How much credit does Coach Mike D'Antoni deserve for Lakers' surge?
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emplay
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 2:13 pm    Post subject: How much credit does Coach Mike D'Antoni deserve for Lakers' surge?

Hey all,

How much credit does Coach Mike D'Antoni deserve for Lakers' surge?
It’s not an easy question to answer – the team did play very well to close the season despite a ridiculous number of injuries. A look at some of the “better” teams that happened to have healthy players:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-mike-d-antoni-credit-20130420,0,7849306.story

Preview: Lakers at Spurs
I have Spurs in 7 but should be a competitive series
http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-preview-lakers-at-spurs-20130420,0,1218768.story

Oddsmakers say Spurs most likely to defeat Lakers in 5 games
http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-oddsmakers-spurs-likely-win-in-5-lakers-20130420,0,588217.story

Kobe Bryant gets a visit from Kupchak, D'Antoni and Jim Buss
http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-kobe-visit-kupchak-dantoni-jim-buss-20130420,0,6652197.story

Lakers announce 2013-14 preseason schedule, including China trip
http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-2013-14-preseason-schedule-china-20130419,0,3480933.story

Thanks!

Eric
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 4:05 pm    Post subject:

My take on Damtoni fluctuates. I know the record improved in the latter part of the season but how much he was responsible is subjective.

I give the players most of the credit for the turn around. I got the impression Kobe, Nash and Howard took more responsibility on and off the court, bringing the team with them.

I credit Damtoni for seeing the hand writing on the wall and changing his direction. On a scale of 1 to 10 I give him a 4, team 8.
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lakerfanfor40years
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 4:08 pm    Post subject:

NONE!. but I'll give him a little credit for making some changes. I want to make sure we realize that he HAD to make them, everyone was on him including Mitch, Kobe, DH, everyone. He's the wrong coach for this roster.

He moved a very skilled post player to the three point line, he took ball out of Nash's hands and let Kobe take it, he's a total idiot. He's stubborn as hell and trust me he didn't want to make any changes but he was forced to.

Another thing, Phil Jax would have won 55 games this year even with the injuries, he would have slowed the tempo, and pounded the ball inside.

Is anyone considering the fact that most of if not all of the players on this team "do not like" MD as a coach, nor his system? Does anyone realize if he stays it lowers the chances for Howard returning?

The Laker organization is on a very fine line here between being a contender or a pretender for years to come. My opinion only, from what I hear, if MD stays people bolt!!!
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lakerfanfor40years
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 4:10 pm    Post subject:

jodeke wrote:
My take on Damtoni fluctuates. I know the record improved in the latter part of the season but how much he was responsible is subjective.

I give the players most of the credit for the turn around. I got the impression Kobe, Nash and Howard took more responsibility on and off the court, bringing the team with them.

I credit Damtoni for seeing the hand writing on the wall and changing his direction. On a scale of 1 to 10 I give him a 4, team 8.


You are generous, I give him a 2, and only because he changed somewhat due to pressure. HE DID NOT WANT TO, but was forced to.

He's the wrong coach for this team, this year, next year, any year.
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InstinctualGenius
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 4:47 pm    Post subject:

More than anyone realizes.
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 5:04 pm    Post subject:

InstinctualGenius wrote:
More than anyone realizes.


I agree with you, though i think he's not the best coach for the team he still have some credit.

I don't think we would be better with Mike Brown. But let's see how the team goes in the playoffs without Kobe, it will give us a better picture of our chances next season with MDA or how much credit he have.
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K2
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 6:33 pm    Post subject:

Credit goes to Kobe for having Coach D'Antoni buy into the Bryant Facilitator mode which started around Jan 27. Kobe had 14 assists that night vs. OKC.

It's no surprise that the Lakers ended up having approx a top 4 record in the latter half of the season.

The only props D'Antoni will get is for working with Kobe and eventually seeing the light on the D12/P16 combo.

We'll see how long D'Antoni keeps it going.
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ReaListik
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 7:16 pm    Post subject:

we shall see with the playoffs
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:50 pm    Post subject:

jodeke wrote:
My take on Damtoni fluctuates. I know the record improved in the latter part of the season but how much he was responsible is subjective.

I give the players most of the credit for the turn around. I got the impression Kobe, Nash and Howard took more responsibility on and off the court, bringing the team with them


Just curious - do you give the players most of the blame for the slow start?
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lalakersfan88
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:59 pm    Post subject:

he gets as much credit as Kobe and the rest of the team gets.

he is the lakers coach and we should all support him for however long he is coaching the lakers.
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LakerDYnasty72
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 10:32 am    Post subject:

lalakersfan88 wrote:
he gets as much credit as Kobe and the rest of the team gets.

he is the lakers coach and we should all support him for however long he is coaching the lakers.



Your like a lone voice in the wilderness. If I had to take a side I'd say its the players who forced him to adjust...for which I give him credit. Initially, he was intent on using the personel his way. It was Kobe who went into facilitator mode...we've seen that before

It was Kobe who was telling Pau, repeatedly "get your ass on the block, and play agressively when you spot up at the free thow line". It changed our team. Then it changed our coach.
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mykeinla
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 1:17 pm    Post subject:

I give him credit for realizing that his style of play didn't fit this squad at all. It's too bad he realized this much too late. I blame that on incompetence and stubbornness.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 1:48 pm    Post subject:

too late? The team finished 28-12 - while playing without Gasol and then Nash

should have done it earlier when Gasol was out with bad knees? A concussion? A torn plantar fascia?
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 2:02 pm    Post subject:

LakersMD wrote:
jodeke wrote:
My take on Damtoni fluctuates. I know the record improved in the latter part of the season but how much he was responsible is subjective.

