http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--mike-d-antoni--nuggets-discuss-coaching-vacancy-200542112.html If he gets hired, we know where one free agent is headed.
Everyone would be an upgrade over Shaw. Even trolls here would. and lin isnt bad for Denver. Away from the big lights and the pressure. Plus nuggets fans dont have a big online presence so his cult wont bother anyone. But im glad I see Malone getting interviews too. He deserves another chance. Why Flip doesnt fire himself and appoint him as head coach is beyond me.
I agree. Needs personnel that fit his system, which he didn't have in Los Angeles, but he can be good. Having said that...not sure if Denver is that place.
Denver is definitely the right place, if they keep Lawson anyway. His real problem in his last two stops is exceedingly average PGs at best. The problem with D'Antoni is he is the anti-McHale. He's got the basketball smarts, but not the people smarts.
Perhaps he wants/hopes to replicate what he had with Nash/Amare with Lawson/Faried. We'll see how up to the task they are. I don't think it's a bad hire. If he has the tools we've seen what he can do offensively. He hasn't had the right personnel since his PHX days.
I remember Simmons and Lowe were talking about this a while back, but they were secretly hoping that D'Antoni would get 1 more shot in the NBA in a low profile city. D'Antoni needs time to build a team the way he wants it, and by the way, his first year in New York he actually was on his way to putting together a good team in year 1 for the Knicks until they totally sandbagged him and forced Melo onto him. I doubt the Nuggets are going to force a star player on him he doesn't want so seems like a good situation. The smartest move the Nuggets will have made since they fired George Karl.
Denver is absolutely the BEST place for D'Antoni. I'm not even talking about roster wise - I'm talking about geographically. His run run run system will kill opponents in that altitude. I know Pringles has had limited success since he left Phoenix, but I still believe he can be successful as an NBA head coach. And again, I think Denver is absolutely perfect for his system. It wouldn't hurt if he could bring a quality defensive-minded assistant coach though. Also interesting, I'd think Ty Lawson would be pretty ideal for his system. I wonder if he comes off the market if they hire Pringles? I could definitely see them bringing in Jeremy Lin as a backup. We know he thrives in D'Antoni's system.
I really like D'Antoni as a coach. I think he is criminally underrated. He was a tremendous success in PHX and then got put in two TERRIBLE situations in New York and LA.
I think D'Antonio is lucky to have Steve Nash. Those teams were loaded with talent: Marion Amare Joe Johnson Barbosa etc..