I like D'Antoni and I like what he was able to do in the desert with Phoenix. My only issue with him is that his willingness to have his teams play 'D' has come into question. At some point during the season or during the playoffs, you HAVE to make a defensive stop. If you don't, you end up on the wrong side of the TNT slogan, 'Win or Go Home'. I think D'Antoni has a great system in place in Phoenix but he also has/had (depending on how you view the Shaq trade) the right pieces for his system.
With the thought of him coming to Chicago, I am initially excited, but then I had to think about it. The Bulls stopped playing for Skiles, but he was overbearing and his whole 'my way or the highway' routine probably got tired. He did get the Bulls to play above their heads and make the playoffs last year, but the foundation wasn't built to last. Now with D'Antoni, he comes to Chicago and he inherits a Bulls team that's eager to prove that they aren't as bad as they showed this year, but he also inherits a team with some talent in that Phoenix (pre-Shaq) mold. He'll have several pieces at the guard spot with Hughes, Gordon, and Sefolosha, Hinrich, JamesOn Curry (a sleeper if they implement D'Antoni's system. A talented scorer in the mold of J.R. Smith of Denver, and he also brings some baggage). He'll have the wings that he needs in Deng and Nocioni, and the forwards/bigs in Thomas, Noah, Gooden, and Gray. On paper and in some people's minds, this all seems like it should be great.
I just don't see it that way. I think that D'Antoni brings a new system that will allow players to flourish and do what they do best, but the downside is as follows:
-Chris Duhon was probably the best point guard on the team and the Bulls don't look like they are going to re-sign him. Which means that the best point guard on the team will be Hinrich and he leaves you wanting as PGs go, especially in a running system that D'Antoni brings.
-Gordon could inflate his value (especially in his mind) by putting up the numbers in a system that's going to allow him to shoot when he wants, how he wants, and from where he wants. So next summer, you the Bulls will have to find someone who wants a short 2 guard (not named Iverson) and wants to pay him more than $10 million a year or the Bulls get nothing for Gordon.
-...with that said, Gordon is the Bulls best 2 guard. Larry Hughes is a 2 guard who can't shoot, he's a scorer who would be great in this system because he can put it on the floor and take it to the rack. Sefolosha and Curry both need time to grow.
-The Bigs on this team are decent. I like Thomas in this run and gun style, Gooden will be good (he may have to play center in the East in this system). Noah is a perfect fit for this system, a hustle guy who will run and leave it all out on the floor. Aaron Gray seems to be the odd man out, a big banger that I don't know fits this system.
So, all in all, I think D'Antoni brings new life to Chicago, I think the Bulls increase on the 'W' side, but the roster is going to need some upgrades to make this a Championship Team. It's going to take a few years to get them back to that Championship caliber team that Chicago wants. In the end, Paxson gets kudos for bringing in a coach of D'Antoni's stature, but at the end of the day, I don't see it making the Bulls that much better. I guess we'll see.
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