Breaking News: Suns permit D'Antoni to talk to Teams

[Mr. Sun]

Suns coach Mike D'Antoni has been granted permission to speak with NBA teams, including the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks, according to Sports 620 KTAR's Paul Calvisi.

http://www.ktar.com/sports/?nid=21&sid=827069

Bulls management contacted D'Antoni's agent last week, according to sources close to the subject.

I smell a draft pick in the works in return for releasing D'Antoni.

[phxfanatbirth]

Whew, I was beginning to think we weren't getting rid of Mike.

Thanks for the update Mr. Sun.

Thibadeaux anyone?

[chrice]

If we were hoping for defense, I would have jumped at Carlisle. I always thought he got a raw deal in Indiana. Cuban probably had his mind made up months ago.

I'm actually kind of scared of who we'd get to replace D'. Coaches are hit and miss, with a high percent chance of miss.

[TASTIC]

wow if we somehow get ONE of their draft picks I'll be STOKED...don't let him go unless we have a coach lined up AND we get a decent pick (ie not a second rounder)

[Mr. Sun]

^^^ yeah, Bulls cough up that #9 if you are really serious

[TASTIC]

I'd be all over this Kirk + #9 for Barbosa, DA and #15 (in some form or another, separate deals I'd assume)

Play Kirk 30mins off the bench spelling Bell and Nash...GOLD

[Mr. Sun]

^^ Are you kidding? Don't need the #15 to make that deal work. Keep the #15, period.

[TASTIC]

I don't see CHI doing that, add the #15 and get Ty Thomas

Kirk, #9, Ty

for

Barbosa, D'Antoni, #15...chuck in Tucker too

[mkot]

That just about does it.

They better have someone else in mind to take over.

[Mr. Sun]

Let's say the Bulls have no choice as they won't be the only team chasing D'Ant. No #15 in any deal.

[Togo]

Great, just freaking great. I hope we are rebuilding! Because there is no one is the open market that will make this team as good as D'Antoni has. We will look back at this as the day Kerr killed this team.

[Arles]

Great, just freaking great. I hope we are rebuilding! Because there is no one is the open market that will make this team as good as D'Antoni has. We will look back at this as the day Kerr killed this team.

You mean no one on the open market who can this team past the first 2 rounds of the playoffs? Maybe, but Mike couldn't do that either. Atleast we can try a new approach with a different coach.

[Togo]

Show me a coach that you are sure about on the open market, that you can tell me that will get us into the playoffs? The Mavs just hired the only one I thought that could.

[SnoBrdrRob]

I hate to say it, but the end of the Suns dominance the last few years has ended. You guys were screwed last season by the Horry incident. The Suns are my favorite team after the Sonics, and if D'Antoni leaves it must be viewed as a management decision to start over. Nash will turn 35 next season, while Shaq turns 37 next season. With a new coach starting with this roster, how much room does he have to manuever things? Nash would need to learn a new system, as would the rest of the team. But the same problem remains- no defense whatsoever in the post and the point. I was skeptical over the Marion trade, viewed it as a 50-50, and now I believe it was a failure. I put most of the blame on Robert Sarver for the salary cap decision to dump Kurt Thomas, plus 2 1st round picks. This eliminated their defensive presence in the paint, and the best player to defend Duncan. I hope you guys keep D'Antoni and make one last run next season and win the championship. Seeing as my Sonics are in disarray and in danger of leaving, the Suns may become my new team.

[Arles]

I'll make two predictions:
1. the Suns will get a new coach
2. The suns will do no worse than this season in 08-09.

[mkot]

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/DanBickley/22798

But here's the real issue: D'Antoni can't control his best player, Amare Stoudemire, and both men know it. Stoudemire has tested D'Antoni's authority at least two times in the past, and never faced serious reprimand. And near the end of the playoff series against the Spurs, Stoudemire made his thoughts about D'Antoni implicitly clear.

That's what happens when you don't hold players accountable for themselves, Mike...

[Togo]

Order of western conference seeding= 2009 w/o DA


Lakers
Hornets
Jazz
Spurs
Nuggets
Rockets
Blazers
Warriors
Suns
(Possibly Clippers ahead of the Suns with a healthy Brand)

And no draft picks.

At least my 2nd favorite team (The Jazz) Will continue to be good. They understand what it means to keep a great coach through thick and thin. They don't give away draft picks. They also build around the coaches' system, and not what some rookie GM believes is best.


If D'Antoni leaves, I truly hope we trade Nash to give him a chance at a championship.

[Arles]

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/DanBickley/22798

But here's the real issue: D'Antoni can't control his best player, Amare Stoudemire, and both men know it. Stoudemire has tested D'Antoni's authority at least two times in the past, and never faced serious reprimand. And near the end of the playoff series against the Spurs, Stoudemire made his thoughts about D'Antoni implicitly clear.

That's what happens when you don't hold players accountable for themselves, Mike...

Couldn't have said it better myself. When you refuse to play the bench (guys like Marks, Skinner, DJ, JuJones, Rose and others should have played more in the past 2 seasons), there's no accountability for starters.

The scary/funny/depressing thing is that you could have replaced Amare in the bolded quote with Diaw, Barbosa, Nash or Bell and still been right. None of these guys ever lost PT, were disciplined or given any kind of penalty for poor play. Short of taking an axe out on the other team, each of Mike D's top 7 was getting their minutes every night.

[Arles]

Order of western conference seeding= 2009 w/o DA
Lakers
Hornets
Jazz
Spurs
Nuggets
Rockets
Blazers
Warriors
Suns

Nuggets are in more disarray than we are. The Rockets are like the Rockies of the NBA (needed a rediculous run just to make it) and the Warriors are yearly underachievers.

I think the Suns end up with the 5th-8th seed regardless of whether Mike D is here or not. If you keep Mike D for another playoff run and he doesn't make it - what then? We're right back here. If we bring in a new coach, either way we start the transition of the young guys like Amare, Barbs, Diaw, Dj, Tucker, #15 and others to the new system.

Mike D ain't here after the 09-10 season anyway, so why give him two more years to do what he couldn't do with a better roster for the last 4? Unless you honestly think Mike D can get this team to the Western Conf Finals in 08-09, there's no reason to keep him.

[mkot]

In short, we're back to mediocrity.