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No timetable, indeed.

Blogabull_s_tiny by your friendly BullsBlogger on

In the aftermath of Mike D'Antoni signing with the Knicks over the Bulls, I was a bit disappointed but not completely. I felt that D'Antoni would've been a good fit, but not a perfect one, and whatever reservations the Bulls braintrust had regarding him were justifiable. Especially when debating whether he should be made the 3rd-highest paid coach in the league.

From what's been reported, most coherently from Chad Ford, is that it wasn't merely money that had D'Antoni going to the Knicks, but also a commitment from their GM and ownership that assured him of little meddling and much spending. Paxson instead, as Ford reports, wanted assurances that D'Antoni would hire a veteran defensive assistant coach. Indications from Phoenix was that D'Antoni didn't like Kerr suggesting the same, so why would he want to deal with similar issues in Chicago, for potentially less money? Now he can go to New York with a roster he knows can be demolished and rebuilt in his image, with nearly no expectations, and some nice coin while striving to become the toast of basketball mecca. Heck, a win in the lottery and the Knicks could wind up being a better roster than the Bulls as well.

I don't begrudge the Bulls for not wanting to give D'Antoni such assurances. Or D'Antoni for going somewhere for such things.

But in classic "why don't you stop talking for a while, champ" mode, Paxson, instead of saying that it just didn't work out, instead whines that he in fact was willing to work with D'Antoni's demands, but didn't have the chance to make an offer:

According to a team official familiar with the D'Antoni negotiations, Reinsdorf and Paxson were preparing to make an official offer Saturday when they received word D'Antoni had accepted the Knicks' job.

Team sources claim the Bulls, who were under the impression from D'Antoni's camp that they were the better fit, weren't given a chance to make a counteroffer. Those same sources insist the Bulls were willing to offer a four-year contract.

Reinsdorf was prepared to sign off on Paxson's recommendation and negotiate. Sources said Reinsdorf came away impressed from his Friday meeting.

Paxson was intrigued enough by D'Antoni's gregarious personality and offensive ideas for Bulls personnel to look past his desire for a practice- and defense-oriented coach.

"I flew out to see Mike last Sunday within hours when I was given permission to do so from [Suns general manager] Steve Kerr," Paxson said in a statement.

"The meeting went very well and I felt we connected on many things philosophically.

"On Tuesday Jerry and I met and, because of our strong interest, Jerry was eager to meet with Mike personally. This morning Jerry and I spoke and agreed that Mike was a good fit and I placed a call to his agent. Jerry wanted to meet with Mike again [Saturday] and talk about a deal.

"Unfortunately, we were never given an opportunity to make an offer of any kind, which is the most disappointing thing in all of this. I thought it would have been fair to listen to what we had to say. But at the end of the day we simply weren't given the opportunity to do so. I now will continue to search for the proper fit for our current roster."

Wow.

Like I said, to not want D'Antoni on such terms is fine. But to indeed be willing to concede any reservations and agree to 'go for it', only to find out you're too late...what kind of operation is being run here? I mean, did our GM just tell us that he's disappointed and it wasn't fair?

The problem, according to Marc Stein, is that it's one thing to retroactively say you were interested, and another to actually show it:

Sources close to the process insist that Paxson was excited all along about landing D'Antoni -- if not quite as geeked as D'Antoni was to get the Bulls' job -- in spite of our natural inclination to wonder if Pax had the same philosophical differences with D'Antoni as his good friend Kerr had.

Paxson said in a club statement Saturday night that the Bulls were denied an opportunity to make a formal offer in the morning before D'Antoni committed to the Knicks. But who said they had to wait all week when New York's rising interest was well known for more than 48 hours?

I've consistently heard the past several days that the slow-moving Reinsdorf's reservations created New York's opening. D'Antoni was Paxson's top choice, as Reinsdorf's trip to Phoenix on Friday to speak face to face with D'Antoni would suggest. But Reinsdorf's typical insistence on a drawn-out "process" approach -- combined with his long-standing reluctance to spend big on anyone not named Michael Jordan or Phil Jackson -- ultimately left the Bulls looking decidedly indecisive (yet again) compared to the eager Knicks.

D'Antoni noticed, too.

