Mike D’Antoni Interview

Recently the new head coach of the Knicks, Mike D’Antoni, sat down for an interview with NYKnicks.com.  You can read my take on the hire of Coach D’Antoni here.  

Here are some of the interesting things that he had to say:

NYKnicks.com: When you first got hired, you said one of the main reasons you decided to come to the Knicks was the opportunity to work with Donnie Walsh. How has that relationship been working out for the last few months? 

D’Antoni: It’s been great. He’s a good guy, and he’s fun to be around first of all. You know, he’s one of the best (executives) in the league, and just the day-to-day relationship we have with each other, it makes it very comfortable to work. 

NYKnicks.com: Let’s name a few players on the roster, and if you can just say the first thing that pops into your mind, starting with Quentin Richardson, whom you already know from having coached him in Phoenix. 

D’Antoni: He’s a guy you want to go to battle with. He comes up with big plays. 

NYKnicks.com: How about Jamal Crawford? 

D’Antoni: He’s a very, very talented basketball player. 

NYKnicks.com: Eddy Curry? 

D’Antoni: Big. He’s one of the better centers in the league. 

NYKnicks.com: Nate Robinson? 

D’Antoni: Nate … He’s fun to watch. Very exciting. And an unbelievable talent. 

NYKnicks.com: David Lee? 

D’Antoni: He works hard. He’s everybody’s favorite … and he’s definitely a coach’s favorite. 

NYKnicks.com: Zach Randolph? 

D’Antoni: Zach is a 20-10 guy who is one of the two or three guys in the league that can do it. 

NYKnicks.com: How about Wilson Chandler? He’s a player you might not have known a lot about before you came over here. 

D’Antoni: He’s got unbelievable potential. The same with (Danilo) Gallinari. He also has unbelievable talent and can really make others around him better. 

NYKnicks.com: Is there anybody who has surprised you so far from what you’ve seen? 

D’Antoni: Jared Jeffries. He’s surprised me. He’s been a lot better than I thought. 

NYKnicks.com: When training camp starts next week, what are some of the things you are looking to establish? 

D’Antoni: Um, running. Playing together. Just doing the right thing and see where we are and where we can go. I’m excited to get on the road and see the direction where we all want to go to. 

NYKnicks.com: We have been asking players this question, so we’ll put it to you, too: If you have one thing you want to tell the fans about the Knicks this year, one single message, what is it you want to tell them? 

D’Antoni: That we’re going to be exciting. We’re going to be a lot of fun to watch.

You can read the entire interview here.