The Knicks Fix

i have no complaints.

I agree to this pickup if this would make the Knicks go out an make wholesale changes to the roster - then fine. There is no questions that he a good coach with experience. His system and doesn't fit our current roster. Iron Mike will need a revamped offense to compete with the top teams in the league and draft a Superstar in the process in this years draft. Curry and Zach are everything that he doesn't coach in up tempo play. Mark Jackson should be an assistant and get first dibs if Camp Cablevision fires Iron Mike. They owe him that much. I hope this means Donnie is committed to making more changes in the near future that make this team look different come November. I'm still shocked...

PITINO OR D'ANTONI were on my wish list!

Thank God we got one! LETS GO KNICKS!

This is not my first chioce here. I though Walsh should have waited. D'Antoni is only coming here because the Bulls would not match the $$$$. That makes me wonder if he really knows what he is getting into. All of that being said, I will keep at least as open a mind on this as I did with Zeke. We will see what happens. The press conference next week should be interesting. Even with this, there is no point in harping on how much money the Knicks spend. The team itself makes big time BANK from sellout after sellout, and that's before they even spend a nickel of Cablevision money. What they are paying these coaches is nickles and dimes to normal people. They don't even feel these contracts. Just look at how they are overpaying D'Antoni.

I'm happy with D'Antoni as coach, but I'm uneasy about the 4 year deal. When was the last time New York had the same coach for 4 consecutive years? How often does that happen across the NBA? I can only think of Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan and Greg Popovich. He probably would have accepted 3 years 18 mil, which is still a bunch better than the Bulls' offer.

2 more years of misery coming unless they can replace Q, Zack, Starby and Eddie Lardass with some young studs.....the sooner the better.

DTR

a new era has begun!

RUN AND GUN BABY!

all you guys talking about how bad the knicks are going to be defensively are silly.

THE KNICKS WILL NEVER BE A DEFENSIVE TEAM!

no matter who the coach is....larry brown was a defensive coach and look how that worked out (23 wins)

to me it is easier for the knicks to get better on the offensive end.

we have offensive minded players...D-antoni will play to their strengths.

ALSO HOW DO YOU KNOW THE ROSTER WE HAVE NOW WILL BE THE ROSTER WE WILL HAVE AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT SEASON.

we still have the draft coming...lets keep an open mind and hope for a high pick(beasley or rose)would upgrade this roster tremendously.

KNICKS 08

* On paper, seems like a bad fit especially for the first 2 years with Isiah's chosen untouchables;

* I guess it was "Isiah's decision" to hire D'Antoni based on his winning record the last 4 years, right PEACEMAN?

* Hmmm... if it was totally Isiah's decision, how come he did not promote his parasite long time buddy Mark Aguirre to HC, right Peaceman?

* Not sure how all this would work out..... but anything and anybody is better than The Almighty Zeke.

* I was hoping for Thibodeau but that's that.

* Perhaps Isiah can convince Team D'Antoni to hire Hubie Brown as an Assistant to teach D.

The thing about this hire, (I think players and cap are the real issue for the knicks) that scares me, is that it reeks of Dolan. Going all-in to beat out the Bulls for the "best coach available" smells alot like his adolescent, "mine's bigger than yours" approach to life.

I would like to know about D'Antoni's pre-suns approach, is he a hide-bound idealogue who will only coach one way? I have heard that Walsh wanted him as coach previously and respects his smarts. Here's hoping that the meeting of the minds which led to Walsh offering him the job included lots of talk of defense.

Its kind like killing a fly with a howitzer to hire a coach of the year for a rebuilding project (again, a whiff of sulfur burns my nose) but hey, if D'Antoni wants to take this on, why not. 54 wins a year and playoffs and conference finals, not winning it all because of a lack of defense - we should be so lucky. It seems rather precious to worry about making it to the finals upon hiring a new coach when we can't even get out of the bottom of the Atlantic Division.

