D’Antoni deals with the Fun City Circus
November 8th, 2008, 2:46 pm · Post a Comment · posted by jerrybrown
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. – While Terry Porter eases into his first season as head coach of the Suns, Mike D’Antoni is already up to his neck in the choppy waters of life as the latest coach of the New York Knicks.
D’Antoni’s decision to bench petulant native son Stephon Marbury while Knick management tries to budge his unmovable $21.9 million salary or negotiate a possible buyout is all the media rage. While the Knicks opened the season with a win over Miami, the tabloids focused around Marbury’s benching and D’Antoni’s frustrated verbal reaction to fans – thanks to TV replays and lip-readers – who chanted for exiled guard to be put in the game.
After Marbury deactivated for losses to Philadelphia and Milwaukee, Tuesday’s press sessions with more than 20 local and national media dealt with: (1) Marbury, (2) swirling rumors of a rift between D’Antoni and general manager Donnie Walsh over Marbury and (3) Larry Brown, one of the many failed former Knick coaches of the James Dolan era who was coming to town with Charlotte.
One scribe asked D’Antoni – three games into his tenure – that since Brown engaged in a battle with the Knicks to get all his money after he was fired if that was something that concerned him.
“Welcome to my life,” D’Antoni said, shaking his head.
The rest of the week went better. Walsh backed D’Antoni’s decision not to play Marbury, and that the benching was permanent. The Knicks beat Brown’s Bobcats and moved over .500 with Friday’s win over Washington. But with roster short on talent and long on overpaid malcontents (Marbury, Eddy Curry Jerome James), he knows the next controversy waits just around the corner
D’Antoni said he hasn’t watched any Suns games and won’t because he’s too emotionally invested in the players.
“I’m in a battle as it is. I can’t afford to lose any more adrenaline and get all worked up on that,” he said. “The team is good. I liked (rookie center Robin) Lopez, (Matt) Barnes will help a lot and they’ve done a lot of nice things.
“I might watch some highlights and look at a box, score but I can’t watch the games.”
D’Antoni is now all about turning around the Knicks, even though his current roster – weighed down with more plow horses than thoroughbreds – will have great trouble implementing his trademark style. Watching them practice last week, imagining them getting the ball across half court in seven seconds or less was a stretch.
As D’Antoni is apt to say, “It is what it is.” He’s being paid $24 million for four years, so sympathy is in short supply. But there have been times when even he has looked back at the last six months and shaken his head.
“About three weeks after (the Suns) lost to San Antonio, I was on a flight to going to New York and I turned to (his wife) Laurel and said ‘How did we get here?’ I don’t know it got to that. Probably too much emotion on my part … but whatever.
“People are right when they say that when (the season) is over, coaches should take a month vacation and then come back and decide things. But you don’t always have that luxury. Decisions had to be made.”
