As NBA teams are eliminated from the first round of the playoffs, change is inevitable. The Dallas Mavericks lost to the New Orleans Hornets in the first round, and the Mavericks fired head coach Avery Johnson. The Phoenix Suns lost to the San Antonio Spurs, and there is talk going around that Suns head coach Mike D'Antoni could be gone.
Professional sports is all about winning now. If a team can't demonstrate that they can be legitimate contenders, changes will be made. As the coach for the Dallas Mavericks, he hasn't been as productive in the playoffs. Most, if not all, of the Mavericks key players on the 2006 NBA Finals roster and their 66 win season were acquired by their former head coach, Don Nelson. Avery Johnson landed on a good team waiting to explode and that the success of the Mavericks came from brilliant planning by Don Nelson.
The Phoenix Suns also couldn't get over the hurdle of beating San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs. The Suns have not reached the NBA Finals under head coach Mike D'Antoni. D'Antoni is the mastermind behind the Suns' fast paced style of play, but without a trip to the NBA Finals, the Suns organization might be ready for a change. Rumors are flying that coach D'Antoni will not be back next year.
I think this is the perfect storm waiting to erupt. Mike D'Antoni should leave the Phoenix Suns and become the new head coach of the Dallas Mavericks! The Mavericks team Don Nelson built was made to run on the fast break and shoot a bunch of three pointers. This is virtually the same system Don Nelson has implemented with the Golden State Warriors.
Losing Devin Harris is a big blow to the fast paced style for Dallas, but Jason Kidd is great during a fast break. Kidd is just a little older and might break down mid-season. D'Antoni doesn't preach defense because he likes his players to conserve energy for offense, so they might think about hiring Avery Johnson to stay as an assistant coach to help improve the team's defense.
Every member of the current Mavericks roster can run, with the exception of Erick Dampier. The Mavs have never been big inside or have a dominant low post game, which fits Mike D'Antoni's system very well. Just think about the ratings if a Mike D'Antoni coached Dallas Mavericks were to meet against a Don Nelson coached Golden State Warriors in the western conference finals.
Suns GM Steve Kerr has been trying to get the team to play more defense. Kerr couldn't get D'Antoni to improve the team's defensive woes, but if Phoenix hired Avery Johnson as head coach, Johnson would make defense a top priority. Under Johnson, the Mavericks went from giving up 100.8 points per game (2nd worst) in the 2004 season to giving up 95.9 points per game (6th best) in the 2008 season.
The Phoenix Suns will still run the pick-and-roll with Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire, but they would also play defense. A defensive minded Phoenix Suns coached by Avery Johnson matching up against the San Antonio Spurs could be the Suns only chance of getting to the NBA Finals.
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