Bucher goes in on Phil, defends D'Antoni

[dockingsched]

http://sulia.com/channel/san-antonio-sp ... ce=twitter

Inconvenient Truth II: Curious why the statheads have not called out Phil Jackson on contending that Dwight Howard is being misused or under-utilized by Mike D'Antoni and his up-tempo offense, particularly when it comes to posting up Howard more. I'm told that Synergy has Howard second in the NBA only to the Utah Jazz's Al Jefferson in paint touches. Howard also is second only to Greg Monroe in field-goal attempts inside five feet. Considering that the Lakers can't go to Howard in the final minutes of most games because of his aversion to, and struggles with, shooting free throws with a game on the line, it's extraordinary that Howard ranks that high in either category.

Now, I have immense respect for Phil Jackson, and D'Antoni has made his share of decisions with which I've taken exception, but all the criticisms and complaints about him being ill-suited for the Lakers have proved to be premature, at best, and flat-out wrong, at worst. They had a disastrous start, thanks to injuries (Pau Gasol, Steve Nash, Steve Blake) and a poorly-timed coaching change and pressure from unwarranted sky-high expectations. Yet the Lakers have weathered the storm and are officially in the postseason picture. Kobe Bryant has been sensational, but I'm a little tired of the seemingly rote Kobe-wins-games and D'Antoni-loses-them storyline. Have we forgotten that the relationship between Phil and Kobe wasn't always rosy, in part because Phil wouldn't entrust Kobe as D'Antoni has? The truth is, D'Antoni hasn't forced his system on the team; in fact, he's had his star disciple, Steve Nash, adjusting his game to everyone else's. Their defense is essentially the same as the Knicks, D'Antoni's previous stop, yet Mike Woodson is a defensive coach with equal or better defensive personnel and I haven't heard anyone rip Woodson the way D'Antoni has been this season.

The part I really don't get is Jackson undermining a fellow coach and everyone quietly going along with it; perhaps that's the power of 11 rings, but count me out among those who believe that success is license to do whatever you want. The NBA coaching fraternity is a small one and, while they certainly don't all like or even respect each other at the same level, they do realize how hard the job is and there's usually a line drawn when it comes to making the job harder for a fellow coach. Commiserative texts, be they about a back injury or anything else, to a struggling star from the coach espousing how his system would be better for said star crosses that line. Yet D'Antoni and the Lakers have survived it all. Mea culpa, anyone?

pretty good read.

[DEEP3CL]

I keep saying it and will continue to keep saying it.....

You can't expect a coach to come in on the fly and really implement his system with virtually not running "his" training camp.

[AcecardZ]

I keep saying it and will continue to keep saying it.....

You can't expect a coach to come in on the fly and really implement his system with virtually not running "his" training camp.

Except maybe when you have a team as talented as the Lakers. Dwight is improving every week and If Pau returns at 80% or better the rest of the league is in a lot of trouble.

[Slava]

D'Antoni has had a fairly difficult time since taking over but Bucher seems to forget that Phil & Mike had their issues when Mike was coaching in Phoenix. So Phil wouldn't mind taking a pot shot or two whenever he can. I appreciate that Mike is taking it well, on the other hand if he criticizes Phil, there will a bigger backlash from the fans, who hold him in the highest esteem, so its a no-win situation for him there.

You also cannot rule out the fact that Mike is running Kobe high and dry to save our skin and Kobe is leading the league in minutes played. While we do not have another option, a few losses like the one against Toronto & New Orleans turning the other way and this column would look very laughable.

There's also a recent article where Mike has said that they are "having to" slow down the offense to get results and he's not really a fan of the post up offense that Kobe has been getting us to run with Nash playing off the ball. So this is still a fairly inconvenient marriage for the time being.

[Dr Aki]

I keep saying it and will continue to keep saying it.....

You can't expect a coach to come in on the fly and really implement his system with virtually not running "his" training camp.

