Just One More Chance
What year is it? Who knew that Mike D'Antoni was still alive? Not me! D'Antoni has apparently accepted the position of head coach of the Houston Rockets. Yeah, Houston. For those of you who are too young to remember, or too old that you have forgotten, let's remind you of who he is.
D'Antoni began his NBA coaching career in Denver with the Nuggets. He was the head coach during the lockout season of 1998 and was fired shortly after due to poor performance. One year in Denver with a record of 14-36. Not too bad for a first time head coach with a joke of a team. He wouldn't coach again until 2003.
In 2003, he was hired as the head coach of the Phoenix Suns in the middle of the season. He coached 61 games and led the Suns to a 21-40 record. Despite the low win total, he was given the benefit of a doubt due to the multiple injuries his team had encountered and was brought back for the next season.
In 2004, Phoenix acquired then free agent Steve Nash. This is where it gets fun. The Suns would post a record of 62-20 en route to a division title. "Seven Seconds or Less" was born. The Suns ran an offense quite similar to that of Loyola Marymount did in the late 80's-early 90's. It was a ton of fun to watch.
The first two of four consecutive trips to the playoffs, Phoenix lost in the conference finals. In 2007, they fell in the conference semifinals. 2008, the first round. After that season, D'Antoni would bolt for the New York Knicks. That is where things fell apart.
After posting a 253-136 record in the desert, the Big Apple came calling. The bright lights seem to attract every moth that can see them. D'Antoni's first two seasons were losing seasons. Missing the playoffs both seasons with a combined record of 61-103, it was time for a change. Amar'e Stoudemire reunited with his old coach as a free agent signing, and in February, Carmelo Anthony was acquired via trade. The team would make the playoffs only to swept in the first round. The following season, D'Antoni would resign midway through the season due to his ongoing conflict with Carmelo Anthony. His total record in New York was 121-167.
The following season, D'Antoni was pinned to lead the Los Angeles Lakers. He joined the team 10 games into the season while recovering from knee surgery. Former coach Phil Jackson was reported to be the Lakers first call, but before they did, D'Antoni was hired. (This is why the Lakers suck today.) D'Antoni was reunited with Steve Nash. He also inherited a roster that consisted of Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard. Halfway through the season, D'Antoni benched Gasol for Earl Clark because he thought that Clark was better fit for the style of play he ran. Shortly after, he abandoned any offensive strategy and just told his team to do their own thing. After starting the season 17-24, the Lakers went on to make the playoffs with a record of 40-32. However, they would be swept in the first round.
In his second season, the Lakers would finish with their second worst (at the time) record. Howard had left and Kobe was riddled with injury. Steve Nash was also frequently missing. After the season, D'Antoni would resign. His record for LA was 67-87.
Flash forward to now. Houston thinks that D'Antoni is the best man for the job. With stars like James Harden and the before mentioned Dwight Howard, how can he control the locker room? In Phoenix, he turned players into household names. In New York and LA, he turned household names against him. He doesn't have a good track record with big name players. For the past few seasons, D'Antoni has been an assistant head coach for The Philadelphia 76ers. What does it tell you that even their ownership didn't want him as their head coach?
I really hope that he does well. I really enjoyed his run with the Suns nearly a decade ago. However, I do not think that Mike D'Antoni will have much success in Houston considering both the star power on the team and the other teams that he must compete with inside of his conference. 10 years ago: Slam Dunk Hire. Present Time; What the Hell??
-Dug
@chansm1th
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