D'Antoni talks to ESPN

by be-the-ball on May 13, 2008 10:41 PM MDT

Interesting, sounds like it was all a Kerr-D'Antoni conflict and that everything was fine until that first game loss to the spurs. Here's an az republic article http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2008/05/13/20080513dantonibox0514.html I know its a small article, but the thing that I found most interesting...was everything was fine until that game... And I thought that game was hard for me to take.... I think we, as bloggers can only comment accurately on so much of this stuff, but, from what I see, I like Kerr more than D'Antoni. I honestly felt months ago that D'Antoni was too big for his own good, So hard to take, if Shaq could actually shoot free throws...(I know, it'll never happen), but if he could, we would've won that series. If Duncan hadn't made that three....If Nash didn't have such a horrible shooting night....and on and on.... But on the preparation side of it, I think the suns players have gotten away with 'LAZY' practices regarding defense and it showed. The Spurs and Celtics, and other teams knew, as a team, just what they wanted to do on defense. We had no clue and can't even rotate on pick and rolls....granted having nash, amare, and shaq hurt us on defense....and yet they still could've pulled off a victory I think. I honestly feel if popovich was the suns coach, and anyone else was the spurs coach, for the entire year, we'd have won, or amare would've demanded a trade because someone actually wasn't going to let him run his mouth and accept it just because he has so much potential.

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You are right

I think that Kerr panicked, as we all did, after that first game. I don’t think it was after that game that he started doubting Mike, he always had doubts.
As for the team, I feel the same way. I feel that we could have won that series if we stuck to what had been successful against them in the regular season, which was running and sometimes feeding Shaq on the post. Isn’t that what they said they were going to do?
We were supposed to be a team able to Run n Gun and also play half court and that’s not what I saw in the playoffs. I saw a team give the ball to Diaw on the post because he had smaller defenders….I mean are you kidding me Mike?? is that the best you can do? Identifying a mismatch? My 8 year old brother could have done the same thing…

We have to realize that when a team is just slightly better than another one, everything comes down to coaching and discipline. Pop made adjustments, setting high screens for Parker, the Hack a Shaq, moving Bowen away from Nash because he knows Nash’s ability to find the open man is useless in a half court offense. Sigh

Don’t get me wrong.. I like coach D, but if he wasn’t willing to make adjustments… I guess are better off without him…

"Basketball doesn't build character. It reveals it"

by PanamaSun on May 14, 2008 8:07 AM MDT 0 recs

Shaq

I don’t think we’ve talked enough about Shaq poor offense. Not just the free throws but the inability to score in the post. Remember during the final reg season game during the 3rd period where we dumped into Shaq a few times in a row and he scored 1:1 in the post?

They tried numerous times in the playoff’s to score this way but Shaq NEVER was able to hit those shots more then a few times per game. Perhaps the Spurs D w/ KT helped by pushing him out of the post just enough to be outside his range (2ft) but it also seemed the Suns weren’t running screens, etc to get him free under the rim. Hill was the entry passer on those plays during the reg season.

I still think that the failure to react and plan to Hill’s injury was the biggest key. If they decided the day before game 1 that Hill was going to sit then they could have preped for that. Instead they tried to run him out there in game 1 and AGAIN in game 2!!!

To me, that’s still the biggest coaching mistake.

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Phoenix Stan on May 14, 2008 8:21 AM MDT up 0 recs

I agree

Shaq missed a lot of easy shots, he was neutralized on the offensive end and abused on the defensive end. So he was useless during this series.

About Hill.. I blame him for not coming clean and saying that he couldn’t play, as you mentioned, having a game plan is very important on a difficult series. After watching Hill not able to run the floor…Mike was forced to make In-game adjustments, and he is not very good at that.

You are right on target

"Basketball doesn't build character. It reveals it"

by PanamaSun on May 14, 2008 8:41 AM MDT up 0 recs

Like I said

I agree that Hill shares the blame for game 1. There’s NO excuse though for trying the same thing AGAIN for game 2!! grrr – makes me made to think about it

Blogging Suns Basketball

by Phoenix Stan on May 14, 2008 8:57 AM MDT up 0 recs

good points

Either Shaq wasn’t still at the level he needs to be, or we’re in trouble for next season with him. I’m hoping shaq gains more maneuverability, it was clear he just wasn’t moving like he was used to, ....and whether that has to do with coming off the injury or his age…we’ll find out next season. I think it was a mixture of both things, but for next years sake, I hope he can improve on being able to score while down low.

Also, great point on Hill, if Hill had been honest for the start, he likely would’ve been able to play and help by games 3 or 4. Instead he likely hurt us in games 1 and 2 and killed his availableness for the rest of the series. Part coaching blame for putting him in for the second game, part Hill for not being clear about how he was for the first game.

I’m expecting a roster change before next year. A big one…..either Diaw or Barbosa are likely to be traded, I wonder if anyone else??

by be-the-ball on May 14, 2008 10:43 AM MDT up 0 recs

Shaq and Hill

If they were so ineffective, what should d’antoni have done?

by tkired on May 14, 2008 9:38 PM MDT 0 recs

not much he could've done...

There were little things, but, as a whole not practicing and learning a great defense hurt the suns, also running into a team that was willing to use the hack a shaq to new levels – fouls off the ball.

I don’t blame this solely on D’Antoni, we simply got beat by a better prepared, smarter team. What’s scary for me as a suns fan, the last 2-3 years I always felt with a little more luck we could’ve won. Now with the emergence of Paul and Williams, the Lakers, N.O., and a few other teams have more athleticism and talent than us, by a lot. Unless the suns make a player roster move, we’re in trouble for next year.

by be-the-ball on May 15, 2008 1:44 AM MDT up 0 recs