Imagine this line up: Derrick Rose, Jamal Crawford, Wilson Chandler, Renaldo Balkman, and David Lee. Thats an exciting line up

I think it's a great hire. I am confident that D'Antoni will make something happen even if the roster stayed the same. It is a mistake, I feel, to pigeonhole him as a one-dimensional coach. He did what was necessary with the people he had in Phoenix. He will adjust and fine-tune his coaching to whatever he has when the season starts. Good hire- I am giddy, I can't believe it still. This is the first good thing that us Knicks fans have had happen in the last 5, 6 years.

How about Mark Jackson as GM?

You people are crazy!

The guy is here for the money!

His style is not made for the current Roster. It will take at least 2 years to revamp this roster.

I don't care what the news are saying. I don't think he is coming. He is smart to understand that this will not work. NY was not his first choice.
NY is about DEFENSE!!!!

I long for a coach that will bring hard nose basketball back to NY!

Imagine this line up: Derrick Rose, Jamal Crawford, Wilson Chandler, Renaldo Balkman, and David Lee. Thats an exciting line up

--------

You have no center!

Oh.... should I also mention "player coach". No discipline enforcement...... Good luck!! I can't believe that so many people are so blind to these things!

bad hire, we needed a hard nosed defense first Coach, These has beens we call a team are just lazy and way undisciplined. plus he is only here for the cash. Oh well another Dolan blunder .GO Cablevision, buy newsday....................

you gotta look at this hire as if this is an expansion team. there' s no point checking to see if the coach is a good fit for the players, because (hopefully) walsh is going to tear it all down and start from scratch.

if you're an expansion team and you d'antoni as you're coach, you're excited about that, right? walsh will get the right pieces to fit.

* As we all know, iIt's official. Isiah has instructed Donnie Walsh to hire Mike D;

* Maybe Thibodeau is not so hot after all. Look at the Hawks & the Cavs. Did Thibodeau teach the Celts to play D only at home games? They sure didn't play any at PHILIPS Arena. And they got whacked at Cleveland;

* Rondo did his best Marbury "towel over the head grumpy imitation" at the game

* Beasley or Rose.... Team D'Antoni, must get 1 or 2 in the draft to get either one, with Azz Thomas' blessing of course.

lmao
i guess he did teach them to play D at home only...

good move knicks will be exciting to watch
letz see what happens now

i don't like that 4 year deal though
knowing howz thingz have went for the knicks watch this b another l.b signing an gotta take dantoni to court.lol.

marbury better put up solid numbers or he is done in the nba.....

beasley all the way..

stay tuned for more KnowLedge

lets go knicks! i think the next walsh move is to make sure that we will get to draft d.rose, because im sure mike d. didnt come here for starbury and nate. he need a good playmaker to be successful.

I am amazed at some of the sports writing today (the NYTimes, naturally, has the most mature and intelligent coverage). Many are taking the simplistic, and frankly bizarre view, that D’Antoni is the wrong pick for the Knicks because:

his style won’t fit the Knicks personnel
he can’t coach defense

First of all, duh, the no one can, should or would want to coach that personnel. This is a 2-3 year rebuilding process and we want the Knicks to get rid of the Curry’s, Randolph’s and Marbury’s of the world. Secondly, any guy who grew up playing and coaching basketball, can coach any style, D’Antoni just has used the European style to great success.

This is a great hire, and how about a team of Walsh/D’Antoni rather than Thomas/Thomas?

Amen to David's comments. I think Walsh, if allowed to speak freely, would admit that he would be surprised if there were more than 3 to 5 of the current players anticipated to still be here 3 years out. It would be crazy to focus on a coach to best manage this current roster; the objective is 3 years out and to get a style and coach who will attract the top free agents at that time.

I think someone mentioned before about a euro connection (willis?) We need to do like the spurs, houston, lakers, and blazers have done. Draft international late first rounders to come in a year or two later. That is how portland spent money wisely and thats how dolan should've been spending his, or dare I say Isiah. Team assist go up when you have players like that.

