Evidence from NBA Blogosphere

Experts from around the NBA Blogosphere weighed in with their thoughts:

Don from With Malice

I think that Mike D'Antoni is one of the better coaches out there at the moment. I rank him up there with the best - a tad below Phil Jax, Pop, around the same level as Larry Brown... I rate him higher than Byron Scott. It would be a mistake for Phoenix to look his way for a scape goat because of the loss to San Antonio. The reason it was close was because of D'Antoni's prowess as a coach. Phoenix went in under-done (player-wise), and under-prepared (mid-season trade that changed their entire basketball philosophy)... yet they came within a Tim Duncan 3 point shot of beating the Spurs. That's coaching.

David The Dream Shake 

Players win championships. Not coaches. Bringing in the Fat Ass didn't exactly help Nash and Amare... and it hurts the future. But at some point the players just have to suck it up and decide that San Antonio is not going to beat them anymore.

 Matt Moore, Hardwood Paroxysm

It doesn't matter what "should" be done. D'Antoni will be sacrificed to satisfy Suns fans' bloodlust, the team will revert back to mediocrity while D'Antoni takes another team to 50+ wins and everyone will pine for the old days. That will prove to be the defining statement for Steve Kerr and this era of Suns fans: Be careful what you wish for, for ye will surely get it. 

 Matt Blake, AZSportsHub.com

Biggest failures were certainly not being able to get past the Spurs the last two years. Both of which were completely mental blocks, costly errors and pressing too much. The coach has to take control and calm his players down. Not playing the bench, until the bitter end, also seems to have led to his demise. The Spurs know how to play their bench to use crucial fouls, minutes and serve a specific purpose.

Tas Melas - The Basketball Jones

Give it a year, let these guys have a training camp and reg. season together. Get a young big to come off the bench and compliment Shaq/Amare.

 Spartacus - 3 Shades of Blue

His greatest liability is an inability to get his players to play acceptable defense in the postseason. His biggest failure was not being able to keep Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw on the bench last year against the Spurs. I mean, rules are rules, right Boston and Atlanta? Oh....wait. :-/

Jeremy from Pickaxe and Roll

What I like most about Coach D'Antoni is he allows his players to play. He knows as long as Steve Nash is on the floor he can rely on Nash to do what is best. It has been beautiful to see a coach trust his talent and provide them with a system where almost anyone, other than Marcus Banks, can excel.

His greatest accomplishment was showing the world that a fast paced style can compete with the more defensive oriented grind it out teams. They may have never beaten the Spurs in the playoffs, but he sure managed to play them pretty even.

Matt McHale - Basketbawful

His single greatest attribute is the mustache. It's amazing. As for his greatest accomplishments...he made fastbreak basketball en vogue again, and he finally unleashed Steve Nash on the world. If only he could have gotten to Steve a few years earlier...