Mike D’Antoni Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Lakers, Howard, Bell

November 15th, 2012 at 7:45pm CST by Ryan Raroque

During an interview at the Lakers practice facility today, Mike D'Antoni acknowledged that his job will be to compete for a championship this season and added, "I told the team if we're not averaging 110-115 points a game, we need to talk." Zach Harper of CBS Sports relayed a plethora of other notable quotes as the new Lakers coach touched upon the offensive freedom he plans to give his players, the promise he sees in the second unit, and the notion that maximizing the amount of possessions per game will help offset one bad shot or bad call affecting the final outcome. Here's more of what we've heard tonight out of the Western Conference:

Dwight Howard told reporters that he is playing at about "75-80%" and still needs to get his explosiveness back to where he can sustain it over longer stretches of the game (Arash Markazi of ESPN LA tweets).
Marc Stein of ESPN mentions that Raja Bell would naturally be a target for the Lakers to pursue at this point, but him still being under contract with the Jazz, Los Angeles' $100MM payroll and a full roster remain as the most significant obstacles in their way (Twitter link).
The Suns approach to rebuilding includes stockpiling assets and being prepared for circumstances in which a good player may become available via trade, similar to how Houston was able to acquire James Harden from Oklahoma City, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (Sulia link) reports that Warriors center Andrew Bogut has received multiple injections of Regenokine in his left ankle to help with his overall recovery process.
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside explains why a trip to the D-League for Scott Machado will be a golden opportunity for him to garner attention as a strong talent, something that would have been difficult without any significant playing time on the Rockets.

Odds & Ends: Dixon, Carroll, D’Antoni, Wade

November 15th, 2012 at 5:03pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Of the 17 players that competed during the 2002 NCAA title game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Indiana Hoosiers, three would go on to become first round picks during that year's NBA Draft: Chris Wilcox (eighth overall), Jared Jeffries (11th), and the championship game's leading scorer, Juan Dixon (17th). Today, while Wilcox and Jeffries have guaranteed contracts, Dixon finds himself on the outside looking in, tirelessly determined to make a comeback. Connor Letourneau of The Diamondback uncovers how Dixon's trying experiences as an international player contributed to his maturation process and what a return to the NBA would mean for the 34-year-old guard.

You'll find the rest of this evening's miscellaneous notes from around the league below:

Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com thinks that the chances of the Kings remaining in Sacramento after this season (and possibly several more) continue to increase because of little movement in talks of going anywhere else. Without much momentum between the Maloofs and the potential destinations that have been mentioned (Anaheim, Seattle, Virginia Beach) nor anything that indicates a possibility that the team will be sold, Howard-Cooper writes that it bides more time for the city to find a way to keep the Kings for now.
Eurohoops.net tweets that Panathinaikos of Greece has signed Jason Kapono.
John Reid of NOLA.com reports that Matt Carroll has not yet reported to the Hornets since Tuesday's trade involving Hakim Warrick going to the Bobcats. Head coach Monty Williams says that there have been ongoing discussions between Carroll's agent and GM Dell Demps but did not elaborate on the specifics. The team hopes to give an update on the situation tomorrow.
Yahoo's Marc J. Spears relayed a quote from today's press conference in which Mike D'Antoni said he'd like to get the Lakers to play "Showtime basketball."Arash Markazi of ESPN LA tweets that D'Antoni's coaching debut will likely be on Sunday against the Rockets.
Nagging injuries have become a cause for uncertainty and concern for Heat superstar Dwyane Wade, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Dan Bickley of AZCentral sports says (via Twitter) that Charles Barkley would be interested in becoming the Suns GM if owner Robert Sarver were to make such an opportunity available in the near future.
The Raptors officially posted an injury update on their team website regarding Alan Anderson, Landry Fields, and Kyle Lowry. Anderson will remain out for another three to six weeks and Lowry for one to two weeks, according to the press release. There is no timetable set in place for Fields' return.

Western Notes: White, Bogut, D’Antoni, Gay

November 15th, 2012 at 1:46pm CST by Luke Adams

You'd be hard-pressed to argue that the undefeated Knicks and the defending champion Heat aren't currently the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. Both clubs head west tonight to take on a pair of Western Conference contenders, with the Knicks in San Antonio to face the Spurs, and the Heat playing the Nuggets in Denver. As we await what should be a great night of NBA action, let's round up the latest updates out of the West….