There have been persistent rumblings from the start that Reinsdorf didn't want to give his next coach a long-term deal that paid $4 million-plus annually. Sources say it quickly became apparent to D'Antoni, during his sit-down with the owner and a lengthy Friday night conference call with Bulls officials, that the Knicks were offering more passion to go with the money.

Again, I'm not even that upset about Reinsdorf getting involved and questioning the value of paying another coach long-term big money when he just gave a cash prize to the last one after he quit on his team (reciprocated, of course).

But Paxson (who may not deserve all the blame but who is the point man for this organization, and certainly says 'accountability' enough) while I get the need to cover your ass after letting your first choice get away, don't whine about the process(though, at least he didn't blame the internet misinformation). The Knicks were making offers while you were setting up meetings. Merely days after proclaiming (or leaking through sources, anyway) that the Bulls wouldn't get into a bidding war with the Knicks, don't be upset that you weren't able to get into a bidding war with the Knicks. Sheesh.

After the Boylan era went on for about 4 months too long, all I wanted in this coaching search is a return to competence. While there aren't any perfect candidates available, all that Pax's "process" has done so far is letting two at-least 'good' coaches, Carlisle and D'Antoni, go to other teams. And if we can believe these reports, he just lost out on his #1 choice.

Stein reports that the next candidates for the Bulls are Avery Johnson, Dwane Casey, and Tom Thibodeau. What if after interviewing each (and I believe Casey may have already been interviewed) none of them "connect as much philosophically" as D'Antoni did? Not even close?

It's as if Pax thinks he can wait to interview everyone he wants, and then go back and decide who's best. Clearly it's not working out that way.

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Was D'Antoni the first choice

or just the first choice this week? And the early reports were that D’Antoni was the more excited one for the potential get together whereas at the end of the week now it’s Paxson who was the one itching to get the deal done? I agree that the whole thing was handled in a sloppy fashion, kind of like dragging your heels to ask the homely girl next door to the prom because you have no shot with anybody else and then finding out she’s already going with some dork from the cross country team. There’s just no win in a situation like that. I don’t feel like losing out on D’Antoni was a loss, but not getting the deal done still hurts.

2008 or bust.

by bullshooter on May 11, 2008 10:07 PM CDT   0 recs

That's a pretty poor analogy.

D’Antoni was hardly the “homely” girl.

by tyger1147 on May 12, 2008 8:27 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I don't think he was as pretty as you do...

And he certainly wasn’t up for prom queen. :-)

2008 or bust.

by bullshooter on May 12, 2008 8:58 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

There's a difference between Prom Queen and homely.

Besides, who do you think is up for Prom Queen this year? I mean, someone has to be, right? C’mon, quit all the “I hate this and this this and this, yet I have no solutions to offer” junk. Who’s a better choice than D’Antoni?

I think he had flash, but there was a question of substance. Paxson is looking for the perfect date, and she might already be taken. More than likely, they will have to settle for the “homely” girl in Avery Johnson or Rick Carlisle.

by tyger1147 on May 12, 2008 10:55 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

sure there is, the prom queen already has a date

quit all the "I hate this and this this and this, yet I have no solutions to offer"—you really need to stop parroting other people…

There’s also still Thibodeau, the “defense and development” guy. Don’t forget to include him.

2008 or bust.

by bullshooter on May 12, 2008 11:11 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I have no idea what you're trying to say.

I’m just glad Paxson has someone sticking up for him saying he can do no wrong. Wait! Are you K.C. Johnson?

by tyger1147 on May 12, 2008 11:19 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

It's pretty obvious that you have no idea

since I wasn’t sticking up for Pax other than to say there are no great candidates out there and to say that he still managed to handle the D’Antoni situation in a sloppy fashion. But it would be inconsistent for you to actually understand the larger point and not argue with me on some unimportant minutiae…

2008 or bust.

by bullshooter on May 12, 2008 11:27 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Maybe you should just become a better writer then.

This isn’t the only place (in this thread alone) where someone has supposedly misunderstood you.

by tyger1147 on May 12, 2008 11:58 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

or maybe you need to stop

if such parrots feel the need to exist.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 12, 2008 11:27 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

if it were parrots with an s

and not just a single vulture, then the problem would be mine.

