Unless you have been ignoring the NBA for the last four days, you know that Mike D'Antoni is the Lakers new coach. While I agree with most NBA experts that this is a good hire, there are some questions around the decision. Here are the answers to some of those:
Why not Phil?
The biggest question is why the Lakers did not bring back Phil Jackson after he seemed certain to take the job. First off, money. Jackson would have cost around $20 million to coach for two years. He wanted to bring in his own assistants, which means that L.A. would have to pay the new guys as well as their old assistants. In contrast, D'Antoni is getting $3 million a year over the next three years, with an option for a fourth. Also, Jackson had other demands. He wanted to not attend certain road trips and he wanted veto power over all front office decisions. Last, it seemed like the Zen Master was a little checked out in their 2011 playoff flop. While Jim Buss's ego may be a partial reason the Jackson won't be on the sidelines, I think that GM Mitch Kupchak looked at the roster and saw that D'Antoni is a good fit to win now, even if Jackson had the fan support. Sometimes decisions like these are all about basketball reasons.
How will D'Antoni's presence affect the four stars?
The obvious player who loves this hire is Steve Nash. He thrived with D'Antoni in Phoenix and their reunion will be a welcome one. Nash is the table setter here and it is best that he orchestrate an offense that he is comfortable in. Under this system, there's no reason Dwight Howard shouldn't play the best ball of his career. Howard is the most dominant center and he will be involved in an unstoppable pick-and-roll once he gets a handle on the offense. We all saw Stoudemire's apex in Phoenix and Howard's is coming now that he has the right coach and players around him. Pau Gasol will see many an open mid-range shot now. With the floor spread, and Nash and Howard doing their thing, Gasol will get the shots he wants without having to be all that strong in the paint. His passing ability will be an underrated part of this new offense that will create better shots for all his teammates. Sorry Mamba, saved you for last. Kobe is such a great player that he can fit in just about any system. We have seen him lead an Olympic team full of stars. He has been a 35+ point scorer and he has cut back shots for the benefit of winning championships. Kobe knows that this is the core of his last run, and his intensity will carry the Lakers late in games. He will still be the leading scorer in this new offense and there should be plenty more easy baskets coming his way now.
Defense?
It is widely accepted that D'Antoni is an offensive coach. So how will he fix a Lakers defense that has been struggling. Well, that is why they have Howard. He might be the biggest defensive game-changer and as he gets fully healthy, his dominance will be apparent. Although teams with a high-scoring point guard will be problematic, the Lakers defense will get better as the team jells and with D'Antoni, this team should be more inspired on both sided of the court.
Mike D'Antoni will be on the Laker sidelines within the next few games and only time will tell how he fits as their coach. On paper this is an improvement and the Lakers will be more competitive and certainly more entertaining. Mike Brown was not the right man for the job, but if D'Antoni can live up to the Lake Show's historically lofty expectations, he will prove that he is one of the best NBA coaches of this era.
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