In a pair of columns for the Houston Chronicle, Jerome Solomon argues that the Rockets are handing the Royce White situation poorly, and that patience, not fines, should be central to the team's approach.
Discussing his ankle injury on KNBR in San Francisco, Andrew Bogut said the Warriors have been supportive and haven't pressured him since he arrived in Golden State, but that he still feels as if he's let people down. Brad Gagnon of Sports Radio Interviews has the quotes.
Timberwolves president David Kahn is expecting great things from his club when everyone starts getting healthy, as he tells Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
It was Jerry Buss who had the final say on the Lakers hiring Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson, a source tells Joe McDonnell of FOX Sports West.
ESPN.com's five-man panel weighs in on how D'Antoni's arrival will affect the performances of the Lakers' stars, supporting cast, and defense.
The list of head coaches that Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld believes could be on the hot seat are mostly from Eastern Conference clubs, but Kyler identifies Keith Smart of the Kings as one coach who might be in trouble if his team continues to struggle.
In a piece for the New York Times, Beckley Mason asks whether Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies' highest-paid player, is the team's centerpiece or an expensive accessory.

Pacific Rumors: Nash, Bryant, D’Antoni, Bogut

November 13th, 2012 at 7:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

Steve Nash said he's "thrilled, but definitely shocked" by Mike D'Antoni's hiring as Lakers coach, and expressed a level of disappointment about not getting to play for Phil Jackson, as Sam Amick of USA Today chronicles. "Well I mean, of course. In some ways, I thought it was Phil, and so I was geared up for that, and excited in a totally different respect because of his experience and success, and particularly here with this organization," Nash said. "That would have been a whole different circumstance that I would've been excited for as well. But I'm back with Mike and thrilled." We have plenty more on D'Antoni, his new team, and their Pacific Division rivals right here.

Kobe Bryant expressed sentiments similar to Nash's, and said he and his teammates all believed Jackson would be the next coach, notes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
D'Antoni laid out the expectations for his team, telling Mason & Ireland of ESPNLA 710 radio, "If we're not at least in the hunt, a serious hunt, then I've failed as a head coach. I'm comfortable with that," as ESPNLA's Ramona Shelburne documents. D'Antoni also indicated he planned to reach out to Nate McMillan about joining his staff.
Warriors center Andrew Bogut will be out longer than the team's original seven-to-10 day projection, and might not return before January, according to Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group. It's unlikely he'll return before December as he nurses his surgically repaired left ankle, Thompson says.
Virginia Beach mayor Will Sessoms confirmed a meeting recently took place between him and a representative of an unnamed NBA team, writes Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee. According to other reports, the representative was Kings co-owner George Maloof. The mayor said the team believes the area is a "good market."

Kupchak Addresses Lakers’ Coaching Choice

November 13th, 2012 at 6:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

Amidst Lakers.com scribe Mike Trudell's transcript of GM Mitch Kupchak's comments about the Lakers' decision to hire Mike D'Antoni as coach instead of Phil Jackson, Lakers spokesman John Black revealed that if Jackson had made it clear he wanted the job on Saturday, "the process may have gone differently." Kupchak admitted it was difficult to turn Jackson down, since he was clearly the fans' choice. The GM had plenty more to say, as we recap here.

When Jackson told Kupchak and Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss during their meeting Saturday that he'd get back to them on Monday about whether he wanted the job, Kupchak said he told Jackson he'd have to continue his search and interview other candidates. "He nodded that he understood," Kupchak said. "Maybe herein lies a little bit of the misunderstanding. As it was reported, we never offered a job, and he never indicated he would coach the team."
Kupchak said the decision to hire D'Antoni "revolved almost completely around the personnel that we have on the team and the style of play we saw going forward for the team," and he and fellow Lakers executives had concerns about the ability of some of their players to learn the triangle in a timely fashion.
Explaining his decision to wake up Jackson in the middle of the night with the news they were hiring D'Antoni, Kupchak said he felt it would have been the "worst thing to do" to wait until Monday to call.
In Saturday's meeting, Kupchak, Buss and Jackson discussed the level of personnel input Jackson would have as coach, as well as "the rigors of travel in the NBA," according to Kupchak, who adds there was no talk of Jackson missing games and no conversation about salary.
Kupchak said he was already familiar with D'Antoni before they shared lengthy conversations this weekend, and is convinced about D'Antoni's plan for the team. "We didn't feel with Mike Brown and the Princeton offense that we were getting the most out of the players we brought in this summer," Kupchak said. "We looked for a coach that could get the most out of the players we brought in this summer, and on top of that the existing players."
Dwight Howard publicly expressed his backing for Jackson this weekend, but Kupchak said Howard's impending free agency played a "significant" role in the coaching hire. "We look at Dwight as a cornerstone for this franchise going forward," Kupchak said. "Right now, it's Kobe Bryant, and right there are Steve Nash and Pau Gasol, but the cornerstone for this franchise based on talent and age is Dwight Howard going forward. Certainly, a big part of getting the most out of Dwight was important in the search."