2008 or bust.

by bullshooter on May 12, 2008 11:29 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I can count a handful.

but if you thought the problem was you, then there wouldn’t be a problem, and then how bored would we all be?

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 12, 2008 11:31 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

you finally get it

I am here to entertain and have a good time. And if I gave a shit what tygger thinks, of if anybody did then I might comment differently.

2008 or bust.

by bullshooter on May 12, 2008 11:34 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

You are a seriously clever person.

I’m glad you get your daily feel-goods here.

by tyger1147 on May 12, 2008 11:55 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I'm really sorry you don't

why do you keep coming back then?

2008 or bust.

by bullshooter on May 12, 2008 12:36 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

For information and "conversation" on the Chicago Bulls?

I’m able to feel good about myself through other means other than meta-whining (I’m parroting that because it is quite clever)? I was actually joking when I said that. I didn’t think you actually got positive self-esteem from it. I guess I was wrong.

by tyger1147 on May 12, 2008 2:46 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I assume you know you're parroting me

when you borrow that “clever” word construction. Not that it matters. I’m proud of every neologism I contribute to the ongoing conversation.

Dum spiro spero! (While there is life, there’s hope!)--Leon Trotsky

by alec on May 12, 2008 3:30 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

dig back in the archives

Dum spiro spero! (While there is life, there’s hope!)--Leon Trotsky

by alec on May 12, 2008 3:46 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I take it back

that was you, wasn’t it. Damn, that was good enough I wish I did create it.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 12, 2008 4:16 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

We're all entitled

to our one moment.

Dum spiro spero! (While there is life, there’s hope!)--Leon Trotsky

by alec on May 12, 2008 7:18 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

as I said over the weekend

you don’t contribute that much. It shouldn’t be to merely to entertain yourself.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 12, 2008 12:36 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

mild correction

the motives can be to entertain yourself, but the result should be more substantial then what you put forth.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 12, 2008 12:37 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

were you on the cross country team?

just for the record, they aren’t all dorks. :-)

2008 or bust.

by bullshooter on May 12, 2008 9:27 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Here's an example of a cross country runner

who is definitely not a dork.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/highschool/news/story?id=3111847

Dum spiro spero! (While there is life, there’s hope!)--Leon Trotsky

by alec on May 12, 2008 9:38 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I think Pax made up his mind

a while ago as to what direction and what kind of coach he wanted, regardless of what he said about the process. But then Mike D became available and it was like a slider on the inner half—his knees buckled. And just that quick it was over.

by hlac on May 11, 2008 10:09 PM CDT   0 recs

except

Pax said from the outset he had no idea what type of coach he wanted. And thus far that’s proving to be an accurate statement. So I don’t see what’s out there to believe otherwise.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 11, 2008 10:12 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

No hlac

You really should believe everything that he says, and not try to read more into it. He’s very truthful.
His view points and management might be a bit distorted, but the integrity of his statements are consistent.

A few weeks ago he said…
“No timeline for a new coach” and “he does have any idea what type of coach he’s looking for”

During the last few weeks he has been very true to his words.

by exult463 on May 11, 2008 10:54 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

im guessing

pax is gonna blow up real soon and make a horrible decision, thus leading to his ultimate [as part of the bulls organization] death. party at my house? be there or be a fan of pax.

by bulls*hit on May 11, 2008 11:04 PM CDT   0 recs

The Dantoni Aftermath

Its not like I was convinced that Dantoni would make the bulls championshiop contenders. But Dantoni seemed like the one true chance this franchise had to align themselves with somtheing that would have put them back in prime time. Dantoni would have attracted free agents and he would have sold allot of tickets. The thing is now what are the Bulls? I mean more than anything this past season really drove home that other than a few good years under skiles the team has been pitiful for a decade. and even under skiles you still had no 50 win seasons and only one playoff series win over a debilitated mimai heat. This Dantoni thing reminds me of Krause whiffIng on Mcgrady and signing Eddie Robinson. Really now since Jordan its been one flub after another. Doesnt Reinsdorf owe it to the fans to cough up some dough? And where do they go from here – is it another lotttery pick? or an aging superstar? I say if you dont get lucky and somehow get the 1 or 2 pick then you make an agressive move and package whatever pick you do have with a couple of players and get Dwayne Wade. This guy is the only conceivable option to rescue the franchise and bring instant respectability. And if you get Wade it really doesnt matter as much who coaches.

by ELVISJONG on May 11, 2008 11:21 PM CDT   0 recs

So next in line is....