Don't like the hire but everyone was so keen on Walsh. I like the idea of breaking up curry and zach. I think i'd prefer curry be sent first.

i was also wondering about D'antoni as a coach before the Suns. He coached one year in Denver but most of the time in Italy. Is there any information about how those teams in Italy worked? Maybe some youtube? He did win championships in Italy ( a major caveat being that I really don't understand european basketball rules and I think the rules make the game too easy, it is like college rules. the game is made easier because most college players aren't very good. The Spurs are successful at incorporating foreign players because they teach them how to play American basketball without losing what made them great in foreign leagues. The players are adaptable,)

To All
To those who's beautiful Mother's are still with you
Give them a Hug today! To those who's Mother's are
not here with us....Give them a hug today, they are still
with you! Happy Mothers Day to all your Mom's!

Frankie Ice is having a Fit! LOL

In the cases of both Jackson and Johnson, it appears that Walsh was not forthcoming with either. The way things shook out also raises the possibility that Garden chairman James Dolan was involved in the decision-making process.

Jackson's close relationship with Jeff Van Gundy may have concerned Dolan, who still has a problem with the last coach to lead the Knicks to a playoff victory. Plus, D'Antoni is the kind of big-name star who appeals to Dolan, whose previous three coaches are all in the Hall of Fame - Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas.

When Walsh was hired, Dolan vowed that his new president would enjoy complete autonomy, and yet Walsh's first move - removing Thomas from the bench but not firing him from the organization - had Dolan's and (Thomas's) fingerprints all over it.

Ok.....I added Thomas's name because that's what Frankie Ice really wanted to say! I'm sure Thomas Had Zero say. Duh? 18 Million a year to say nothing? Duh?

Correction,18 mill/3 years to say nothing!
Best job in the NBA!

The Knicks are on the right track. I really don't think the coaching decision will have nearly as much affect as the future free agent signings in 2010. We need to gear up for Labron, get Pat Ewing to mentor Curry (that means follow him everywhere!!!) and work the picks to get Rose from memphis. Curry has the ability to be dominint if he has a superstar to draw defenses and Ewing to mentor him.

Peacewoman,
Here are examples of what your friends have said about you

Peace,
"You are making yourself sound dumber everytime you open your trap !"

This is mainly to African, states and peace
“one by one, place ur nostrils between isiaih’s butt cheeks…………than Inhale.”
relax and repeat
Comment by ed drossman — March 30, 2008 @ 1:37 pm

"yeah peace, we’re much better off with Thomas and winning 25 games a year. Get your head out of Thomas’ ass"

"stop trolling peace"
Comment by peacemanisretarted — April 1, 2008 @ 12:04 am

"Peace is unable to stop making racist statements".

More to come. Stay tuned

Peace
are u sad that they hired white dudes to run the show?

Gay Trolls @11:40 &11:42 ... LOL
I'm not interested! I'm straight!
BTW, I wanted an Asian Coach who Stutters! Damn.

Couple of thoughts:

1. I'm fine with criticism of 'Antoni (no "D") - will he coach to what he has, is he incapable of recognizing the importance of defense? Whatever, we'll find out. I'm a D first guy, but some of the ridiculous stuff in the press about the D thing is hilarious:

Isola: "D'Antoni is about to find out if his system can win in the rugged Eastern Conference."

Rugged? Isola seems like he's living in the '90's here - I haven't associated the word "rugged" with the East for a long time.

2. I think the D'Antoni hiring is as much about free agents as anything else. As well as being a conduit for knowledge of European players, D'Antoni is coaching the USA Team this year. Who plays on this team? The best players in the league, and D'Antoni will be breaking bread with these cats every day for four weeks this summer and through the olympics. Colangelo's role on Team USA has been regarded as an unfair advantage for an NBA exec, as access to the players has always been the best way to get them enthused about your program. Once the bids are on the table, the market is set, the rest is all about how the FA feels about the organization. Can you think of a better recruiter? I'm hoping Walsh is banking on this and that this was one of his reasons for bringing D'ant aboard.

We need every edge we can get, and D'Antoni handing out Attaboys to every player we might want to grossly overpay in 2010 is a good thing.

"Imagine this line up: Derrick Rose, Jamal Crawford, Wilson Chandler, Renaldo Balkman, and David Lee. Thats an exciting line up"

No, that's a pathetic lineup.

But keep dreaming. Or stop using the mind-altering substances. Long-term exposure to such chemicals can be harmful. For example of said harmful effects, we offer the one, and thankfully the only, Peaceman for your horrified pleasure.

