The Philadelphia 76ers have recently hired Mike D’Antoni, and he’s already making an impact. He reportedly pushed for the Ish Smith trade, and he’s already doubled their wins(from 1 to 2)! The Sixers earned their second win of the season on Saturday, when they defeated the Phoenix Suns.
So how does Mike D’Antoni feel about the new gig? He’s ecstatic. From AZCentral’s Paul Coro:
“I always wanted to get back in,” D’Antoni said after Philadelphia’s Saturday shootaround. “I found out you can’t play golf in the wintertime, so I had to go to work.
“You’re always in it. You’re never out of it. But to be able now to actually talk to players and coaches, that’s the fun part of coaching. When you have a receptive group, as coaches and players, it really makes it fun. This is kind of what we coaches live for. It’s heaven-sent for me. I’m happy as heck.”
D’Antoni will be the unofficial offensive coordinator of the youthful 76ers, off to the worst start in NBA history. Brown, who received a contract extension immediately before D’Antoni’s hire, hopes to meld his background of San Antonio’s system and young post-up players Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid with D’Antoni’s system of fast pace, spread offense and pick-and-rolls. He even referred to Nerlens Noel benefitting in a way Amar’e Stoudemire did.
It’s good that something positive is happening for this franchise, at last. When a team opens the season going 1-30, it’s a bit worrying. But, I guess you’ve got to #TrustTheProcess, right?
