N.Y. Knicks ~ Coach D'Antoni; Compare and Contrast

From the desk of:   DUTCH PANTS CAN'T JUMP

NEW YORK KNICKS:  Mike D'Antoni; Avery Johnson; Gregg Popovich; One of These Coaches is Not Like the Others.


I'm paraphrasing here, but Coach Avery Johnson said something after the last time the Knicks and Nets faced each other.  It came after Deron Williams torched the Knicks for thirty-eight points in the return engagement against Jeremy Lin; you know, the game Williams said he circled on his calendar after LINsanity broke out.


Coach Johnson said, if the Knicks switched up and tried covering Deron Williams with a forward, that it was his (Coach's) job to make sure he got a guard back on Williams.  Coach said he was responsible for making that adjustment, and that the onus was not on Deron Williams to adjust to the defense on the floor.



Wednesday night against the Spurs, I'm not sure exactly why Gregg Popovich flipped his lid and displayed open disgust towards his team, but you can be sure it was done for a reason.  He's done that before.  And when you've coached that team for as long as he has, you do that sometimes if it gets their attention.  Thinking like a coach, I'm a big proponent of beating on your team when things are going well.



Obviously this is all leading up to Coach D'Antoni.  I don't hear or see that chess-like intricacy from Coach D'Antoni like Coach Johnson talked about.  I don't see a Knick Coach being the alpha-male with his stars like Gregg Popovich is with his stars.  On countless occasions I've seen Popovich rip into Tony Parker, and especially his big man Tim Duncan.  But of course we know that Duncan is complicit in Popovich's plan to get everyone to fall in line.  Point is, I do not see Coach D'Antoni employing such tact with his stars; namely Carmelo Anthony.



Since Carmelo returned to the line-up, the Knickerbockers have come to a grinding halt, and I do not see the Coach adjusting one way or the other.  Not to the extent of the two coaches I chose to use as examples.



I will say this about the Knicks' recent play.  Without Tyson Chandler, their interior is exposed again.



That is all.







Mike.BTB