Alan, Ya big S-ck. Kissing up to Dolan now that he's going to be your boss? Nice. Can just see the headline now, "Knicks lose by 40 despite great game by N8!"

"PITINO OR D'ANTONI were on my wish list!

"Thank God we got one! LETS GO KNICKS!"

Yeah, Pitino was a real winner in New York. About as successful as his cousin Vito, the Congressman and Seed Spreader from Staten Island.

"2 more years of misery coming unless they can replace Q, Zack, Starby and Eddie Lardass with some young studs.....the sooner the better."

Two. You're too optimistic. We'll be overpaying to watch Lazy Eddy outrebounded, Break A Backboard launch bricks, and Fat Zach cut out on the team to visit his strip club empire in Gary, Ind. for another four years. At minimum. No one wants those big Zeke-approved contracts - unless you're willing to take an even bigger loser with a bigger contract. Vince Carter springs immediately to mind.

"you gotta look at this hire as if this is an expansion team."

No dice. An expansion team is assured of high-end lottery draft picks and lots of available salary space. New York has neither. Zeke has made the Garden the nesting place of "one-dimensional" players who lack only one (sic) skill: defense, gutless seven-footers, and general miscreants. And Utah gets the Knicks lottery ticket next season, courtesy of Marbury's partner in slime.

"stay tuned for more KnowLedge"

To have more one must first have evidence of some. Such evidence has never appeared, contrary to what Mama claims. So be nice to Mama on Mama's Day. And cease believing that you have a clue. About the topic. Or knotting your laces. Then ask Mama to knot the Starburys and head out to play.

"This is a great hire, and how about a team of Walsh/D’Antoni rather than Thomas/Thomas?"

Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan would be better than Thomas/Thomas. Even Dick Cheney and David Addington would do a better job. (Dubya, as he does now, would serve as ball boy.) That's not exactly a ringing endorsement, comparing your crew to a sexual predator and general manager who overpaid worthless, unmotivated talent.

"I think Walsh, if allowed to speak freely, would admit that he would be surprised if there were more than 3 to 5 of the current players anticipated to still be here 3 years out."

Lee. Balkman. Maybe, just maybe, Chandler. That's all. Probably just two. Maybe only one. Lee will probably bolt for San Antonio, Phoenix, New Orleans, or Detroit. Balkman has potential sans Zeke. Chandler is MIA on defense.

It's funny how Isiah used to talk all the time about "playing like Phoenix" and people basically laughed at him. So what do the knicks do?....hire the Phoenix coach. That said, didnt like it at first, like it more the more I read and think about it. The roster now is not the roster that will be here in a couple of years, same way when D first got to Phoenix it was a different roster than the one we've seen the last few years. The only people who may be here long term for the knicks like lee, nate, balkman and chandler can all run the floor and are versatile anyway. I'm a defense first guy, so i would have liked to have see thibedaou or herb but I trust walsh and im willing to believe coach D can adapt a bit to the east and to new york. i hope herb sticks around...

Peace...$6M a year to say nothing...you won't catch Isiah complaining about that!

The Knicks blew it AGAIN!! They had another opportunity to bring back a blast from the past and dropped the ball. Hiring Mark Jackson would have restored some luster from the glory days of the 90's. He is NY born and bred and would have brought instant leadership to a team needing it badly. One of the greatest point guards in Knicks history, Mark was a pure fit for this team. He would have brought in Patrick Ewing as an assistant to teach Eddy Curry how to be a true center and how about Oak tree to teach the guys effort and how to overacheive. Like JVG said when Mark does get his chance he will knock the ball out of the park.

@ "the Skycap"

FYI....Mark Jackson was not a part of the Knicks
" glory days of the 90's" ....He rode the bench behind
Mo Cheeks until they traded him to the Clippers before the
92-93 season! "One of the greatest point guards in Knicks history"???? Your Kidding...Right?

Bingo.

