The Fredstrom is calling for D'Antoni's job! How can your team completely handle the Mavs for 3 quarters then totally collapse? How can you only score 9pts in the 4th quarter? How can you not get any of your players an open look in the final quarter? This isn't hockey D'Antoni, you have to play all 4 quarters. Where is that killer instinct? The Suns looked so far from a championship caliber team today.
You played Oh My Giricek for 3 minutes and he scores 7pts, sinking 3 of 4. Giricek saw only 2 minutes in the 2nd half? Why? He is tough defensively and has been on fire from downtown. Between Grant Hill and Barbosa they combined for 63 minutes and 8 points?
Boris Diaw was doing a great job on Dirk for the entire time he was in the game, then Boris draws his 4th foul with 8 mins. to go in the 4th quarter and never came back. Dirk then gets Shaq and Stat and takes them both?
Back to D'Antoni, let the Fredstrom ask you a couple of questions that he would like answers to. Take the Suns roster over the last few years and ask yourself, "Would the Suns still be able to win 50+ games with any other coach?" Fredstrom's answer - "YES, easily." Next question, "How would D'Antoni's win/loss record look without Steve Nash?" Fredstrom's answer- "Maybe .500?" Steve Nash is the coach of that team, you don't see D'Antoni calling plays or calling timeouts at the end of today's game did you?
His style of basketball may be fun to watch but it doesn't include defensive and isn't getting it done. D'Antoni got completely out-coached today in his building by a team that hadn't beaten a winning team with Jason Kidd, the Mavs were 0-11 against winning teams prior to today. Not acceptable. Steve Kerr-get on your Blackberry and start making some phone calls for next year.
Let the Fredstrom give you a positive spin for today's meltdown. The Suns move down to 6th place and could avoid playing Utah in the opening round, instead it would be the Lakers. Maybe that was D'Antoni's plan all along?
So that you don't have to picture Dirk taking it to the Suns, the Fredstrom would like to leave you with another image of Dirk to cement in your mind. Friends don't let friends drive dirk!
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Just in case you missed it-CP3 had a triple double today in another win over the Warriors. Still think Kobe deserves MVP?
The Juiceman has to say WOW!!!! I think the Fredstrom needs more time on the Rhino...I do admit Coach needs to go and please stop playing only 7 guys, but the GrapeJuice still thinks the Suns will be ok....They just had a bad 4th quarter, and I don't see them doing that for 4 games in a row....Purple passion still sees no team out there that can beat the suns in 7 games......When Nash misses his three's and Amare misses dunks, not much you can do...The Fredstrom needs to enjoy the beautiful northern Pines more. Look at the birds flying and singing in the mountain air....all is good in Planet Orange......also, HOW BOUT THEM D_BACKS...Mr. Lyon needs to go back to the 7th or 8th inning, and put Quails in as the closer...Lyon doesn't have it has a closer.....I bet the Curt Shilling fans out there love to see ole Lyons fail.....Back to the Suns, don't worry about who they are going to play, every series will be tough, and we just need to hope that Nash and the big Saguaro just take over....and leave D'antoni out of the mix....then we will be fine....not sure who will win the MVP, and frankly don't care////it is all political anyways.....Nash not winning it last year is reason to believe it is political.....speaking of political where was John McCain today at the game.......that is the real reason why the Suns lost...I am out.......
You both are absolutely and unequivocally a)wrong, and b)crazy.
You have awakened the sleeping Squirrel. More from him to come...
That's all you got squrrel? Wrong and crazy with no backup? The Fredstrom does agree that his post yesterday was a bit emotional and written under a panicky state, but that sort of drop-off isn't what championship teams do. Get in here squirrel!
Pardon the brief break between posts, Hypomanic Squirrel had to dwell on the sheer absurdity of the Fredstrom’s statements (and Juicebox’s subsequent agreement) for a night before officially replying.
Taking the head coaching job from Frank Johnson (remember him?!), D’Antoni has led the team to 50+ wins in EVERY full season he has coached (62, 54, 61, 55?). In addition to that, he has been a valuable part of re-establishing respect in the USA Basketball program. It is for these reasons and many more that I plan to stand behind my boy D’Antoni and attempt to address all claims made against him.
“Would the Suns still be able to win 50+ games with any other coach?”
Fredstrom answer “YES, easily”
Squirrel answer “No”
While a loose argument can be made that sticking a Hall of Fame-caliber coach in D’Antoni’s place may have produced different results in the Suns record of playoff achievements, it does not take into account what D’Antoni does best: chemistry.
