The Knicks and Mike D'Antoni parted ways yesterday due to "conflicting visions" about the team's future. Part of that conflict may have stemmed from D'Antoni's desire to trade Carmelo Anthony to the Nets in exchange for Deron Williams, an idea James Dolan adamantly opposed. Needless to say, players, coaches, and reporters around the league are talking about D'Antoni's exit from New York, so let's round up a few links on the subject:
- Despite reports earlier this week suggesting Anthony was at odds with the Knicks coach, Carmelo says he and D'Antoni "never had any issues." Added Carmelo: "Any disagreements that he had with us as a team we talked it out and we went from there" (via ESPNNewYork.com).
- Jeremy Lin on D'Antoni: "What he did for my career, I’m not going to forget what he did for me personally. It’s very emotional. I’m sad to see him go and I owe a lot to him" (via New York Daily News).
- According to Amare Stoudemire, not everyone was buying into D'Antoni's system, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. "It made it look bad," Stoudemire said. "I guess stepping down was the best way for him."
- Phil Jackson will be a prime candidate to take over the full-time Knicks job, as Marc Berman writes.
- The Knicks shouldn't expect Jackson to come out of retirement to save them, says Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Knicks GM Glen Grunwald called D'Antoni's decision to step down a "selfless move," says Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Nets coach Avery Johnson was surprised by the announcement, as he tells Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. When Pistons coach Lawrence Frank was told of the news, he called it "ridiculous" and "a damn shame," writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
Another league being run by the inmates