I can't believe all the criticism by writers like Vecsey, Lawrence, and Isola because the Knick roster doesn't fit D'Antoni's system. By the time the Knicks are a legitimate team in the Eastern Conference again, players such as Marbury and Randolph will be long gone. So why choose a coach who fits the current roster when that roster is one you cannot possibly win with ? Makes no sense. Credit Walsh for his vision.

I wouldn't have had a problem with Jackson, he was my preferred choice before D'Antoni became available. However, how do all these people connect Mark Jackson with tough defense ? All I read and hear is how Jackson would preach defense if the Knicks made him coach - what is this based on ? He was a very poor defensive player himself, and has no coaching resume for us to draw upon. To assume he's going to be a tough, defensive-minded coach just because he has the guts to rip players like Mike Bibby during ABC broadcasts is flimsy, at best.

Finally, for the assertion that D'Antoni is "awful" defensively - look at a key statistic - defensive efficiency. It's measured by points per 100 possessions. This statistic adjusts for pace, as not every NBA team plays the same way. Phoenix, for example, gives their opponents more possessions to work with because of their "7 seconds or less" offense. An an perusal of this static shows Phoenix is average defensively, but much better than the Knicks. Last season they were 17th, and the Knicks were 29th. Here's how it breaks down since D'Antoni's first full season:

Phoenix -

2004-05: Offense (1st), Defense (17th)
2005-06: Offense (2nd), Defense (16th)
2006-07: Offense (1st), Defense (13th)
2007-08: Offense (2nd), Defense (16th)

Defensively, the Knicks ranked 25th, 26th, 25th, and 29th those same seasons. So that's why you can't use just the points per game stat when assessing defense. If the Knicks played Phoenix-level defense under D'Antoni, it would still be a considerable improvement.

D Antoni was not brought here to coach the Knicks of 2008-2009. He was brought here to coach the Knicks of 2011-2012. Aside from Isiah being a complete incompetent as a coach (unless you wanted your team to play mediocre street ball), the mistake he kept making was to trade for players he thought made the team just a little better. But he kept locking up the future because of the long term contracts given to do it. IMO, part of the reason that was done was because he was under so much pressure from the media to win right away and he perceived the fans to be just as dumb. We aren't and the media needs to grow up.

I read that Peter V. in The POST was complaining that Marbury doesn't fit. Marbury should not even be part of the conversation. No one with a half a brain cares about him at all. He and his 20M contract are gone at the end of the year no matter what.

One or both of Zach/Curry will be gone soon too. Maybe not this year, but perhaps next year as their contracts shorten up a bit and they can be moved a littl easier. We are going to get rid of all the slow dead weight and bad contracts over the next couple of years and slowly replace them with players that fit. Guys like Chandler, Lee, Balkman, and Robinson are role players (hopefully better eventually in the case of Lee and Chandler) that will probably remain. The draft pick this year will fit well.

We will probably stink in 08/09 too, but we'll pick up someone in the draft next year too etc.... Then as some contracts expire and others become more marketable the team will be able to put itself in a position to eventually sign someone very good.

This is a 3-5 year project and all thoughtful people understand that. I realize that eliminates most of the media, but the fans get it. D Antoni is not going to be coaching this team. This team is just passing through while he and Walsh build the team he was brought here to coach.

Relax everyone.

WE all had our favorites. I wanted the assistant from Boston and to bring in Ewing to help Curry, but D Antoni is a great coach. This is the beginning of the beginning of the good times for NY! We just have to relax and get through at least one more bad year.

I'll take a quote from JR from the tv show Dallas:
"A good defense is a great offense"
I think the team will be much better, besides didn't Marbury want to play and retire in Italy...So Italy came to Marbury.
I am more worried that Mr Dolan/cablevision is buying Newsday...
So Alan are you going to ask for a raise??

Yeah, he's asking for 5 years at $20 million.

For years, the Knicks were lead by a man whose only winning track record was during his playing days.

I like the Walsh signing, and I like (don't love -- I wanted Thibedou) D'Antoni coming on. We're bringing in proven winners. That's a trend that should be kept when reshaping the roster. (read: stop signing guys that lead the NBA in most points scored without a playoff win)

The tide is turning. Let's go Knicks.

Well, well, well...

