What is the best way to measure how much players want to play for a specific coach or system? The quality of free agents that sign with a team. A lot of other factors come into play, mainly cap space, but I think a list of free agents that a team signed and lost in an offseason says a lot in itself. This is a list of every free agent that was signed or lost (including sign & trades) with the Suns, Knicks, and Lakers while D'Antoni was head coach. Trades and draft picks are not included. 2003 Offseason (Phoenix): Re-signed Stephon Marbury Lost Dan Langhi, Randy Brown, Alton Ford 2004 Offseason (Phoenix): Signed Steve Nash, Quentin Richardson, Steven Hunter, Paul Shirley, Yuta Tabuse Lost Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Keon Clark, Donnell Harvey 2005 Offseason (Phoenix): Re-signed Amare Stoudemore Signed Raja Bell, Brian Grant, Eddie House, Pat Burke, James Jones (S&T) Lost Joe Johnson, Steven Hunter, Walter McCarty, Bo Outlaw, Paul Shirley 2006 Offseason (Phoenix): Re-signed Leandro Barbosa, Boris Diaw Signed Marcus Banks, Jumaine Jones, Sean Marks, Eric Piatowski Lost Eddie House, Tim Thomas, Dijon Thompson 2007 Offseason (Phoenix): Re-signed Sean Marks Signed Grant Hill, Brian Skinner Lost Jalen Rose, Jumaine Jones, Pat Burke Source: http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Phoenix-Suns/23/offseason 2008 Offseason (New York): Signed Chris Duhon, Anthony Roberson Lost Fred Jones, Randolph Morris 2009 Offseason (New York): Re-signed David Lee, Nate Robinson Lost Chris Wilcox 2010 Offseason (New York): Signed Amare Stoudemire (S&T), Raymond Felton, Roger Mason, Timofey Mozgov, Shawne Williams Lost David Lee, Tracy McGrady, Sergio Rodriguez, Chris Duhon, Earl Barron, Jonathan Bender, J.R. Giddens, Al Harrington, Eddie House 2011 Offseason (New York): Re-signed Jared Jeffries Signed Mike Bibby, Tyson Chandler (S&T), Baron Davis, Jeremy Lin Lost Derrick Brown, Anthony Carter, Roger Mason, Shawne Williams, Shelden Williams Source: http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/New-York-Knicks/20/offseason 2013 Offseason (Los Angeles): Re-signed Robert Sacre Signed Jordan Farmar, Elias Harris, Xavier Henry, Wesley Johnson, Chris Kaman, Shawne Williams, Nick Young Lost Dwight Howard, Antawn Jamison, Earl Clark, Devin Ebanks, Andrew Goudelock, Darius Morris Source: http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Los-Angeles-Lakers/13/offseason
It's more complex than just the people who sign. I'm sure a lot of players would have liked to play for Phil Jackson, but I don't think he got any better free agents than anyone else. Players don't generally put who the coach is at the top of their list when looking to sign somewhere in free agency. Liking the coach you play for is just a bonus. It's not the reason for signing.
Yes but I am pretty sure there is also some kind of correlation between what brand of sneakers D-Antoni wears and what brand the players wear. I thin you should do some exhaustive research on that as well. Also, what make and model of car they each drive/drove at the time. Out of curiosity, have you seen ANY evidence from any of those players you mention either stating specifically that they signed with the team D'Antoni was coaching BECAUSE they 'love playing for him', OR, who left because the 'didn't'? That's an honest question, I am wondering if any of them ever said anything to that effect one way or the other with regards to their decision to sign with the team or to not re-sign. Maybe there is some, I don't know. But if there isn't, then you may as well just be charting the weather patterns for each city on the day they signed or left. Because it would be just as relevant. Correlation in no way implies causation.
Let's see the missing factors: Contract, cap space, GM, owner, city, fans, market, tax, position fit, players on the team, even assistant coaches And surely D'Antoni "Trump" them all
definitely true. only defensive juggernaughts wanna play for antoni like dirk, kyrie, dame, and of course the best of them all...harden.
I can't edit my post, so I need to clear this up. Les Alexander and Daryl Morey both have said it defending the signing of him. I put it in quotes as a way of sarcastically saying it's a load of crap. Reading it again, I guess I wasn't clear enough that I trying to dispel the notion that "players like to play for him" actually correlates into any marquee free agents coming to Houston. If you look through the list of people who signed as a free agent, it's mostly scrubs.
My point was actually that he doesn't attract qualify free agents, because Les and Morey have been using that as their defense for hiring him. He doesn't have a track record of attracting good players. "Mike always says players love to play for him," Alexander said. "Not only because they get better, but they get paid. He'll be a lucrative source for us in free agency." And yes, some players have left specifically because he was the coach and others have said they love playing for him.