Fans of basketball may be locked in on the NBA playoffs, but for USA Basketball Director Jerry Colangelo, it is never too early to start thinking about the next Olympics. Word on the street is he plans for New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni to take over Team USA if Mike Krzyzewski decides not to come back.
Coach K, who guided the US to gold in Beijing last year after the 2004 squad brought home the bronze, has said his status as coach for the next Olympics is yet to be determined and that he would be comfortable coming back in a different role. Krzyzewski has publicly stated before that while he loved his experience on the international stage, it did take a lot out of him.
The US players thrived under the 62-year-old Krzyzewki, but the transition to D’Antoni would probably be smooth considering he served as an assistant during the team’s time in China and is widely regarded as a players coach. He also has strong relationships with many of the players that would be in contention for one of the 12 final roster spots, such as 2008 gold medalists Lebron James and Kobe Bryant.
D’Antoni seems to be a great fit — the players love him and he has coached overseas before — but I remain skeptical over the potential move. For one, I wonder how well his “seven seconds or less offense” would work at the Olympic level. I’m also curious how well he can command the respect of the NBA’s best players. It is one thing for a player to like a coach. It is something else for a player to accept (and embrace) criticism from one. Coaching a team with that much talent is as much about managing egos and touches as it is drawing up X’s and O’s.
What do you think? Do you want coach K to return? If he doesn’t, who would you like to see roaming the sidelines?
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