Desert Madness

The media is already running so hard with news of D’Antoni’s imminent demise that I can’t tell if it’s sourced to anything except a huge swell of misplaced conventional wisdom. If D’Antoni and Kerr have philosophical differences they can’t resolve, and Toronto, Chicago, or Dallas really wants a fresh start with a fun-’n’-gun coach, maybe they part ways by mutual agreement, and that makes sense.

But the implication that a total roster overhaul is also in the pipes… huh? Does this Suns’ loss really necessitate blowing up the team? Realistically, I can’t even see how it’s possible. Nash isn’t going anywhere. Shaq is untradeable. And does anyone believe they’re moving Amare? Any other move — like swapping Barbosa for a cheaper veteran — doesn’t really constitute an overhaul.

On top of that, this core had less than half a season to get this new offense running, and even with that the Spurs won in 5 more by fluke than dominance. I just don’t see the need to hit the panic...