Avery’s failures as a head coach are well-known over the past 2 seasons+1 Finals, and the fact that he might cause Kirk to spontaneously combust with angst. I guess the best thing for this team is for it to find its defensive identity again after a pretty lackluster effort this season on that end. My concern about Avery is that his offense in Dallas was mostly a glorified isolation system, which is fine when you have a guy like Dirk. The Mavs were a pretty weak passing team, whereas the Bulls were at their best the past few years when their drive and kick offense seemed to always find the right cutter or open man.

Thibodeau has an excellent reputation for being a defensive mastermind, and has had success with every team he’s been on with making them defensive stoppers. But, there is no way you can hire him as a head coach without having some kind of offensive specialist there to help him out.

Rusty Longley v 2.0

by Ozzie Montana on May 11, 2008 11:24 PM CDT   0 recs

Thibodeau

have you guys seen him? He doesn’t look like a leader of men.

by Megatron27 on May 12, 2008 2:17 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Thanks for the warning

And to think, I was going to let his track record of success as a defensive assistant fool me into thinking he’d be a good candidate. Boy, I hope the Bulls up the offer for Avery b/c he really looks like a leader when he’s always screaming.

We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.
Ronald Reagan

by snley on May 12, 2008 8:24 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

This is touching on shaky grounds, but

I think there’s something to what Megatron is saying. In a competitive, adult league, I don’t think you can just throw out the primal leadership aspect when sizing up a coaching candidate. Maybe you’ve seen at it your office – some people can lead, some people can’t, and it rarely has anything to do with knowledge level.

I got the same impression of Thibodeau as Megatron did. And although it’s not an end-all factor, I think gut feeling is worth considering, especially for a team that has tuned out its last two coaches.

by YaoPau on May 12, 2008 9:58 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

true

some people can lead and some can’t. But since when is that based on how they look?

by NormVanBeer on May 12, 2008 10:05 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Because, you know...

Jeff Van Gundy, Lawrence Frank, these guys look very leader-ish.

by tyger1147 on May 12, 2008 8:30 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Completely irrelevant

Let’s get Pat Riley, since he’s always immaculately dressed with his hair perfectly slicked back. Doc Rivers is a snappy dresser, he must be a great coach! I’m interested in Thibodeau because he has a sterling reputation as a defensive coach. However, I don’t know how he interacts with players (presumably well), and I highly doubt he can coach a team with an effective offense without some kind of help.

Rusty Longley v 2.0

by Ozzie Montana on May 12, 2008 1:52 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

He looked like a leader alright

A Mob Leader!!! The way he acts and the dirty tactics he uses (but no one can prove it!!!) and the suits and hairstyle….oh yea..hes a mob boss…

im trying hard to become the next kirk hinrich, therefore im doing nothing more than being the next chris duhon.

by piccolomair on May 12, 2008 5:50 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Lets be honest

he had lots of talent on the Suns and couldn’t get the job done. Personally I never was fond of Dantoni with his constant crying to the refs and his emotional outbursts. If it’s true that he was one of the biggest pushers for the Shaq trade well then thats even more reason to let the dude go to the Knicks. Clearly his value was cash and not Defense. Thats why he beefed with Kerr and the same problems would haunt the Bulls if he was the coach.

So maybe it’s a blessing. Paxson’s main goal should be getting a respectable coach and fix he roster and then worry about a big named coach. After all players win titles right? Just ask Jerry Krause.

However it’s become clear that Paxson is a lame duck GM.

Honestly it’s time to admit he failed with Tyson Chandler.
He miss judged Ben Wallace’s decline in Detroit.
He failed to land KG, Gasol or Kobe.
He failed to sign BG and Deng.
He couldn’t right the ship with high expectations.
He hired a bum assistant coach.
Now he’s missed on his top coaching prospect.

