Isiah Thomas. Larry Brown. Jeff Van Gundy. Even Don Nelson. They all need to trap Mike D'Antoni in a hotel room somewhere, lock the door and sit him down for a heart-to-heart. They need to convey to him, in no uncertain terms, that this is a horrible career move, one that will haunt him maybe for the remainder of his career.
Don't take the Knicks job.
Apparently, D'Antoni, who made his name in the NBA coaching ranks with the Phoenix Suns, is feeling a bit masochistic these days. Reports out of the Northeast are that he's already taken the job, sucked in by what The Associated Press reported as a four-year, $24 million contract offer to the former NBA coach of the year. The Knicks said they have agreed in principle with D'Antoni.
Still, even with that kind of loot, it may not be worth it, not for the pain and suffering that comes with that gig these days.
Imagine going from contending for a top spot in the Western Conference to a cellar spot in the East; from Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire to Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry; from the epic postseason clashes with the San Antonio Spurs, to four drubbings a season from the Boston Celtics.
It's not too late to pull a Billy Donovan, and his trusted friends in the coaching fraternity should be urging him to moonwalk out of this situation like Michael Jackson after a visit to BALCO.
The top of the organization is faulty. Even though new president Donnie Walsh, a respected
Add to that the ineptitude he has on the court. D'Antoni turned Snapple into wine in Phoenix. But in New York, he's working with flat Sprite and being asked to convert it into Napa Valley's finest. Not going to happen with players such as Jerome James, Jared Jeffries and Mardy Collins on the roster. Not even in the East.
There's another reason this won't work: D'Antoni. One of the reasons Suns general manager Steve Kerr let the Knicks negotiate with D'Antoni -- a gesture at just how much Phoenix values D'Antoni -- was a difference in philosophy. The Suns have become one of the league's most popular teams and regular contender in the West because of their high-powered offense. They haven't won a title because of D'Antoni's system falls short on the defensive end. Of course, Kerr won a handful of championships in his career in systems that thrived on defense.
How will D'Antoni's high-scoring offense and matador defense play in the East? He should never get to find out. His coaching brethren should have him trapped in the middle of a prayer circle, dousing him with Raid, trying to get that Knicks bug off him.
SAD SUNDAY: Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller, one of the league's most outspoken owners, will miss Game 4 today in his team's Western Conference semifinals match-up against the Los Angeles Lakers. A member of the Mormon faith, Miller doesn't attend games on Sunday. While the contest, scheduled to tip off at 1:30 p.m., won't interfere with worship service, the Latter-Day Saints church encourages members to focus on church-related activities on Sunday. Miller won't watch the sold-out affair on television or listen to it on the radio, just get updates from family members.
"About 15 years ago, I decided it just didn't fit into what I wanted to be," Miller told the Salt Lake Tribune. "It's just a personal thing.
"I usually get in the car and go for long rides, so I imagine I might do that. Sometimes, about the time the game is ending, I tune in and listen to the call-in shows to see what I've missed."
The last time the Jazz played a home playoff game on Sunday was May 14, 2000, a Game 4 against Portland in the West semis. The last regular season Sunday home game was Jan. 21, 2001 against Phoenix.
He has told the NBA that he doesn't want the Jazz playing at home on Sunday. Mostly, the league obliges. But this is the playoffs.
"They know how I feel," Miller told the Tribune, "but I think television revenues at this time of the year are much more important to them. When it comes to that, my personal preferences have no consideration into the equation, really."
SAC'S ARENA TALKS: The NBA and Cal Expo have agreed to move forward with the planning stages of building a new arena for the Sacramento Kings on the site of the state fairgrounds. The next 180 days will be dedicated for pondering plans for a sports and entertainment complex to be submitted by various developers.
This could be step one in star forward Ron Artest taking his circus act to the fair. The Maloofs, owners of the Kings, are footing the bill.
"They've said, 'Do what it takes; spend what you need. Let's give everything we can to make this work in Sacramento,'" NBA commissioner David Stern told the Sacramento Bee. "They couldn't be better. They want this to work."
Contact Marcus Thompson II at mthomps2@bayareanewsgroup.com.
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