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If D'Antoni is smart, he will coach the Knicks to slow down the tempo of the game, give hard fouls, and play tough defense. As Pat Riley proved it in the 1990's, that's the best way to coach the Thugs of Madison Square Gardens.
Any coach that tries to get those hoodlums to run has failed miserably. Don Nelson is a case in point.
Fortunately, the Eastern Conference is weak enough, that simply playing tough defense is good enough to give you a chance at the Playoffs.
Of course, D'Antoni is smart with offense too, so tough defense plus even an average offense is not bad in the East.
- JL

Jay L. | 05/12/08, 05:30 AM

Looks as if the Lakers are having a little trouble with the Jazz.
Arejaydub - is it still "Lovely in Lakerland" ??
- JL

Jay L. | 05/12/08, 07:41 AM

IT LOVELY IN... oh sorry, wrong thread.
Knicks = money. Players = money. Don't see a problem.

pencilneckgeek | 05/12/08, 08:05 AM

Yeah, I don't see a problem here. The Knicks are bad on the court but they aren't cheap. D'Antoni is getting a nice payday and an owner who will spend to bring in whatever players are needed. As long as Isiah isn't calling the shots anymore the Knicks are on the right track.

notbychoice | 05/12/08, 08:25 AM

And the turn around of this noble franchise begins.......err....lets at least get respect next year..........geez

jackman! | 05/12/08, 08:39 AM

So long you still got Loserbury, they won't even make playoffs whoever the coach might be. Go get a legit PG who can PASS

ESPN | 05/12/08, 08:58 AM

I love my Knicks always have and always will *knocks on wood and takes a grain of salt* *sigh...* Anyway they simply don't have the line-up to run the "run and gun" There is only two guys on that entire roster that even have an idea of what they are doing, Crawford and Lee. I don't trust Marburry (even though he was with phoenix during the early run and gun), Nate could be a great off the bench PG to run the O but needs better coaching (D'Antoni could be the guy) and Curry.....don't even get me started on that lardo. He needs a treadmill badly, a pet project for Mikey Do for sure, ah well, GO KNICKS! *takes another slip from the flask*

SuperHero3 | 05/12/08, 09:00 AM

D'Antoni (and Isiah) get a fat paycheck while the team has another early vacation next April. This team needs an overall shakeup and shakedown before they'll rise anywhere. The players are too lazy and will have a hangover from the environment they've had to live in this year (Isiah's carnival funhouse).

ToM | 05/12/08, 10:32 AM

How will D'Antoni coach Knicks? Poorly! The Knicks have made no mention of trades or buyouts. Walsh is dumber than I thought he was if he thinks a new coach is going to revive this group of misfits.

Hllywd: Old Schoolin' | 05/12/08, 11:55 AM

"D'Antoni (and Isiah) get a fat paycheck while the team has another early vacation next April. This team needs an overall shakeup and shakedown before they'll rise anywhere. The players are too lazy and will have a hangover from the environment they've had to live in this year (Isiah's carnival funhouse)."

I agree for the most part- but EVERYONE knows this already

The Knicks future is simple-
1) teach the younger players - who might still be around in 3 yrs- how to play
2) EAT & wait out the horrible contracts we have

we will hopefully improve under a coach with a system - yes he had fantastic players....but wins are wins- he WINS.

Next year is another early exit
2 years HOPEFULLY we make it in the playiffs
3 years we HOPEFULLY can be a 3-5 seed
4 years- we can start thinking titles

jgb | 05/12/08, 11:59 AM

The best question is can Mike hold up during the MSG fans constant tirade on winning? I don't think this will be a good fit and Mike will definitely have to be able to take a lot of criticism. The best I can do is pray for him. He will need divine help to get through this nightmare.

Earl "The Pearle"

Earl "The Pearle" | 05/12/08, 12:01 PM

the overpaid lineup can't really do anything,.

I Like Turtles | 05/12/08, 12:03 PM

Has he guaranteed a championship yet?

Drunk Eli is Gold! | 05/12/08, 12:12 PM

I wonder if he's already told Walsh "we're the better team" yet?

ToM | 05/12/08, 12:17 PM

we will hopefully improve under a coach with a system - yes he had fantastic players....but wins are wins- he WINS.
jgb | 05/12/08, 11:59 AM

The success or failure of a coach, is going to be determined by the personnel on the floor. This time last year, Celtic fans wanted Doc Rivers head on a platter. Enter, Garnett and Allen. Now Rivers is the runner-up for coach of the year. You don't replace Nash, Stoudemire, and Diaw with Marbury, Lee, and Robinson. Oh yeah; and back them up with Jared Jeffries, Jerome James and Q Rich. D'Antoni will be lucky to win 30 games.

Hllywd: Old Schoolin' | 05/12/08, 12:33 PM

D'Antoni may fail. He definitely will not do well at the early start but he is a talented figure. If Walsh can make the manuvers maybe in year two or three of this deal, results can come in.

J. HOVA: ALL FOR THE LOVE | 05/12/08, 12:50 PM

Nobody in NY expects D'Antoni to turn this team around next year. The talent just isn't there, and nobody else wants them. These contracts will be eaten.

The hope is that over the next couple of years Walsh and D'Antoni draft and coach a better group of players toward better results.

If you think he's a fool for taking this job, think again. There are NO expectations, only upside. It's an ideal task for a guy with patience and confidence to build a team from scratch. If he fails, the team sucked anyway. If he succeeds, he's a genius.

Yankee64 | 05/12/08, 01:11 PM

Here are some possible solutions that may help the "rebuilding":

1. They might get the #1 pick in the draft and they can get Derrick Rose

2. See if Milwaukee will revisit trading for Zach

How bout Zach and Q for Charlie V, Simmons, and Gadzuric

3. See if Miami will trade Ricky Davis for Curry; Davis could fit into D'Antoni's system

I know these are long-shots but stranger things have happened

BigBooth | 05/12/08, 01:21 PM

Im not a Knicks fan but as a LeBron fan, I could be knocking on the NY fan club. Could you imagine if NY gets the number 1 pick (and takes Rose not Beasly as Beasly would not compliment D'A's style) this year then they will have time to groom him next year and maybe by the time 2010 rolls around they'll have cleared some cap space in order to obtain King James.

As a Cleveland fan (because of King James) it is just me facing reality.

Big Mike Dizzle | 05/12/08, 01:49 PM

Give the guy a chance for gods sake. Nobody said the Knicks are headead for the championship in the foreseeable future but at least there is a ray of hope.

A better coach & manager - check
Upgrading the roster - maybe (wait for the draft)
A serious owner - uhh, not much hope there

If D'Antoni wins at least 10 games more then isiah that would be a nice step forward. If they get lucky as the Hawks this year they may even sneak into the playoffs and D'Antoni would be hailed as a genius. If he pulls a Heat, oh well...

Naboo | 05/12/08, 02:42 PM