I give the players most of the credit for the turn around. I got the impression Kobe, Nash and Howard took more responsibility on and off the court, bringing the team with them


Just curious - do you give the players most of the blame for the slow start?

YES. They're professionals. I don't think because they didn't buy into Damtoni's system is an excuses not to give 100%
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 2:40 pm    Post subject:

Zero, zip, nada.

Forget the resurgence. This team underachieved, continuously came out flat and the offense, as coached by an offensively minded coach, never looked efficient, and was at times, horrendous.

I have never gotten the feeling that D'Antoni *gets* it, that he understands what his players can bring to the floor, and how to get the best performances out of them.

He simply gave up and handed the team over to Kobe in Memphis. He got trampled by the Alpha Dog. For this team to completely change their offensive game plan to one that is completely and diametrically opposed to MDA's coaching philosophy tells me that he was about to lose the team and that he was the one who conceded. The fact that he could never intelligently describe their new Kobe-centric offense tells me that what they were doing did not come from him.

The sooner the Lakers boot his ass back to the east coast, the sooner we'll return to an elite team status.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 2:41 pm    Post subject:

Lakers brass basically forced MDA to back off of his Run and Gun theory with this team. If it were up to him, we would have continued this game strategy and went down with the ship, not even coming close to the playoffs. MDA was forced to coach out of the box, which meant we could of had any clown there while the Lakers brass called the shots.
He started Nash today when Nash was not ready to be a starter. Nash should have come off the bench and a close eye put on him. We played consistent ball while he was out, you don't bring him in the first game of the playoffs and throw the chemistry off. Please...no more MDA!!
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emplay
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 3:52 pm    Post subject:

Based on days lost to injury - if you take a look compared to the competition - I'd argue Lakers over-achieved.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 3:54 pm    Post subject:

None
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 10:58 pm    Post subject:

Let me answer the question with an analogy. Imagine a jockey thinking that the best way to win a horse race was for the horse to ride on top of the jockey. Everyone screams at the jockey that that's a ridiculous way to horse race, that he's not using the horse the right way. In fact, experts predicted that that specific horse would do very well that season if only it was ridden the right way. An interim jockey even did very well briefly without any special strategy simply riding the horse the normal way. Nevertheless, the new jockey stubbornly insists on doing horse races his way, and his racing season is horrible as a result. Toward the end of the season however, he realizes that he's been horse racing the wrong way and finally decides to ride on top of the horse and he does well his last few races.

That jockey is like D'Antoni. How much credit would you give either guy?
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 10:59 pm    Post subject:

emplay wrote:
Based on days lost to injury - if you take a look compared to the competition - I'd argue Lakers over-achieved.


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 11:02 pm    Post subject:

*Purple&Gold* wrote:
Lakers brass basically forced MDA to back off of his Run and Gun theory with this team. !


If this weren't so painful, this irony would be hysterical since that's precisely the reason the chose MDA over the greatest basketball coach of all time.

Picking MDA over Phil for this team may rank as the worst FO decision in the history of professional basketball.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 11:07 pm    Post subject:

the lakers just won 28 of 40 games among the top in the league over that stretch - they did it with no for 8 - no gasol through 6 weeks - no kobe for 2 - Jamison with a bad wrist - metta out

they did it in the harder conference (west) - and that's after a first half where there was no nash - howard was in terrible shape - pau was out - blake was out - with no training camp

yeah i'd say the lakers over-achieved given how they pulled out a playoff seed

meanwhile the "best" teams in the league for the most part had their entire rosters

the exception being the knicks - who play in the east where they play the cavs and bobcats a ton
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 11:09 pm    Post subject:

d'antoni came in with a plan - tried it - tried a bunch of other things - revised what he was doing to fit the roster - and won 28 of 40

that's a failure? actually that's coaching

he may not be the right guy long term - he may be flawed - but the job he did this year was actually strong not weak

a lot of people aren't objective because they want and expect their team to win - so they blame him because he's easy to blame
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 12:44 am    Post subject:

Kobe got fed up and said all this.

Quote:
He said things were "very, very tough … very, very frustrating," and that he was "trying to keep my cool," after the Lakers lost to the Chicago Bulls on Monday, 95-83.

"We're going to have to look at some things," Bryant said. "We're going to have to change something. Probably going to have to post the ball a lot more, slow the game down a lot more. That's just my intuition, but that's my gut right now. I have to take a look at the film again, but we're definitely going to have to change something.


After that the Lakers immediately started to slow down and post up more, and unsurprisingly went on that winning streak to finish the season. So it seems to me like MDA was forced to change things.

Either way it shows how much he was hurting the Lakers. When they played the way he wanted they were far below .500. When they played closer to the way the whole world knew they should play, they were .700. Since when should a coach get credit for not holding a team back?

His coaching dug us a huge hole and caused him to overwork Kobe, which possibly lead to an injury. Even if Kobe didn't get hurt the Lakers would be 7th and have to win 4 series without home court, tough for any team to do, basically throwing away the season.
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 7:54 am    Post subject:

None.

The Lakers won some games despite of Dumbantoni's incapability.
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