12 wins 20 losses is the training camp

since then its been .750 ball from the lakers

[chefy]

dwight lead the magic to 5 playoffs appearances. and 1 finals. he has 3-4 regular season/playoffs where he averaged 20 ppg in 500-600 fg%. in his last playoffs he averaged 27 ppg in 630 fg%. uhm, yea, i think i'll take theses stats over the synergy stats. and he did all of this as a number one option, meaning the defense of the opposing team was focused on him. even gasol who is considered to be a better low post player than dwight wasn't able to do this when he was in memphis.

[kobeaki]

My idiom, if you will for this situation, is that the lakers hired an AIr Force captain ( dantoni) to lead a heavy tank brigade( laker roster) into battle...

Bad fit, but warriors are warriors, and it should improve.

I still and always love the lakers, and still and always love Phil Jackson. Ill always want him as part of the lakers , the same way ill always want west, magic, jabbar , Bryant as part of the laker family.

I still think Jackson is the better philosophical fit for this roster.

Only showtime won chips as a run and gun offense, but they were also tenacious defensively .

And trading pau for youth is also not a great idea at this point as no guard oriented team has ever won outside Jordan.

It is what it is. I'm very pleased that my beloved lakers are turning the corner. I'm not sure how much of that is because of dantoni, or if it's just chemistry gelling and body's being healthier., having Kobe be pg and Nash more of a spot shooter is a big part, again, is that Nash/ Bryant? Or dantoni? Both? Neither?

[Michael Lucky]

Bucher actually being right???? I need to archive this.

[LAKESHOW]

Dantonio sucks as a defensive ccoach. period.

[Slava]

It is what it is. I'm very pleased that my beloved lakers are turning the corner. I'm not sure how much of that is because of dantoni, or if it's just chemistry gelling and body's being healthier., having Kobe be pg and Nash more of a spot shooter is a big part, again, is that Nash/ Bryant? Or dantoni? Both? Neither?

I hate this kind of attitude towards D'Antoni, he's a very good coach when making in-game adjustments and far less stubborn than Phil to change things on the fly. As recently as yesterday, he noticed that Artest setting screens was allowing Boozer to defend Kobe on the switch and exploited all day long.

It took Thibodeu until the fourth quarter to adjust to that switch by playing Deng and Butler together.

You can see some of these in all the games he has coached once he got a grip of the roster. Kobe isn't just doing lip service by calling him an offensive genius.

[The Prodigy]

Funny that Bucher waits for the Lakers to be playing well to write this article in defense of D'Antoni. Where was he before?

I still believe D'Antoni is not the coach to get the best out of this team.

[IamBBAnalysis]

I keep saying it and will continue to keep saying it.....

You can't expect a coach to come in on the fly and really implement his system with virtually not running "his" training camp.

Except maybe when you have a team as talented as the Lakers. Dwight is improving every week and If Pau returns at 80% or better the rest of the league is in a lot of trouble.

Come on man...this team has looked terrible since preseason. Dwight has not been able to post up or run the pick and roll like people expected. Gasol was not fitting in at PF under Brown or D'Antonni. The Lakers were using guys like Morris, Sacre, and Duhon in important minutes much of the season. And of course injuries.

I agree with the article. D'Antonni is far from perfect but the problems didn't start and don't end with him. Its a personnel issue and has been. Just give the guy credit sometime and then criticize him others...just like the players. For example, the 8 man rotation has been good (all guys performing on the bench now), Nash playing off the ball has worked, him not forcing his "style", Earl Clark (Clark said it himself) getting a chance to play, and generally guys playing with confidence finally.

Just look at both sides.

[IamBBAnalysis]

D'Antoni has had a fairly difficult time since taking over but Bucher seems to forget that Phil & Mike had their issues when Mike was coaching in Phoenix. So Phil wouldn't mind taking a pot shot or two whenever he can. I appreciate that Mike is taking it well, on the other hand if he criticizes Phil, there will a bigger backlash from the fans, who hold him in the highest esteem, so its a no-win situation for him there.

You also cannot rule out the fact that Mike is running Kobe high and dry to save our skin and Kobe is leading the league in minutes played. While we do not have another option, a few losses like the one against Toronto & New Orleans turning the other way and this column would look very laughable.

