May 13, 2008 - 2:29 PM
0 shoutsNEW YORK (Ticker) -- Mike D'Antoni's reputation as a coach who does not stress defense clearly preceded him to New York.
D'Antoni was formally introduced as the new head coach of the New York Knicks on Tuesday - and it did not take long for the questions to begin about his penchant for not emphasizing defense.
"That seems to be a hot topic of conversation," he said. "I know one thing for sure. We averaged 58 wins per year for four years (in Phoenix), so I know we had the best defensive team on the floor 58 times a year."
The Knicks officially reached a contractual agreement with D'Antoni on Saturday night. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but multiple sources have reported that he received a four-year contract worth $24 million.
A former NBA Coach of the Year with the Phoenix Suns, D'Antoni now assumes the challenge of turning around the league's most dysfunctional team. On Tuesday, he seemed to challenge the notion that he can't coach defense.
"I think the guys in Phoenix got a bad rap for not playing defense," he said.
D'Antoni claimed that he will be able to adjust to the Knicks' personnel, but he has his work cut out. New York is coming off a 23-59 campaign under former coach Isiah Thomas, which matched the worst finish in franchise history.
While D'Antoni's departure from Phoenix was not a shocker, his decision to choose the dismal, slow-footed Knicks as his next destination was considered somewhat of a surprise.
D'Antoni preaches a run-and-gun style that encourages players to take shots within the first seven seconds of the shot clock.
"We were seven seconds or less (to shoot in Phoenix)," D'Antoni said. "The rule says it has to be 24 seconds or less. We can adjust to whatever we want."
D'Antoni, who was set to receive annual sums of $4.5 million over the final two years of his contract with the Suns, also reportedly was mulling an offer from the Chicago Bulls.
Armed with plodding big men Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph as well as mercurial point guard Stephon Marbury, New York would need a major roster makeover before D'Antoni's system effectively can be implemented.
But that might be where the marriage was consummated. The Knicks need to start over, and D'Antoni wants to work for a front office - in this case, newly hired president Donnie Walsh - that believes in his philosophies.
"After thorough discussions with several impressive candidates, it was clear that Mike D'Antoni is the right coach to lead the New York Knicks," Walsh said. "Mike has established himself as one of the top coaches in our game and his expertise will be key as we work toward our goal of bringing winning basketball back to New York."
D'Antoni has compiled a .608 winning percentage (267-172) in six seasons as an NBA head coach.
He enjoyed considerable success with the Suns, who were one of the league's highest-scoring and most exciting teams to watch. However, Phoenix never advanced beyond the Western Conference finals, leading many observers to conclude that his style is not conducive to winning a championship.
This year, the Suns were eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in five games, their first opening-round exit from the playoffs since 2003.
Now, D'Antoni is taking over a franchise that has missed the playoffs in seven straight seasons.
"The only thing I can promise is that we're going to play hard and be exciting," he said. "Put on your seat belt and let's go."
D'Antoni apparently wants to start rebuilding right away. According to a recent report in the New York Daily News, D'Antoni will attempt to trade Marbury to the Suns in exchange for a package involving either Leandro Barbosa or Boris Diaw.
The NBA's fourth-highest paid player last season, Marbury will make $21.9 million in 2008-09 - the last year of his current contract. The 30-year-old Marbury appeared in just 24 games last season, averaging 13.9 points and 4.7 assists.
Citing an anonymous source, the Daily News report stated that D'Antoni does not view Marbury as a "winning player."
"D'Antoni and Marbury is going to be a bad fit," the source told the newspaper. "He views Marbury as a shooting guard, anyway."
Marbury has struggled through a difficult four-year stretch with the Knicks, who acquired the talented but troubled guard in an eight-player deal with the Suns on January 5, 2004.
A Brooklyn native and a lifelong Knicks fan, Marbury has been one of the central figures for a franchise which has become one of the biggest laughingstocks in American professional sports.
Widely considered a selfish player, Marbury has failed to mesh with numerous star teammates throughout his career.
However, D'Antoni seemed to deny that he was looking to trade Marbury.
"I have no problem with Stephon," D'Antoni said. "I think he's a very talented basketball player and I look forward to working with him."
Marbury also has bristled with his coaches and made headlines for his public gripes with then-Knicks coach Larry Brown during the 2005-06 campaign.
Despite his problems both on and off the court, Marbury has been one of the NBA's top point guards during his 12 seasons in the league. The two-time All-Star has averaged 19.7 points and 7.8 assists in 823 career games with the Knicks, Suns, New Jersey Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves.
D'Antoni, who turned 57 on Thursday, posted a 253-136 record in his four-plus seasons as coach of the Suns.
One of the first moves made by Walsh was to fire Thomas, who posted a 56-108 record in his two seasons as coach.
Thomas also alienated the team's fan base for his decisions as general manager. He loaded up on expensive contracts - creating major salary-cap problems - while failing to build a competitive team.
Thomas also found controversy off the court, causing further embarrassment for the franchise.
In November, Madison Square Garden reached an out-of-court settlement for $11.5 million with former executive Anucha Browne Sanders, who had filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Thomas, Knicks owner James Dolan and the Garden.
In addition, Thomas spent most of the season feuding with Marbury, Curry and Randolph.