Paxson has failed and I can’t see him pulling through this unless the Bulls get lucky in the lottery. The odds are Paxson’s time is over as Bulls GM. Sadly. He doesn’t gamble and it may have cost him big time.

by Megatron27 on May 12, 2008 2:13 AM CDT   0 recs

oh this burns...
The Bulls almost certainly will hire one of those three - odds favor the less experienced (but less expensive) Thibodeau - and then start working on boosting the morale of players like Luol Deng, Ben Gordon and Joakim Noah, who were hoping so much to play for D’Antoni.

by Megatron27 on May 12, 2008 2:37 AM CDT   0 recs

The Bulls have to get Thibodeau to save face before he is grabbed by the Suns

He has 18 years of NBA experience and has a reputation as an excellent teacher of defense and player development. But I do wonder why he has never been hired prior to this year’s success with the Celtics to be head coaching material?

He is supposed to be very effective working with bigs and is credited for much of Yao Ming’s improvement in Houston. He obviously was able to blend the talents of the Celtic’s 3 superstars into a defensive juggernaut this year. So what I am suggesting is that, unless there is some secret talent behind the curtain somewhere, the Bulls better go all out to sign him before they let another one slip away.

No more dawdling, unecessary interference or game playing. Make him feel welcome, give him enough power and freedom to put his own stamp on the team. Let him hire his own assistants and get out of the way before another collasal blunder sinks the Bulls back to square one.

If you can't answer a man's arguments, all is not lost. You can still call him vile names.
Elbert Hubbard

by Tyrusmancrush on May 12, 2008 3:19 AM CDT   0 recs

Pax may end

up coaching this team himself.

by sue369 on May 12, 2008 6:45 AM CDT   0 recs

With the Bulls

he was an assistant for a year.

Plus, he coached his sons grade school teams. ;)

by KT on May 12, 2008 7:51 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I wouldn't wish it upon him

Pax’s has had enough already.

by exult463 on May 12, 2008 1:47 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Actually I said

it as a joke. There were a few in here during Boylan’s tenure that asked for Pax to take over the coaching responsibilites. I was basically making shit of them. :D

by sue369 on May 12, 2008 3:26 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Did the Bulls tell Jackson to be an assistant first?

McGraw says so

Jackson remains a long shot. The Bulls see the long-time point guard as an intriguing candidate, but are concerned that he has never coached before. Jackson has so far refused the Bulls’ suggestion that he start as an assistant.

If they did, I don’t really have a problem with it…however, it’s just more of the same thing all over again. You know the guy had no coaching experience even before meeting with him. Why pose and posture and even peform due dilligence? Jackson wants a head coaching gig…I’m sure he was insulted to interview for the head job only to be told to go get some experience being an assistant. This franchise cracks me up the way they treat people.

by NormVanBeer on May 12, 2008 8:15 AM CDT   0 recs

just to add...

I totally agree with Jackson being an assistant first. But can’t you let the man know this BEFORE you interview him? Isn’t that what agents are for? Can’t you contact the agent with a message that you want to tell their client? The agent in turn, can send word to Jackson, and he could’ve just declined the interview from the outset.

by NormVanBeer on May 12, 2008 8:34 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Isn't that what interviews are for?

to find out if the guy can do the job? You really think it is insulting to say to a guy, “we think you have a lot of potential and might someday be able to do the job, but we are uncomfortable putting you in charge of the product from day one. How about trying it out as an assistant for a couple of years first?” Really, you think that’s insulting?

2008 or bust.

by bullshooter on May 12, 2008 9:03 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I would

This is the NBA, former jocks get overpromoted all the time. Hey, look at our GM!

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 12, 2008 9:11 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

i agree

and i don’t blame the bulls for wanting him to be an assistant first. but i could definitely see the interview going well, but with the bulls a little uneasy at a guy with no coaching experience. if you are applying for a job (in my field, for instance), to be a senior level engineer, without ever having done it. you’d be entry level.

by Jaina on May 12, 2008 9:12 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I think it's insulting

I have a strong assumption that the Bulls already knew how they felt about Jackson from day 1…which is, they wanted him to be an assistant. It’s widely been known how Pax feels about people with no experience. All I’m saying is, if that was the case, why interview him for the head job in the first place? If they knew that, then yes, it IS insulting. If the scenario went like you described…they interviewed him, THEN after the interview they thought he needed more seasoning, then no that is not insulting.

