Mike D'Antoni Is An Idiot

[key2win]

Horrible coach. He needs to be fired. Does not know how to use players or set rotations or when to call a time out or when to call a play.

Lakers are going to end up trading Pau and Kaman because of this moron.

As much as I dont want Carmelo as a Laker, I hope they do overpay him next summer since that will guarantee that D'Antoni is gone. And while he is at it, take Nash with him since he is done and wasting salary cap.



He needs to get fired soon. That is all.

[key2win]

Y! SPORTS

We’re not here to touch on Mike D’Antoni’s validity as an NBA coach, or to break down his overall work with the Los Angeles Lakers team he’s charged with leading. That’s best left for when D’Antoni either leads the Lakers to a championship, or when he and the team decide to part ways.

What we are here to relay is the fact that Mike D’Antoni has lost the support of one of the Lakers’ most ardent fans, Red Hot Chili Peppers bass guitarist Flea. The four string-slapper has been a fixture at Laker games dating back to the 1980s, he was even prominently featured as the go-to “look at this weird Lakers fan” guy during the Chicago Bulls’ 1991 championship retrospective, and he’s recently been featured in these pages while complaining about not getting special treatment in certain visiting NBA arenas.

Now, he’s complaining about his Lakers. His poor, 13-15, Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash-less Lakers. Here’s his Christmas Eve gift to his nearly one million followers:

I know he's got a depleted roster. But even with a loaded one, his coaching concept is unsustainable and cannot win. Ever. Fire dantoni

— Flea (@flea333) December 24, 2013

We’ve taken issue with D’Antoni before, and we’ve also taken issue with the Lakers’ hiring of D’Antoni over Phil Jackson – both the hire itself, and the actual execution. To his credit, though, D’Antoni has done well to create a 13-15 start out of a team that has played Kobe Bryant only 177 subpar minutes so far this season. The Lakers have been without Nash for most of the season, he’s played terribly when he was on the court, and they’ve dealt with crippling injuries to point guards Jordan Farmar and Steve Blake. Blake and Farmar may not seem like needle-movers, but when you have to rely on score-first swingman Xavier Henry to bring the ball up court as a result of their absence, those guys matter.

Pau Gasol’s struggles this season may be partially due to his issues with D’Antoni’s playbook, but as much as we respect Gasol, he also hasn’t come through with his typical joie de vivre (read: banging) this season. Criticizing D’Antoni on the whole, or for his misapplication with Gasol’s talents, might be the proper thing to do.

Criticizing him for his work this year, even with the Lakers below .500 and set to play the dastardly Miami Heat on Wednesday? That’s a tougher sell. It’s a tough sell even if the Lakers basically punt the month of January with Bryant on the bench, while playing 10 of their 15 games on the road.

And D’Antoni himself, as you’d expect, doesn’t really want to hear it. He excused last year's Lakers' performance in a talk with Yahoo Sports' Marc Spears on Tuesday;

"We could just never get the right footing," D'Antoni said. "Obviously, the thing was the chemistry just wasn't right and guys' injuries just decimated us. Our guys weren't right that were even playing. Dwight wasn't right until about February. With all the expectations, it kind of crumbles you a bit."

And he also told Laker fans to stuff it, which we often encourage. From Dave McMenamin at ESPN Los Angeles:

"Why would I be discouraged?" D'Antoni said. "We're fighting with a bunch of good guys that played well before, and they'll play [well] again. If [the fans] are discouraged, then, you know, find another team to root for. I'm all right. We're not going to give up. Are you kidding me? Discouraged? That's not even fair to these guys."

It’s hard to disagree with that sentiment, from any coach of any beleaguered team missing its best player and still hacking it out with a mediocre record. And in the face of the notoriously bandwagon-y Los Angeles Lakers fans? You go, Mike D.

Flea may have just turned Mike D’Antoni into a sympathetic figure. That’s hard to do, for most at least, but we wouldn’t put it past a member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

[whitney777]

It's not a good fit. D'Antoni needs to coach a team like the '03 Clippers or a run and gun squad in the Mexican League.

[ucffans]

He would be great with the 1988-1989 UNLV Basket team with Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Anderson Hunt, Greg Anthony and George Ackles. But, I guess that is about 25 years too late.

[whitney777]

Great squad.

[warrenpease]

Every Laker fan should read '7 Seconds or Less', about the mid 00's Suns, and D'Antoni in particular.

Seven Seconds or Less: My Season on the Bench with the Runnin' and Gunnin' Phoenix Suns: Jack McCallum: 9780743298131: Amazon.com: Books

He isn't really an X and O, strategy and clipboard kind of coach; his entire style is to be the guy
that facilitates above average play out of everyone on his team. He wants to know how players are feeling, and what their state of mind is like. He leaves the strategic stuff up to his staff, for better or worse.

My opinion? He would probably dominate college basketball, but has gotten used to the NBA money, and the NBA lifestyle. I wish more coaches would see that kind of scenario and go to where they could win, as opposed to where they will be paid.

I don't personally think he can actually win in the modern NBA; if he couldn't get a ring with peak Nash and Marion/Amare, he sure isn't going to get anywhere with the style now. It will win teams 60 games and fill seats and make the Sportscenter top 10, but it won't win a ring. The great teams pick spots and wait to dig in and play defense and be patient; his style is really the opposite. I've never watched him coach a team that had any sort of defensive process or 4th quarter gear.

Moral? I'm with flea

[key2win]

I agree. He belongs on the college coaching staff. He will never succeed in the NBA.

[key2win]

Lakers have lost what like 6th straight. They got killed by the Bucks who I think has the worst record in the NBA. Then they lost to the Jazz and Sixers.

Laker fans starting chanting we want Phil again the other night. If they can lose 7-8 more straight games, maybe management will finally step in and fire him.

Farmar is hurt again and out for a month. Kaman and Wes Johnson are hurting too. Good more injuries = more losses = better lottery pick = D'Antoni firing. LOL!

[key2win]

Clippers killed the Lakers by 36 points tonight. Lakers lost 10 of last 11 games. When will ownership step in and fire this idiotic coach. Sad state of the franchise right now.

[gladdyontherise]

They're tanking for Wiggins.

[775nicholsr98]

Couldn't agree with k2win more, as a Laker fan I thought the D'Antoni hire was a bad choice(2nd only to the signing of Howard) and can't believe he's still there and as much respect as I have for Nash he can't stay healthy and he's not getting any younger and it's time for him to go, wish D'Antoni and Nash would have followed Dwight out of town......oh well maybe they'll figure it out sooner than later.....