Dantoni turned down Thibodeau??

[RunDogGun]

It didn't make any sense. If MD's theory is to play his best players, starting KT in that series would follow that logic. Jones played hard, but he was nowhere near as important in that series as KT. Playing KT only 13 minutes that game, and sometimes while Duncan was sitting was a dumb move by MD. I feel that cost us the series.

[YFZblu]

I wonder why....maybe because the coach let the bench players play through their struggles?

There's a difference between letting good players play through struggles and choosing to bench completely ineffective players. Like I said before, it's not like D'antoni had a bunch of talented players on the bench and refused to play them.

You want another example of how Dantoni's inflexibility hurt us? How about his stubbornness in not calling timeouts?

There is a history of very very good coaches who prefer their players sort the game out for themselves instead of calling timeouts. Phil Jackson being the most obvious one.

[BurningHeart]

The Spurs were not better in 2007. Nope. Sorry. Can't agree. Won't agree.

I don't buy the "best team always wins a seven game series" ****.

[YFZblu]

The Spurs were not better in 2007. Nope. Sorry. Can't agree. Won't agree.

EDIT:

I finally figured out what you guys were referring to. James Jones started game 1 because he was inserted into the starting lineup as of April 8th, 2007, about 6 games before the playoffs began. James Jones started every game of the Lakers playoff series as well. So it's not like D'antoni randomly changed his lineup for game one against the Spurs--James Jones had been the starting small forward for a good amount of time at that point.

So essentially what happened, is the Suns lost game 1, and Mike D'antoni did the very thing RunDogRun believes MD never did....Made an adjustment by starting KT for the remainder of the series. The revisionist history on this board is laughable.

Sidenote: Game 1 is the bloody nose game...You know, the game in which our two time MVP wasn't able to play down the stretch?? Anyone who blames D'antoni for this loss is out of touch with reality.

[RunDogGun]

YFZblu, if you are going to say, that I said something, at least get it right. I said he doesn't make IN GAME adjustments. And he doesn't. He should have started KT, and I know how many games Jones started. KT was a better player, and against the spurs, a much more suited player. So can we stop making excuses for MD? MD was a game behind in a seven game series. All Pop had to do was adjust to MD after he showed him up in game one. Please explain why KT only played 13 minutes, and not all of that time guarding Duncan.

Oh, and Jones had zero points in that first game, with no other stats but two fouls. Great coaching MD!

[YFZblu]

YFZblu, if you are going to say, that I said something, at least get it right. I said he doesn't make IN GAME adjustments. And he doesn't. He should have started KT, and I know how many games Jones started. KT was a better player, and against the spurs, a much more suited player. So can we stop making excuses for MD? MD was a game behind in a seven game series. All Pop had to do was adjust to MD after he showed him up in game one. Please explain why KT only played 13 minutes, and not all of that time guarding Duncan.

Oh, and Jones had zero points in that first game, with no other stats but two fouls. Great coaching MD!

Seriously, anyone who thinks D'antoni cost the Suns game 1 in 2007 is just trolling at this point.

You've done this countless times...You spout off terrible and out-of-context information as if you remember what actually happened. You ask the question, why did James Jones start game 1? Because was our starting small forward, you dolt

You're obviously done here. So I'm done here as well...Seriously though, quit vomiting all over the forums.

[RunDogGun]

Man it must be tough to sit with your big balls. Now you are telling me what I remember? You are the dolt. It makes no difference what position Jones was, he should not have started game one against the spurs. Trolling? Are you f*cking serious?

Since we are using WOS words, run along child, you were finished (not done) before you started. Way to explain KT's 13 minutes though!

[BurningHeart]

Oh...NOW I remember JJ starting down the stretch and throughout the LA series.

It's coming back to me a bit more.

[RunDogGun]

No, it is good coaching to start a player that can't guard Duncan, who shot 33% from the field and three, 67% from the line, averaging 4.5 points and 1.5 rebounds over a guy who can guard Duncan shot 58% from the field , 67% from the line and averaged 8 points and 6.5 rebounds against the spurs. I liked Jones's effort during those last few games, but he was so inconsistent throughout those finals games( three of those last twelve games having 0-3,0-4,0-6 then in between shooting a few 50+% games) that he did not warrant a starting job. If MD's goal is to play the most efficient players, then KT was the correct guy to go with. Maybe he just got confused because they both were born on October fourth.