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Knick Championship in 7 Years or Less?

[By Gregg Popabitch, TPF Senior Writer]

Mike D'Antoni as the Knicks' coach? You mean he spurned the Chicago Bulls, whose roster was a perfect fit for D'Antoni's run and gun style of basketball, for the Knickerbockers?

A former coach of the year with 3 straight 50-win seasons instead of a TV analyst/former Knick fan-favorite with zero prior coaching experience? Where do I sign up?

Many fans will ask, why not Avery Johnson? They should ask themselves if they would want a control freak that is clearly intimidated by Don Nelson and teams with young legs (no homo).

Why not Rick Carlisle? Well, that's a good question. He was a former Coach of the Year in 2002 and has had a lot of success in other previous stops. However, I have to figure that Walsh knows something that we don't. Let's remember that Walsh was president of the Indiana Pacers while Carlisle was coaching them. Let's also remember that Carlisle has a reputation of being surly and burning his bridges with management and players before leaving an organization.

Why not Mark Jackson? Well, he has no coaching experience. Period. I'm guessing having a good relationship with Donnie and being a former Knick wasn't good enough.

So why D'Antoni? Well, other than Carlisle, he is the best head coach out there. I'll list the reasons:

-He's a proven winner and a former Coach of the Year.

-Players love both playing for him and playing within his system.

-Along with the lure of playing in New York, playing for D'Antoni and his system will be attractive to future free agents when the Knicks are hopefully under the salary cap in a couple of years. (I'm kind of looking in the general direction of LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.)

-While the Knicks are rebuilding, they'll still put an entertaining product on the court under Mike D.

-D'Antoni might actually give David Lee and Wilson Chandler more time on the basketball court. They both stand to benefit from the new system as do Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson and Randolph Morris (if he returns).

-He gives the franchise and the fans hope, something that was entirely lacking during Isiah's Dark Ages.

Of course, D'Antoni doesn't come without question marks. Let's look at the reasons why he might not be a good fit for the New York Knickerbockers:

-New York loves a good team that has great work ethic and plays defense. Will D'Antoni show any effort in coaching defense at all?

-Can Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph fit in the 7 Seconds or less system? Randolph takes his shots within 7 seconds or less anyways. That doesn't mean they are good shots, though. Curry might have a heart attack on-court trying to run up and down at D'Antoni's pace.

-Can Coach D wait out/survive a rebuilding process?

-He has a molester's mustache.

-Can the style of play that he coaches ever win an NBA championship?

But the real question about all this is this: Why did D'Antoni choose the Knicks?

-Obviously, the money was an important factor. He's now the third highest paid coach in the NBA. But let's not try to get things twisted. C.R.E.A.M. wasn't the only thing on D'Antoni's mind.

-Walsh was committed to having him as a coach. D'Antoni was uncomfortable in Phoenix and believed he was being made a scapegoat. Chicago twiddled their thumbs during the process. Walsh came to D'Antoni and pretty much told him "I want you, no homo". Thus D'Antoni's ego was fed.

-He wants to be the guy that saves basketball in New York. D'Antoni's ego comes into play again.

Do I think this will be a successful marriage? It all depends on the kind of players Walsh is able to bring through the draft, trades, and free agency in the next few seasons. I do think the Knicks will be a better team by the time D'Antoni's contract expires. However, winning a championship within those 4 years is definitely out of the question.

7 years or less is a possibility though.

-Gregg Popabitch

Labels: avery johnson, c.r.e.a.m., chicago bulls, dallas mavericks, don nelson, indiana pacers, mark jackson, mike d'antoni, rick carlisle