The Fredstrom shouldn’t have had to look longer than 15 games back to fully understand the impact of chemistry on a good team. How many NBA organizations over the years have produced teams that have been superior on paper, only to fizzle out when it came to bonding together (reference the Knicks as an extreme example). With player contracts and personnel handled by the GM (which is not D’Antoni), a typical NBA coach is in charge of the very two things D’Antoni does best: getting the most out of the players you have, and making sure they are a unified group.
“How would D’Antoni’s win/loss record look without Steve Nash?”
Fredstrom answer “Maybe .500?”
Squirrel answer “.500, but that has little to do with D’Antoni”
I’m not sure you could make the argument that the Suns would be better than .500 (maybe .600) without a solid point guard under any coach. Steve Nash is the best in the NBA in terms of reading the court and putting his teammates in positions where they can succeed. You think Bell, Diaw, O’Neil, and Barbosa would thrive anywhere except in Phoenix? Look at Quentin Richardson’s time in Phoenix and New York as an example. The guy was a terror in Phoenix, only to drop off the face of the planet in New York. Other than Nash and Stoudemire, Phoenix only has good players that become great when paired with Nash.
I actually view Steve Nash as an example of how good the coach is. Being able to understand a player’s strengths and weaknesses, and being able to put them in situations with the highest chance for success is what D’Antoni has done from the word “go.” Hypomanic Squirrel credits D’Antoni for not trying to jinx the team with obsessive and superfluous tinkering (reference Pat Riley). D’Antoni recognizes the strength of his team and sticks with it, even when short-term lapses occur.
Consequently, I’m all for my boy D’Antoni. Was I upset about Sunday’s loss? I was Furious. Do I think changes need to be made? Yes, but moreso in addressing player confidence. Watching Hill, Bell, and Barbosa pass up shot after open shot and laying eggs in the shots they did attempt, there was only so many things D’Antoni could have done to try and stop the 4th Quarter bleeding. Those guys need to stop thinking and start playing ball. That, coupled with the fact that the Suns had all but stamped their playoff ticket, resulted in a lapse of offensive prowess. Irritating? Yes. Concerning? Not especially.
Give the Suns five more games to work out the kinks; they’ll be just fine for the playoffs (regardless of whether or not they play the Jazz).
Squirrel OUT!
How many rings does Riley have again?
Letting Nash be the coach doesn't work in the 4th quarter during crunch time, see Spurs games, see Laker playoff games 4-5 two years ago. See yesterday.
What were those things that D'Antoni could have done to stop the bleeding? He didn't do them.
We know that Nash makes everyone else better, but what has D'Antoni done to address the problem of when Nash goes out? Wasn't it D'Antoni that signed Marcus Banks to that ridiculous contract? Kerr just took over, D'Antoni was the one in charge of assembling the team the last few years, and while wins are nice, they don't mean rings! How does Dallas feel about having the best record last year?
Chemistry WAS a big problem for the last few years. Did Joe Johnson want to stay in Phx? No. Did Marion and Stat get along? No. Did Steve Nash have to sit between Raja and Stat because Raja called him the "black hole" where the ball comes in and never comes out? Yes. Those are all D'Antoni guys, not Kerr guys.
D'Antoni may understand players strengths but they don't have any gas in the tank left to use them because of his 7 man rotation. Every year they run out of steam. It's frustrating to watch how hard Nash works to get something going at the end of the game while the other 4 players stand around and watch. They need a coach to draw up some plays, and not just for the last second shots, but for the last 5 mins. of close games.
What has D'Antoni done to address defense? Has adding Raja helped the Suns give up less points? No. Adding Shaq has been good but Kerr did that. D'Antoni has had the most athletic group of guys that play some of the worst defense.
The Suns have been picked to win the championship by many over the past 4 years and haven't even made it to the Finals once. The Fredstrom isn't ready to blame the players. You have to blame the one assembling the pieces-D'Antoni (except this year), and the one putting the pieces in and out of the game.
The Fredstrom knows that Nash makes others around him better, that's what good point guards do. If that's the case then it doesn't matter who the coach is. Do great players make great coaches? Yes-Phil Jackson, and Riley with the Lakers, and No- the Pistons and Spurs were just really good teams that understood team defense. The Suns only have good players and that isn't getting it done, they have had the best team over the last 4 years and that has gotten them nowhere.
D'Antoni has let this amazing window pass...
Hypomanic Squirrel has heard the Fredstrom's response and is impressed with its legnth and density. Unfortunately, his ethics class reading has not been completed and needs to be addressed.
While the Squirrel shares the frustration with the Suns short bench and is similarly... aw heck, I have no idea. Whatever you said sounds good. I just hope they figure everything out by the playoffs!
Piece!
Where is Scott Skiles when you need him!?
Scott Skiles is no good! The Fredstrom believes that if the Suns don't make the Finals then Kerr should start shopping. Doug Collins is tops on Fredstrom's list.
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