Will D'Antoni have to add a 'D' coach?
Head Coach Mike D'Antoni during the teams workout in preparation for tomorrow's playoff series opener against the Boston Celtics. (April 16, 2011) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Of the many matchups to consider in this first-round series with the Celtics, perhaps the one that will be most scrutinized involves the coaches.
Mike D'Antoni, who has plenty of postseason experience with a couple of deep runs with the Phoenix Suns during his four-plus seasons there, often has been a target of criticism for his penchant to focus more on offense than defense.
Doc Rivers, meanwhile, already has a championship ring and made two runs to the NBA Finals in the previous three seasons. His teams regularly are among the best in the league defensively, which has been the common denominator of championship teams.
D'Antoni's departure from Phoenix was partly motivated by former general manager Steve Kerr's insistence that D'Antoni hire an assistant to coach the defense, which, coincidentally, is something Rivers has done in Boston. He had Tom Thibodeau, a highly regarded defensive coach, on his staff during the previous three seasons. When Thibodeau left to become the Bulls' head coach, Rivers brought in former Nets coach Lawrence Frank to run the defense.
According to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation, this again could come up as an issue for D'Antoni in the offseason. Donnie Walsh has maintained firm support behind D'Antoni throughout the season, which included three six-game losing streaks, but the need to improve the team's defensive focus and preparation might require an experienced assistant coach (i.e., Mike Brown) who can focus on that full-time. That would allow D'Antoni to do what he does best: coach offense.
Knicks fix
Ronny Turiaf considered shaving his beard for the playoffs, a sort of reversal of a well-known sports tradition, but instead the 6-10 center gave it a good trim. "Looking good,'' Turiaf said.