Latest On Lakers, Phil Jackson, Mike D’Antoni

November 13th, 2012 at 8:39am CST by Luke Adams

We got a pair of somewhat conflicting stories yesterday regarding the Lakers' coaching search and their decision to hire Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports published a column which suggested that Jackson overplayed his hand and was asking too much of the Lakers, while Jackson's own account painted a significantly different picture. I imagine the truth lies somewhere in between and that more details will continue to leak out, but in the meantime, there are still plenty of stories on the move still coming in. Here's the latest:

Jackson wasn't the only involved party who was stunned by the Lakers' decision. D'Antoni tells Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News that his first reaction upon getting the call telling him he'd been hired was: "Are you serious?"
Jackson's long-time friend and assistant coach Kurt Rambis strongly denied to Sam Amick of USA Today that Jackson's demands pushed the Lakers to another candidate: "No money was discussed (in Jackson's interview on Saturday). All of these things that are out there about partial ownership, and lack of travel, and no practice time — all of that stuff is categorically false. None of those conversations ever happened. Ever. It was about whether or not he wanted to come and coach the team."
Dan D'Antoni tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that it could be two weeks before his brother, who is recovering from knee surgery, is able to sit on the Lakers' bench.
Within a great piece from Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register about the Lakers' decision-making process, Ding notes Jackson's reply when he got the phone call telling him the Lakers front office believed D'Antoni was the best choice for the team. "I don't," Jackson said. "But okay."

Odds & Ends: D’Antoni, Bynum, Raptors, Banks

November 12th, 2012 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up a few of Monday's odds and ends from around the Association….

Carmelo Anthony told reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post, that he's happy for Mike D'Antoni and that he and the former Knicks coach had a "good relationship."
Brian Musburger, the agent for Phil Jackson, said he and his client were indeed "stunned" by the Lakers' hiring of D'Antoni: "Not so much with the decision the Lakers made, because Phil had no hold on the job. But we are stunned with the way Phil learned of it" (Sulia link via Kevin Ding of the O.C. Register).
Following up on the Sixers' latest update on Andrew Bynum, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Sulia link) points to Bynum's health as one reason why the Cavaliers didn't get far in trade negotiations for the big man this past summer.
In his Morning Tip piece at NBA.com, TNT's David Aldridge discusses the Lakers' coaching hire, Keyon Dooling's decision to retire, and Mickey Loomis' role with the Hornets.
DeMar DeRozan is hoping to help turn the Raptors into a team that will be attractive to players in free agency, as he tells Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.
NBA veteran Marcus Banks, who last played for the Raptors in 2010/11, has agreed to terms with Panathinaikos, according to a report passed along by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Lakers Hire Mike D’Antoni

November 12th, 2012 at 3:17pm CST by Sean Highkin

3:17pm: The Lakers have officially announced their hiring of D'Antoni in a press release.

"After speaking with several excellent and well-respected coaching candidates, Dr. [Jerry] Buss, Jim [Buss] and I all agreed that Mike was the right person at this time to lead the Lakers forward," said GM Mitch Kupchak in the statement. "Knowing his style of play and given the current make-up of our roster, we feel Mike is a great fit, are excited to have him as our next head coach and hope he will help our team reach its full potential."

2:04am: The Los Angeles Lakers have officially hired their new coach, with the team confirming late Sunday night that Mike D'Antoni will replace Mike Brown on the Lakers' bench. Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter links) first reported the news, adding (via Twitter) that D'Antoni's contract is for three guaranteed years and $12MM, plus a fourth-year team option. The club is expected to introduce its new head coach at a press conference later this week.

Following the firing of Brown on Friday, the Lakers had been pursuing Phil Jackson to return to the team for a third time after his 2011 retirement. According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com, Jackson was prepared to accept the job if negotiations progressed well on Monday, and was "stunned" to learn the Lakers had chosen D'Antoni (Twitter links).

