OK, that’s not exactly what the New York Post’s Peter Vecsey had to say to Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni. But it’s close enough after a pair of miserable losses on the West Coast have left the former asking of the latter, “how is it, I marvel, after hearing D’Antoni’s stump stock speech to reasonable questions, can someone earning $6 million per season get away with no worthwhile insights?”
It’s astonishing how, season after season, D’Antoni is permitted to brush off media inquiries with straight-faced cornpone that the crime-scene tape must first be reviewed. As if there’s any mystery why the Warriors were able to focus fully on Carmelo Anthony and A’mare Stoudemire. Until Baron Davis proves he’s half the headache he used to be, the Knicks lack a guard capable of disrupting the defense by getting inside it and creating easy shots for himself or his teammates.
Basically, the Knicks are waiting for Davis, who is never healthy, to get unhealthy enough to play.
Despite the Knicks’ pointless guards, or maybe on account of them, Stoudemire insists on dribbling the ball more than once (four turnovers) above the free throw line extended. You would think by now he would have gotten that out of his system, and additionally understand it’s not a particularly good idea to jack up long jumpers early in the shot clock while down a dozen with six minutes to play.
I wonder if D’Antoni noticed any of that before going to the videotape. More important, will he ever make Stoudemire stop? In theory, isn’t the head coach supposed to be making in-game adjustments and observations? Or, at the very least, listening to the six-pack of assistant squatters surrounding him?