No other team has even thought about interviewing Jackson, except for the Knicks….not the Mavs, the Bucks, the Heat, the Suns…something tells me that Pax & Co only interviewed him because NY felt so strongly about him.

by NormVanBeer on May 12, 2008 10:01 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Then it's due diligence

and Pax giving Jackson the chance to show him that Jackson had what it took. Just because Jackson thinks he can be a head coach doesn’t mean anything.

2008 or bust.

by bullshooter on May 12, 2008 10:15 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

so if

a fortune 500 company is looking for a new director or manager, it’s due diligence if they interview the mailroom guy for the job?

by NormVanBeer on May 12, 2008 10:44 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

lol

maybe, that is, only if he thought he was qualified for the job.

by NormVanBeer on May 12, 2008 10:53 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Being an assistant sure qualified Jim Boylan!

And about a million other coaches who were assistants before becoming bad head coaches.

by Sports2 on May 12, 2008 11:56 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

On the brightside

now that D’Antoni is head coach of the Knicks perhaps he and the Walsh braintrust get together to talk trade with the Bulls to acquire those Bulls players D’Antoni likes so much.

by NBA Observer on May 12, 2008 8:31 AM CDT   0 recs

unless their names are Larry and Andres

The Bulls aren’t going to ‘win’ any trades.

by hscs on May 12, 2008 8:34 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Tyrus Thomas for David Lee!!!

Joakim Noah for Ranaldo Balkman!!!!!!!!!!

by tyger1147 on May 12, 2008 8:45 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

i found

this take to be kind of interesting. also to see the negative comments from the readers.

maybe we didn’t lose out. guess we’ll see. what’s really key is what happens next.

by Jaina on May 12, 2008 8:40 AM CDT   0 recs

well they did lose out

whether it turns out to be for the better is a different story.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 12, 2008 9:12 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

that's

kind of what i was implying. we screwed this up bad. but maybe it was for the better. i’m trying to be more optimistic than i was over the weekend.

by Jaina on May 12, 2008 9:17 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Jaina - there is a slew of negative comments about the D'Antoni signing

This morning Mitch Lawrence

Mike D’Antoni coaching the Knicks? What’s next, trading for Shaquille O’Neal to come in and play point guard?

Here’s a better one: Make D’Antoni the GM of the Knicks, too.

Seriously.

It makes sense on a lot of levels.

Now that Walsh is committed to throwing defense out the window and running a cutting-edge offensive system that puts a premium on unselfish shooters, who better than D’Antoni to tell him who to draft and who to sign as free agents?

Nobody.

D’Antoni might be the only one cut out for the job, since his old boss in Phoenix, Bryan Colangelo, is preoccupied in Toronto trying to install the very same system.

Even Walsh has to look at a reduced role now. His drafts and signings at Indiana over the better part of a quarter of a century reflected the old NBA way of thinking (incidentally, the kind that keeps producing championships, but why let facts get in the way of a good fantasy?).

Walsh merely would have to learn from D’Antoni what works and what doesn’t in his system. The Knicks are now a new-wave team, so they had better adjust on all fronts and go all the way with this.

That means that Walsh can burn that supposed wish list of GM candidates. Who knows if it was even half-accurate, given Bold Donnie’s proclivity toward using that lawyer background of his to engage in semantic “twistifications.” Or, in plain English, deceit.

Bringing in Billy King, Billy Knight, Rick Sund, Mark Warkentien or anyone else who is old school wouldn’t be the right fit for the GM job, any more than D’Antoni is the right fit for this Knicks roster.

by chgobr on May 12, 2008 9:19 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

Maybe Knicks fans are used to complaining

but I don’t get why they’d be concerned with D’Antoni’s fit with the roster. That roster’s getting blown up, and that should make everyone fairly happy.

Likewise, they’re so far from winning anything significant that what’s the difference if you have a coach that has never won anything significant. In fact, I’d say the same thing as a Bulls fan. Their only chance is to get the values back for the players they do have, and I think D’Antoni may have been the best choice for that. Unless other GMs know about pace factor too.

by your friendly BullsBlogger on May 12, 2008 9:32 AM CDT to parent up   0 recs

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