they would let him stay instead of parting ways, either way your cap space clears . | Posted by
wasted talent
on 11.4.2008 | I hate sports now. They waste so much money. You pay players millions to not play, but you lay-off everyday workers. The pacers, knicks and any other team paying players to not contribute are being stupid. Let the players play elsewhere if they have no value to your team, you’re paying them anyway. They won’t let him go cuz they know he still has game, and would destroy their whole team . | Posted by
Halloween 24/7
on 11.4.2008 | The ghost of Isaiah lives. He is still in the offices haunting the decision makers. To make sure they carry on his legacy as a questionable decision maker. This franchise is a joke and doesn’t deserve a large market . | Posted by
I Hate New York
on 11.4.2008 | I can’t believe the knicks are just gonna let him sit. Oh we’ll play Steph if Crawford, Duhon, or Robinson is hurt. Than he’s good enough to contribute. That’s fu*ked up. He needs to be on the court, and I give credit to Steph he has been humble about it, I’m sure he wants to blow up about it. The other gurads do the same sh*t as Marbury but he has to sit because his contract is coming up. The Knicks continue to show why they are idioits and waste fans money. They deserve to suck for many years to come. . | Posted by
Reggie Chapelle
on 11.4.2008 | It figures this homer would use a Rocket for an example. It is a weak example at that. Joey Dorsey? Come on man, you could do better than that. Coaches are the decision makers on the courtside and play who they see fit. Problem is Mike said publicly that Steph is capable of helping the ball club out while he is here, but he’s not going to give that opportunity because he’s not in future plans. That’s stupid and when big spending fans especially in NY hear this, of course they have a right to be upset, they’re the ones helping to support the crappy product. Duhon and Robinson don’t put people in sits, Marbury does. Curry and James suck so who gives a crap about them. Rose sucks but still gets 10 minutes. That’s part of Mikes problem he plays the same 7-8 guys when he has a roster of 12. Guys get burnt out by mid-season than dealing with his I’m always right attitude doesn’t help. He was a good coach because he had a good team. He is not coach that can go everywhere and win. I’ll give him his whole contract and he still won’t take the knicks past the second round . | Posted by
LaQuinta
on 11.4.2008 | I like Michael Sells points better than Chris Sells. Although I to see what he was trying to get at. Mike is known to be a jerk towards others just because of grudges. That is unprofessional and will continue to rub people the wrong way by doing it, fans, management, players, his own assistants. They were better off with Mark Jackson or Avery Johnson . | Posted by
Michael Sells
on 11.4.2008 | I see where you are trying to go with this. However the situation is Mike has people that he works under like most of us in this world. If the person over your head has a problem with something you’re doing, then you need to get it corrected. Walsh and Dolan don’t really want to pay a guy $22 mil to sit around, when he is capable of contributing. Mike said well Steph’s contract is up at the end of the season and he clearly doesn’t have a future with us, so I’ll just sit him. Unless you’re writing that check personally I’d have a problem with it. Many fans are razing Mike about Steph because they see a guy who is capable of playing and should be playing. People pay big money to see the best players and entertainment. Steph provides both. Just looking at an article on this site earlier, Steph spent a million of his own cash to put people in the sits. Yes the coach should be allowed to coach, but to take it upon himself to sit the best players just because you can is nonsense. Curry and James clearly don’t belong on the court, they are overpaid and overrated and are very inconsistent. Steph has been disrespected by Mike and it carries over from the suns days, which is wrong on Mikes part. People should be a little upset , Mike is an Ego guy that’s why he had to leave phoenix. He’ll never win a championship with his coaching style so I could careless about him, he too is now overpaid and soon people will see he is overrated . |
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