Now that the New York Knicks have been (buzzword alert) "repurposed" as a
gritty powerhouse, there seems to be little interest in rehashing the
roster-related schematic challenge that became the downfall of ousted
coach Mike D'Antoni.
What we're left to ponder is
where D'Antoni could end up next and the viability of his system in the
chase for an NBA championship.
For context, we give
the floor to an assistant coach working for a team in the Western
Conference.
"Given the right players for his system
and favorable circumstances, it would have a chance," the assistant
coach said. "I mean ... how many games did he win in that three-year run
in Phoenix?"
The magic number is
177.
"Without Robert Horry going hockey goon on
(Steve) Nash that one year ... who knows?" the coach
said.
Right, but we won't get into
that.
"In Phoenix, he (D'Antoni) had the
almost-perfect storm," the coach said. "There was Nash, the best you
could possibly find to run a spread offense, deliver a pass on time and
in rhythm and make shots in screen-roll situations when defenses tried
to take away (Amar'e) Stoudemire on the slip or pop. They had knock-down
shooters camped on the 3-point line, and guys like (Shawn) Marion, Joe
Johnson and Raja Bell to give them at least a shot on
defense."
Let's take a look at the defensive thing.
While most of the basketball world considered the Suns to be the most
generous defenders in the sport at that time, they actually checked in a
reasonable 17th, 16th and 13th in defensive efficiency during
D'Antoni's halcyon days (between 2004 and 2007).
This
combination of wildly efficient offense and reasonable defense didn't
translate when it mattered most (although Horry's contribution helped a
little), but it had a much better shot than D'Antoni was provided after
the Knicks owner gutted the team of crucial role players in the trade
for Carmelo Anthony.
"D'Antoni is a really innovative
guy and -- with the right pieces -- his teams can be very exciting,"
the coach said. "Franchises don't mind being exciting. He had Jeremy Lin
and some average guys and looked unbeatable. Then their so-called
superstars all came back, they stopped guarding altogether, didn't share
the ball and it all fell apart.
"With a couple of
players who make everyone at least semi-accountable on defense and a
capable primary ballhandler, he'd be a good hire
somewhere."
Any suggestions?
"Hey,
I don't want to talk about people losing jobs, getting jobs ...
whatever."
OK, allow us.
According
to D'Antoni confidants, Mike is hoping to coach next season. The
Portland Trail Blazers will be checking their options, which include
what to do at point guard. Raymond Felton, who worked well in D'Antoni's
system in New York, is in the final year of his contract. So are a few
other point guards. You take it from there, roster roulette
fans.
Portland also has an elite, versatile power
forward in LaMarcus Aldridge, a rabid fan base, their own lottery-bound
pick, a top-three-protected first-round pick from the New Jersey Nets
(although that may not excite D'Antoni) and some cap
relief.
The Los Angeles Clippers have a pick-and-roll
tandem of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, high expectations, inconsistent
play and a coach in the last year of his contract. They also have two
bigs who are unable to stretch the floor, so some tweaks would be
necessary.
Anyway, there will be other vacancies or
potential vacancies to consider, but the league just seems to be more
interesting when D'Antoni -- free from the burden of ball-stopping
superstars -- is in it.
SOME SHINING
MOMENTUM
For those who don't pay much
attention to college basketball until March, the NCAA tournament has
provided a look at an extremely interesting player named Royce
White.
White, who's being described as a "point power
forward" for Iowa State, goes 6-foot-8 and about 270 pounds. His
baseline-to-baseline ability to handle the ball (I don't mean walking
the ball up, either) and use the pass as a deadly weapon has inspired
fresh observers to wonder about his NBA potential.
In
Saturday night's loss to top-ranked Kentucky, White provided the
Cyclones with 23 points and nine rebounds before fouling out. Working
against Anthony Davis (who's expected to be the first pick in the 2012
draft) and lottery candidate Terrence Jones, all of his tools were on
national display.
Iowa State's leader in scoring,
rebounds, assists, steals and blocks has terrific agility for his size.
He can attack off the dribble from the perimeter (although he's very
right-hand dominant) and has solid post tactics playing with his back to
the basket. He's a committed distributor off the dribble and out of the
post, but he isn't much of a shooter.
White's shot
mechanics aren't beyond redemption, but throw in some choppy rhythm at
the free-throw line and it's easy to see why he made only 49 percent of
his chances from there.
A few acquaintances were
surprised to notice that the hulking sophomore's name doesn't pop up as a
first-round option on many (if any) mock drafts. Well, please
understand the fluidity of these lists. And it also should be noted that
White -- who turns 21 in April -- hasn't even made the decision to
enter the draft.
His coach, Fred Hoiberg, played in
the league for several years, worked in an NBA front office and is a
strong advocate for his future.
But there are red
flags. In addition to a legal issue that ended his career at the
University of Minnesota before it started, White has an anxiety disorder
that can affect his energy level and doesn't mix well with airline
travel.
A scout who's employed by a Western
Conference team had this take on White:
"The shooting
is something that he can get better at. I mean, you rarely see guys
that size who can make the plays he does off the bounce. He's way ahead
in a lot of things that you can't teach a player to do by this time in
their careers. Now, if he doesn't improve his ability to knock down a
perimeter shot, that will make it harder to have defenders play him
honestly so he take advantage of those attacking skills at our
level.
"The other things are concerns, of course. And
you'd like to see him trim down, too. But having Fred Hoiberg in his
corner also carries weight with a lot of people in this
league."
COUNTER
POINT
One intriguing prospect who's not
emerging on the March Madness stage is Weber State point guard Damian
Lillard.
Lillard, a 6-2 senior from Oakland, has been
a player of NBA interest for quite a while. The nation's leading scorer
(24.4 points per game), his high usage rate also leads to four assists
per game. But according to teamrankings.com, Lillard checks in third in
player offensive efficiency, a ranking greatly influenced by making 47
percent of his field-goal attempts (42 percent from 3-point range) and
88 percent of his free throws.
Weber State was
eliminated from the CollegeInsider.com postseason tournament Sunday
night, but most scouts already have Lillard pegged (for now) as the top
point guard on the board.
One enthusiastic
endorsement comes from Phoenix Suns guard Ronnie Price, who played for
the Utah Jazz after starring at Utah Valley and still has a home in the
Beehive State. According to Price, Lillard certainly looks the NBA part
while participating with pros in high-level pickup games during the
offseason.
But will that translate to an NBA job at
point guard?
"That depends on the team he goes to and
what their job description is," our scout from the item above said. "If
the team needs their point guard to score, he'd fit in
nicely.
"I'd like to see more of Lillard playing with
better players, where he has to create opportunities for them. He has
the physical tools and the skill to get it done. Now we'll have to see
if he can run a team and make the proper
decisions."
SPEAKING OF SCORING POINT GUARDS
...
A recent injury to Toronto Raptors
point guard Jose Calderon has opened the door for fourth-year pro Jerryd
Bayless.
The former Phoenix St. Mary's and
University of Arizona star has taken advantage of his extra minutes by
giving the Raptors a combined 93 points in their last four games.
Bayless, who scored 28 points against Memphis and 29 against Charlotte
on back-to-back nights, has made 31 of 57 shots (12 of 19 from 3-point
range) in this four-game stretch while handing out 32
assists.
Averaging 12.1 points per game this season,
Bayless -- the 11th overall pick in the 2008 draft -- will be a
restricted free agent this summer.
