Since explanations surrounding Mike D’Antoni’s sudden departure as head coach of the Knicks were so convoluted the last 24 hours, let’s try to lay down some truth as we know it and saw it.
Carmelo Anthony came to the Knicks a year ago at a steep price in a trade that both D’Antoni and then-GM Donnie Walsh opposed. The transaction was forced on them by team owner Jim Dolan.
The dopey son of a cable TV magnate, Dolan knew what was better for a team gifted to him than two respected basketball lifers trying to rebuild the mess left by Dolan yes-man Isiah Thomas.
Mike Francesa calls it “revisionist history” to say there was an outcry when the Knicks acquired Melo. That’s not true. Plenty of Knick fans feared Walsh’s methodical effort to clear cap space would be harmed by adding a max-contract guy who was seen as interested only producing max-contract stat lines.
D’Antoni quietly worked with what he had and tried to contain frustration with Melo’s tendency to pitch a tent on the wing and demand that the ball run primarily through him.
When the bottom hit rock for D’Antoni and the team six weeks ago, there was an out-of-nowhere happenstance that played out. Melo put on street clothes to rest nagging pains and Jeremy Lin put on a superman’s cape. A Lin-led comeback win at home against Jersey likely saved D’Antoni’s job. The ensuing seven-game win streak that brought Linsanity proved that an old school point guard leading an offense that rewarded hustle with inclusiveness was both an entertaining and effective style of playing the game. A broad smile appeared on D’Antoni’s face. It was a form of basketball that was pleasing to the fan’s eye and one that could finally be embraced by other Knick players who had grown tired of suiting up for roles that were mostly confined to getting out of the way of Melo.
When Melo returned from injury to join Linsanity already in progress, the team went into a tailspin. Yeah, the schedule during that 2-9 stretch was tougher, but it was easy to see that the plug-in of a me-first superstar shot-taker didn’t mesh with a blossoming motion offense. Melo’s shots clanked way more than they swished and Linsanity went down with it. So did D’Antoni’s smile.
Howard Beck of the Times said the team’s nucleus enjoyed the style of play during Linsanity so much, there was building resentment over Melo’s disruption of it. Said Beck in Thursday’s newspaper: “Anthony never fully bought into D’Antoni’s system and frequently broke plays to create shots for himself. The tension between Anthony and D’Antoni – and more broadly between Anthony and the rest of the team – was undermining the Knicks’ cohesion and morale. Most of the team preferred to keep playing the way they were during the so-called Linsanity streak.”
With the trade deadline looming and this bad-apple dynamic infecting the team, D’Antoni had a chat with his immediate boss Glen Grunwald (who it should be said has a ridiculous interim tag on his GM title) Wednesday. Grunwald called Dolan. And then Dolan dragged his droopy self in for a pow-wow that ended with D’Antoni packing up his stuff along with his brother and other trusted assistant. They walked out the door and agreed to call it a “resignation.”
Melo stayed because Dolan said so. It was Melo’s way or the highway. Melo and the team owner now have the peace in knowing Melo can clank all the shots he wants while Linsanity goes back into a box for safe keeping until he and the others interested in a team game are freed from this mess.