There's also a recent article where Mike has said that they are "having to" slow down the offense to get results and he's not really a fan of the post up offense that Kobe has been getting us to run with Nash playing off the ball. So this is still a fairly inconvenient marriage for the time being.

To be honest its not the best offense right now. For the talent on the team it should be better. But the team is not clicking enough and/or the pieces have not quite fit in order to do something better.

[dockingsched]

Bucher actually being right???? I need to archive this.

haha i think he might be the opposite of wojo. wojo is great with breaking news and inside info, but totally sucks on opinion pieces. bucher seems to never get any inside info right, but this opinion piece is quite spot on.

[Gek]

pressure from unwarranted sky-high expectations.

Ehhhh... I'd say the expectations were fairly well warranted, although with hindsight pretty un-realistic.


He makes some good points and it is an interesting take on it from a coach to coach relationship standpoint. I haven't been an outspoken supporter of D'Antoni, but always said to cut the guy some slack because of injuries and the way/timing of him taking over for LAL.

I'm actually looking forward to next season (which is probably premature) after he gets a training camp under his belt and our team is actually stable for a season.

[kobeaki]

It is what it is. I'm very pleased that my beloved lakers are turning the corner. I'm not sure how much of that is because of dantoni, or if it's just chemistry gelling and body's being healthier., having Kobe be pg and Nash more of a spot shooter is a big part, again, is that Nash/ Bryant? Or dantoni? Both? Neither?

I hate this kind of attitude towards D'Antoni, he's a very good coach when making in-game adjustments and far less stubborn than Phil to change things on the fly. As recently as yesterday, he noticed that Artest setting screens was allowing Boozer to defend Kobe on the switch and exploited all day long.

It took Thibodeu until the fourth quarter to adjust to that switch by playing Deng and Butler together.

You can see some of these in all the games he has coached once he got a grip of the roster. Kobe isn't just doing lip service by calling him an offensive genius.

To be fair to myself and what you quoted, I wasn't killing him, as I have in the past, but I am questioning him, as well he should be questioned... Based mainly on his past hc gigs. Where he seemed to be very rigid and inflexible ...

I framed what you quoted as a question, is it him , the players , both? Neither? Something else? All of the above?

Just don't pretend he was a flexible coach in New York or Phoenix, because the word on the man is that he sticks closely to HIS script...

[nashill]

i think the current lakers is a mixed of kobe/nash/dantoni system. lakers has 2 coach playing in the court.

[Gek]

It is what it is. I'm very pleased that my beloved lakers are turning the corner. I'm not sure how much of that is because of dantoni, or if it's just chemistry gelling and body's being healthier., having Kobe be pg and Nash more of a spot shooter is a big part, again, is that Nash/ Bryant? Or dantoni? Both? Neither?

I hate this kind of attitude towards D'Antoni, he's a very good coach when making in-game adjustments and far less stubborn than Phil to change things on the fly. As recently as yesterday, he noticed that Artest setting screens was allowing Boozer to defend Kobe on the switch and exploited all day long.

It took Thibodeu until the fourth quarter to adjust to that switch by playing Deng and Butler together.

You can see some of these in all the games he has coached once he got a grip of the roster. Kobe isn't just doing lip service by calling him an offensive genius.

To be fair to myself and what you quoted, I wasn't killing him, as I have in the past, but I am questioning him, as well he should be questioned... Based mainly on his past hc gigs. Where he seemed to be very rigid and inflexible ...

I framed what you quoted as a question, is it him , the players , both? Neither? Something else? All of the above?

Just don't pretend he was a flexible coach in New York or Phoenix, because the word on the man is that he sticks closely to HIS script...

Just because he stuck to his script (in NY in particular) doesn't mean that it wasn't the right script. No one in NY bought into his system. The Lakers never bought into Mike Brown's system to start the year and even Dwight just said he recently bought into D'Antoni's system.

Now whether that's on the coach or the players is beyond me (probably a bit of both) - I don't know much about professional locker room politics.