Mike D'Antoni spent the summer pouring over game tapes of the Knicks' 23-win season last year, a task no one would wish on his worst enemy.
The fact that the Knicks' new coach isn't already working on an exit strategy and that he still intends to show up for work on Tuesday when training camp opens at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs is an encouraging sign. But who's to say there haven't been moments of self-doubt for the former coach of the year.
When D'Antoni was asked Friday if, during the Olympics in Beijing, his mind wandered to the job that awaits him in New York, he replied: "Yeah, you mean when I was on top of the Great Wall ready to jump off?"
D'Antoni's decision to leave Steve Nash for Stephon Marbury and Amare Stoudemire for Eddy Curry was made easier by the lucrative contract he received to become the Knicks' fourth coach in five seasons. Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas also were paid a king's ransom to revive the Knicks and none produced so much as a .500 record.
D'Antoni is walking into a similar quagmire. The Knicks lack a true superstar and/or leader. Their two best big men, Curry and Zach Randolph, are one-dimensional players who don't complement one another. Assuming Marbury is traded or released, the opening-night point guard will be either Chris Duhon or Jamal Crawford. There are strong indications that injured first-round pick Danilo Gallinari will not be much of a factor this season.
The same is likely true of the Knicks in the Eastern Conference.
"He'll make it better than I think most coaches would right now," Donnie Walsh says. "But with the right players, I know this guy will deliver."
Walsh, the Knicks' president, and D'Antoni are stressing patience and pointing to the summer of 2010, when the club could be under the salary cap to make a run at LeBron James or Dwyane Wade. The NBA is still a players' league and until Walsh upgrades the talent, the Knicks are doomed. D'Antoni averaged 58 wins in his last four seasons with the Suns and with Nash as his point guard. Before D'Antoni had Nash, he went 14-36 with Denver and 21-40 with Phoenix.
While Walsh rebuilds the roster, D'Antoni will have to make the most of a team that is forward-heavy and shooting-deficient. On Friday, D'Antoni hinted that Wilson Chandler, Thomas' 2007 first-round pick, may play a significant role this year. Meanwhile, Jared Jeffries could become the Knicks' version of Boris Diaw, a versatile big man who may see some minutes at center. Quentin Richardson, who flourished under D'Antoni in Phoenix, has dropped 20 pounds and is back in the team's plans.
D'Antoni says the Knicks will be a running team, which is a style most players say they enjoy until they realize you actually have to run. It is an entertaining style but no one ever runs to the NBA title. Defense still wins and throughout his informal 30-minute interview on Friday at the Garden, D'Antoni never mentioned defense once.
Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson and David Lee have the physical tools and the right attitude to play in D'Antoni's system. Of course, Robinson and Lee are due for contract extensions and if no deals are reached by opening night, you wonder what impact that may have on two young players.
As always, there are more questions than answers about the Knicks, who haven't won a playoff game since 2001. Walsh knows he has a long way to go but he is sure about one thing - his head coach.
"I've bought Mike D'Antoni," Walsh says. "I'm convinced about him."