The David Stern Public Relations Machine must have forgotten to take the ref's families hostage before today's contest.

The Jazz get 45 trips to the line, the whining Lakers a mere 25, and Utah beats Los Angeles sans Shaq to turn this NBA Western Conference semi into a best-of-three.

Expect Mrs. Kobe to be mighty upset. After all, if the refs keep calling a fair game and her Sugar Daddy doesn't get his guaranteed 15-20 gift trips to the charity stripe, the Missus will not receive her usual rock of bribed loyalty.

"We will probably stink in 08/09 too, but we'll pick up someone in the draft next year too etc.... Then as some contracts expire and others become more marketable the team will be able to put itself in a position to eventually sign someone very good.

"This is a 3-5 year project and all thoughtful people understand that."

No probably about it. The Knicks will flat out reek next year. And the year after that. And the year after that. All those bloated contracts and foul attitudes will slowly decompose the Garden.

What we will not do after next season is pick up someone in the draft. Not when the Utah Jazz own the Knicks No. 1 pick after the 2008-09 campaign. Phoenix dealt Utah the lottery pick. The Suns got the lottery ticket from, guess who:

Zeke The Workplace Sexual Freak.

So get in the truck. It's going to be a long, lousy, Zeke-laden trip to respectability.

Alan, Dolan will be your boss soon. Good luck with that.

Yes, I heard that too. Newsday being acquired for $ 630 mil. (???) by the Dolan Empire.

Whether D'Antoni was hired to 2010 or 2015, I'll say this:
* Doug Moe's run & gun offense with no D did not result in any shiny stuff.
* Same with Paul Westhead's high octane offense.
* One could argue DNelson is guilty too (although his Bucks team did play D)

That strategy can make the team fun & exciting to watch, bring the fans in, achieve decent/respectable records, make the play-offs, but that's it.

No D, no rings.

People, we musn't harp on the players we have now. Just recognize that we finally have a coach that people really want to play for. This helps us with deals down the road. Such as...

Free agent to be Lebron "KING" James
Kobe Bryant [D'antoni's #1 fan]
Every point guard in the league.

Now combine that with the fact that he WILL hire a defensive minded assistant coach and guess what?

WE NOW HAVE HOPE!!!

"Alan, Dolan will be your boss soon. Good luck with that."

Drop the will. Add a has been. Just like the second-rate hockey writer. Who's actually a never was. Newsday's Knicks coverage has been buried so far up Dolan's butt since the second-rate hockey writer cranked out the public relations for Charley's punk.

Couldn't stay away with the excitment that is coming back to the Garden. Shaun Powell wrote a very good article on why D'Antoni was a good hire. I agree with all of it except:

"Let the Knicks assemble a coach and players who can bring fans to their feet. Worry about a title later."

The title has to be your ultimate goal and you build to get there. You don't start building for a fun basketball team and then say ok we are fun now, lets see what we can do to win a title. Your goal is a championship and the fun comes with winning. My preference was Carlisle but if D'Antoni brings in a defensive guy as an ass't we will be fine. I don't think they could play great defense in PHX b/c their best player, Nash, was not a good defender. Best player always sets the tone.

Now comes the difficult part. Finding a PG if we don't get Rose in the draft. We may have to seriously consider T.J. Ford or Andre Miller. I know that does not improve us defensively but D'Antoni needs a PG and a leader for his team to work. Other than Rose I don't see one in the draft and Marburry is not it as D'Antoni already showed by getting rid of Starburry once.

Alan you might as well quit now, I heard the bad news, trust me your life is going to change big time now that Dolan bought NewsDay. I really will have to admit that as soon as you go soft on the criticism the Knicks FO 100 % undoubtedly deserves I will be getting my Knicks news from another outlet.

Sad day in the sports news world. Continuing to look forward to good things ahead Alan.

D'Antoni in Italy won one title with Treviso, one european cup and had a final in the Italian league both with Milano.
Onestly as a player and as a young coach too he wasn't focus only on the offens; he had also a quite good defense.
So probably he'll adapt his game to the players that he will'have, and will introduce the run and gun game step by step

Brandon, trust me, you don't matter that much and you will not be missed. So long...