It started with bringing in Shaq, and yesterday it was finalized with Mike D'Antoni leaving (he was forced out) for the Knicks. Independent Steve is dead.
For three and a half seasons the Phoenix Suns were the most entertaining NBA basketball team we've ever laid eyes on, but when Shaq came to town, that started to fade. Everyone has attributed the Sun's success to Steve Nash, and rightfully so, but it's not that simple. The secret behind the Sun's brilliance has been that Nash has been allowed to play basketball without his coach and teammates getting in his way, hence the Independent Steve title (and because we like Seinfeld references). Nash is a great ball-handler and probably the league's best all-around shooter, but what separates Nash from everyone else is his vision, the ability to see that which isn't yet visible or apparent. Mentally he's always a step or two ahead of everyone else on the court.
D'Antoni figured that the best way to use Nash's vision was to sit down on the bench and shelve any ideas of plays and "offenses" and just let Nash do his thing. It worked out great, because the personnel was conducive -- their only decent post player was Amare (the perfect pick-n-roll partner for Nash), Marion could play the perimeter on offense but guard posts on defense, and the rest of the team shot the lights out.
For three and a half seasons the Phoenix Suns were the most entertaining NBA basketball team we've ever laid eyes on, but when Shaq came to town, that started to fade. Everyone has attributed the Sun's success to Steve Nash, and rightfully so, but it's not that simple. The secret behind the Sun's brilliance has been that Nash has been allowed to play basketball without his coach and teammates getting in his way, hence the Independent Steve title (and because we like Seinfeld references). Nash is a great ball-handler and probably the league's best all-around shooter, but what separates Nash from everyone else is his vision, the ability to see that which isn't yet visible or apparent. Mentally he's always a step or two ahead of everyone else on the court.
D'Antoni figured that the best way to use Nash's vision was to sit down on the bench and shelve any ideas of plays and "offenses" and just let Nash do his thing. It worked out great, because the personnel was conducive -- their only decent post player was Amare (the perfect pick-n-roll partner for Nash), Marion could play the perimeter on offense but guard posts on defense, and the rest of the team shot the lights out.
The so-called experts, and new GM Steve Kerr, have determined that the reason that they haven't made it to the top is their lack of a traditional post man and lack of defense. When really, it's that they've lost almost all their perimeter shooters over the years and now have Shaq getting in Nash's way.
Nash will still be good, but he'll go back to the player he was in Dallas (only four years older), a creative offensive point guard, who's a great shooter and poor defender. The days of him having the freedom to be the maestro that he can be are over. R.I.P. Independent Steve.
Nash will still be good, but he'll go back to the player he was in Dallas (only four years older), a creative offensive point guard, who's a great shooter and poor defender. The days of him having the freedom to be the maestro that he can be are over. R.I.P. Independent Steve.
1 comment:
Simmons did it
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/080501
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