Is Mike D'Antoni a terrible coach or what?

Suns_fan_2007 · Post #1 » by **Suns_fan_2007** » Sun Apr 6, 2008 9:49 pm

In the Suns vs Mavs game, during the 4th quarter, all the way to 5:15 left to go, the Suns have scored all of 2 points against a dozen Mavs points.

I kept yelling at the screen "call a timeout Mike, put in a scorer / STAT / Bell because your lineup right now isn't able to score!!!"

Foul after foul, D'Antoniy finally calls a timeout and makes some changes once the Mavs are within 4.

Horrible horrible coaching!!! :banghead:

No Suns point in 7 freaking minutes in the 4th Q, the most important quarter!!!

Vernon Maxwell · Post #2 » by **Vernon Maxwell** » Sun Apr 6, 2008 10:14 pm

ah yes, the customary "lets make a new post after losing" thread

NetsForce · Post #3 » by **NetsForce** » Sun Apr 6, 2008 10:15 pm

From what I've seen of D'Antoni it seems like he sometimes tries too hard to emulate Phil Jackson.

lunatic4jc · Post #4 » by **lunatic4jc** » Sun Apr 6, 2008 10:42 pm

Mr. Sun · Post #5 » by **Mr. Sun** » Sun Apr 6, 2008 10:46 pm

He seems to be a one trick pony during a game.

mkot · Post #6 » by **mkot** » Sun Apr 6, 2008 10:51 pm

Yes. A fire Mike thread after a lost. Exactly what we need. That's the right attitude guys. :roll:

Mr. Sun · Post #7 » by **Mr. Sun** » Sun Apr 6, 2008 10:55 pm

mkot wrote:Yes. A fire Mike thread after a lost. Exactly what we need. That's the right attitude guys.

I don't take pathetic loses very well.

albasuna · Post #8 » by **albasuna** » Sun Apr 6, 2008 11:10 pm

Mike isn't the greatest coach, he might not even belong in the elite status. But he isn't a terrible coach, though there are better coachs out there.

mkot · Post #9 » by **mkot** » Sun Apr 6, 2008 11:18 pm

Mr. Sun wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

I don't take pathetic loses very well.

Look at it this way: when's the last time we score only 9 points in a quarter? That won't happen again. Nash was awful down the stretch (0-6 I think? Some of those misses were point blank) and that won't happen alot of time. Guys lost their focus and intensity while the Mavs were fighting for a win. I'm not worried about this loss too much. Just disappointing. Amare couldn't hit ANYTHING in the 4th, and neither could Nash. Again, you won't see that very often.

Mr. Sun · Post #10 » by **Mr. Sun** » Sun Apr 6, 2008 11:48 pm

mkot wrote:-= original quote snipped =-
Look at it this way: when's the last time we score only 9 points in a quarter?

That reminds me, Spurs in 2 recent games only scored 8 and 9 total points in the 4th. But still.....

holidayhell · Post #11 » by **holidayhell** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 12:29 am

It wasnt the coach's fault for this loss. If the guys on the floor would have fought for the win the Mavs would have folded. No fight = no win.

Diaw actually played very well. I was paying attention to how he played defense today. Very very active especially against Dirk. He made him work. I do think he's afraid of shooting free throws which is why he tries to pass off when getting around the rim. But defensively he looked solid.
When the Suns had their starting lineup back in the 4th they crumbled.

Sun Scorched · Post #12 » by **Sun Scorched** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 12:48 am

D'anonti cant go out there and make their shots for them.

This loss wasn't his fault. We had no intensity. Plain and simple.

TONE · Post #13 » by **TONE** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 1:06 am

garrick · Post #14 » by **garrick** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 1:34 am

Mike's biggest weakness seems to be adjusting to his opponents style of play when they switch schemes and also player substitutions and rotations.

When a player is bricking shots right and left sometimes he'll leave them in (Bell,Barbosa) and not go to the bench to see if someone could play better.

That's my biggest issue with Mike is that when Bell is chucking away and is 3 for 10 in the game you may as well put in DJ who will probably play better defense and although not a great scorer needs to learn how to get his shots during the game.

raff · Post #15 » by **raff** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 1:50 am

I don't get to see too many suns games, so I don't have a great idea about his strategies.

The one thing that gets to me though about his coaching is when I see the box scores for the game, and he uses an 8-man rotation. I'm sure this has been mentioned numerous times...but ARGH!!!

Post #16 » by **tsherkin** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 2:00 am

I think the big problem I have with D'Antoni is that he's very inflexible and uncreative. I really hate that he has such awful roster management skills and that he doesn't do anything respectable defensively.

I dunno, I'd think that a former PG would have a better grasp of tempo and strategy but he really doesn't.

mavsfoty · Post #17 » by **mavsfoty** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 2:37 am

tsherkin wrote:I think the big problem I have with D'Antoni is that he's very inflexible and uncreative. I really hate that he has such awful roster management skills and that he doesn't do anything respectable defensively.

I dunno, I'd think that a former PG would have a better grasp of tempo and strategy but he really doesn't.

Sounds a lot like how Mavs fans react after a loss in regards to Avery.

I think fans of both teams feel there is too much talent on the floor and the easy scapegoat is the coach.

I still think both of these teams will be around near the end when it is all said and done.

nashill · Post #18 » by **nashill** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 2:48 am

only one mistake diantoni made is not calling a time out when the lead went down to 6points. the rest are the players to blame.

Post #19 » by **tsherkin** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 2:48 am

mavsfoty wrote:-= original quote snipped =-

Sounds a lot like how Mavs fans react after a loss in regards to Avery.

I think fans of both teams feel there is too much talent on the floor and the easy scapegoat is the coach.

I still think both of these teams will be around near the end when it is all said and done.

See with Avery, I disagree.

The offense hasn't really skipped a beat and their defense has dramatically improved. He could get better in regards to mid-game management but Avery Johnson is considerably better than Mike D'Antoni in almost every regard.

D'Antoni has evidenced the same flaws since he started coaching; Johnson evolves.

D'Antoni is not a BAD coach; his transition schemes are impressive and he milks the high sidescreen well. He certainly knows how to put Nash into position to succeed and likewise Amare... and his incorporation of Shaq is evolving with time.

But that's only half the game, less if you think about strategy from the coach's perspective and D'Antoni cannot accurately be called a good defensive coach or especially good at mid-game management.

EDIT: Furthermore, I don't posit that DA is entirely at fault; that would be stupid, obviously, since players are required to improvise and make what they can of what they are presented because all plans break down. I just want to recognize that he has key and critical flaws in his approach to preparing the team and making adjustments in the middle of a game.

mkot · Post #20 » by **mkot** » Mon Apr 7, 2008 3:09 am

I just want to recognize that he has key and critical flaws in his approach to preparing the team and making adjustments in the middle of a game.

Mike almost never make in-game adjustments, or he just doesn't adjust well during the game. If the opposing coach change his game plan, he will left clueless and his strategy almost always is "nah Nash will figure out". Can't always expect Nash to rally us, Mike. And in this game, he didn't even stay with what's been working (keeping Boris on Dirk). He should call a timeout earlier and Amare should've been back in the game sooner. He messed up.

With the offensive talent on this team it's inexcusable to only score 9 points in the final period. Mike should definitely get part of the blame for failing to adjust to Avery's adjustments. But overall I thought the team was also flat and not playing hard. They lost their focus and intensity thinking they could steam roll the Mavs and got themselves steam rolled instead.