Denver could suit D’Antoni perfectly…
Former Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni would reportedly be interested in taking the Denver Nuggets job after Brian Shaw was fired on Tuesday.
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Denver are currently 21-39 for the season and their poor form ultimately cost Shaw his job this week, although they got an immediate reaction after his departure with a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.
Nevertheless, problems on and off the court which included an inability to get the best out of his players saw Shaw lose his job, and the Nuggets will now begin the search for a replacement.
D’Antoni has history with Denver given that it was where he had his first head-coach job in the NBA, and he has previously been linked with the role this season.
A return to the Nuggets would make sense for the experienced coach given that he would have a group of players on the roster that would suit his up-tempo playing style. Point guard Ty Lawson is almost perfect to run the offense, while the likes of Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried would all benefit from his arrival.
However, there are still question marks over D’Antoni defensively, and given that the Nuggets are already one of the worst defensive units in the league, the front office may well consider that when making their next appointment.
While the former New York Knicks coach is certainly a candidate, there is likely to be a number of contenders for the position in the coming months as Denver have insisted that they will be looking to make an appointment that will be a long-term solution to their problems.
With Brian Shaw out in Denver, I’m told Mike D’Antoni would definitely have interest in the job.
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) March 3, 2015
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