While there were rumblings suggesting Jackson's demands were too high, ESPN.com's Chris Broussard hears from both sides that rumors of Jackson's exorbitant asking price were overblown (Twitter link). Broussard adds that the Lakers chose D'Antoni over Jackson in part because the team felt the Triangle offense would've been too complex for the team to learn on the fly, and that the system wasn't a great fit for the current roster (Twitter links).

Additionally, TNT's David Aldridge (Twitter link) notes that Jackson would have wanted total control over the franchise and all personnel decisions, an arrangement similar to Pat Riley's in Miami. ESPN.com's Arash Markazi also tweets that the Lakers wanted more stability than the year-to-year commitment Jackson would offer.

D'Antoni, who resigned as head coach of the New York Knicks in March of 2012, will be reunited in Los Angeles with Steve Nash, whom he coached as a member of the Phoenix Suns from 2004 to 2008. As Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports tweets, D'Antoni continues to recover from knee surgery in New York, and will require clearance before he can fly to Los Angeles later this week. When D'Antoni eventually takes over from interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff, he'll be bringing his brother Dan D'Antoni with him as an assistant, reports Aldridge (via Twitter).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Wojnarowski On Lakers, Jackson, D’Antoni

November 12th, 2012 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

Adrian Wojnarowski's latest column at Yahoo! Sports includes plenty of details about the Lakers' coaching search and the process that resulted in the team hiring Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson. Let's dive in and round up some of the highlights from Wojnarowski's piece:

Jackson, who appeared to be the Lakers' clear-cut choice after Mike Brown was fired on Friday, wanted "significant allowances on travel, coaching duties and an ability to veto player personnel moves that didn't fit his vision," according to Wojnarowski.
"Phil wanted Jim Buss to walk away with his tail between his legs," one source told Wojnarowski. "He thought he had time to still negotiate with them, and see how much they would give him."
Wojnarowski echoes ESPNLA's report that suggested Jackson was "stunned" when the Lakers hired D'Antoni. According to the Yahoo! scribe, Jackson believed he was the only head coach Kobe Bryant would approve, and that the Lakers would circle back to him today to continue negotiating.
While there are some concerns about D'Antoni's defensive acumen, the Lakers front office believes that the presence of Dwight Howard can make D'Antoni a far better defensive coach.
Stan Van Gundy has been in touch with D'Antoni, encouraging him to keep assistant coach Steve Clifford on his staff. Clifford had been on Van Gundy's staff in Orlando, and has a history with Howard.

Reactions To Lakers’ Hiring Of Mike D’Antoni

November 12th, 2012 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

After appearing for most of the weekend as if they were on track for a reunion with former head coach Phil Jackson, the Lakers pulled off a shocker late last night, announcing that Mike D'Antoni would be Mike Brown's successor in Los Angeles. With reactions continuing to flood in, we'll round up some of the early takes right here:

D'Antoni may not be able to match Jackson's Hall of Fame credentials, but he'll be a fine fit for the Lakers, opines Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com doesn't believe that D'Antoni is a "championship coach," arguing that the Lakers would've been better off hiring any of the other reported candidates (Sulia links).
Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times tweets that D'Antoni will fit better in L.A. than in New York, where he didn't have the point guard talent necessary for his system.
Kobe Bryant let the Lakers know he was fine with the team hiring D'Antoni, according to J.A. Adande of ESPN.com (via Twitter). However, in a piece for ESPN's Daily Dime, Adande writes that D'Antoni's fit with Dwight Howard will be even more crucial for the Lakers.
If nothing else, D'Antoni will make the Lakers a much more fun team to watch, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
Billy Witz of FOX Sports thinks the Lakers will regret not getting a deal done with Jackson.
Jackson was the popular choice among Lakers fans, but they may come around on D'Antoni, writes Sam Amick of USA Today.
Also at USA Today, Adi Joseph examines how individual players on the Lakers will mesh with D'Antoni.
D'Antoni will be motivated to prove that he can win a title and to prove that he deserved the Lakers job more than Jackson, says Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register.
According to Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times, D'Antoni is just a one-dimensional as Brown, and the Lakers' roster is too old for his style of play.
Tom Ziller of SBNation.com looks at a few ways the marriage of D'Antoni and the Lakers could go wrong.