Sports Radio Interviews

Mike D’Antoni Has Got the Knicks Playing Better Basketball

Mike D’Antoni and the New York Knicks got off to a horrible start this season. In the months of October and November, the Knicks only managed to win three out of their first seventeen games. However, December has been a better month to them. It is D’Antoni’s decision to play a more veteran dominated lineup that has paid off big dividends. They are 4-1 in their last five games and have huge wins over the Suns, Hawks, and Trail Blazers.

The Knicks have been tanking it and clearing up its roster for years in order to create enough salary room next summer to go after all of the big-name free agents: LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire. Some people believe the hype over next year’s free agency has adversely affected the Knicks because a lot of these players are not going to be playing on the team next year. If I were those role players, I would use this season as a showcase to other teams and play my ass off. But then again, that is why I am not in the NBA and writing this post.

Mike D’Antoni joined Mike Francesca on WFAN in New York to talk about the team showing a little life in the last week or so, the Knicks beating better teams which should mean better results for them, the game against Phoenix and how well the team played, and whether the team got lost early on this season into the hype around the NBA Free Agency period next year.

On the team showing a little life in the last week or so:

“Yeah I thought that last twelve games that we have played pretty good. I think we are getting better hopefully but we still got a long ways to go.”

On the Knicks beating better teams which should mean better results for them:

“Yeah we are hoping. I don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves but the basketball is a lot better. Like I said the last twelve we have played some hard teams. We had a good game up in Denver. Beat Atlanta and we had Orlando a couple of times. We just need to keep improving. We did fall into a big hole at the beginning but we are trying to crawl out of it.”

On the game against Phoenix and how well the team played:

“And again its just a bunch of confidence coming in at the right time. Guys getting back on their game. Some guys started underneath what they normally do and for whatever reason we just lost our confidence. We were shook a little bit but it seems like we are getting our sea legs right now.”

Whether the team got lost early on this season into the hype around the NBA Free Agency period next year:

“It could have I don’t know for sure but I do think probably after we started off bad we took a big hit. It might have contributed to the loss of confidence. That could have been it because at a certain point there are going: What the heck! This isn’t for this year anyway. So maybe. Our guys just hung in there. They want to get it done. They want to have a great year and I am jut happy with them.”

Whether some of the players playing bad because they think that they are not going to be there in New York next season:

“That is possible on probably every team on the NBA but some of these guys will be back. Hopefully all of them will be back. Who knows? Lets see how good we can get it this year and we will figure it out next year.”

On Danilo Gallinari’s development and what he likes what he has seen out of him this season:

“Well I think the biggest thing as each day goes by he is getting further away from his operation that he had this summer. When you go eight months and you have a bad back and he is playing with a bad back as he did last year, and you carry yourself a certain way, you are afraid of certain things, psychologically it takes a wile to get over that thing. I think the biggest improvement is that he is comfortable with his body now. He is not afraid and now he can show what we thought he could all along and he is making some improvement obviously as his body matures.”

Mike D’Antoni joined WFAN in New York with Mike Francesca to talk about his teams recent success

Tags: 2010 Free Agents, 2010 NBA Free Agency, Atlantic Division, David Lee, Eastern Conference, LeBron James in New York, Mike D'Antoni, NBA, New York Knicks, Toney Douglass, Who wantws to play for the doormat of the NBA