After Kenny Atkinson at the end of last week, the Hornets will now meet Mike D’Antoni if we are to believe the Woj. The second “runner-up” for the position of coach in Charlotte will also have the right to shake hands with Michael Jordan, owner of the franchise. However, it will be necessary to be convincing if Mike wants to seduce Mike.
An hour of preparation in the bathroom, and that’s the minimum. When Michael Jordan wants to talk to you, we don’t skimp on the desire to arrive perfectly presentable. No question of having a rebellious wick or the beginning of a halo under the arms, eh. We don’t worry regarding Mike D’Antoni who must know all that. Yes, because the ex-Rockets technician would probably like to find a bench as head coach. As a reminder, following four seasons in Houston (2016 to 2020), the gentleman leaves his post. The failure is hard, having failed to make this talented group led by James Harden an NBA champion, the fault of the Warriors and then the Lakers. However, there was no question of dropping the case, he went to Brooklyn to assist Steve Nash, his former player at the time Suns. It’s still moving towards the Bayou and the Pelicans, for a new mission as special adviser to Willie Green. And when James Borrego is fired from Charlotte, Mike’s flair of course makes him immediately smell the good vein. Young team, present talent. There are things to build and accomplish.
As the franchise’s coaching search nears an end, the Charlotte Hornets are set to bring Mike D’Antoni to meet with owner Michael Jordan later this week, sources tell ESPN. D’Antoni will follow Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson, who’s expected to meet with Jordan on Tuesday.
– Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 6, 2022
Will Mike’s style match Charlotte’s band? On paper, the fit is pretty clear. We are talking regarding small ball, quick possessions, spectacle. For that, Miles Bridges is of course a big asset, but especially the point guard LaMelo Ball who is obviously at the head of it all. We know what MDA did with Steve Nash and James Harden, we imagine that Michael Jordan knows it too. But despite this argument on the Pringles file, the latter will have to bring others to convince MJ. We can see D’Antoni showing up with his systems and maybe a list of players to recruit. His CV is obviously far from being that of a novice, but that of his competitor Kenny was well illuminated with a remarkable passage on the side of the Nets. In any case, the objective for Charlotte is to take a step forward and push this team to the Playoffs. It’s not missing much, but that means it’s still missing a bit. Fewer slack shots on a regular basis, more consistency, more solidity in important moments, more defense too. Not sure that Mike D’Antoni is best placed to correct this last point, but he knows the path to the Playoffs and has the experience of many seasons. A significant advantage over its competitor, who has only tasted the NBA postseason once.
He is one of the masters of a game philosophy – the small ball – which has proven itself for nearly twenty years in the NBA. We hope that the speech for Jordan is ready, there will be no room for error. In any case, there is no doubt that with Mike D’Antoni’s desire to regain control of a team, the work will be done on his side to be convincing.
Source texte : ESPN
