Magic Johnson On Mike D’Antoni: ‘He’s Got To Be Coach Of The Year’
Magic Johnson On Mike D’antoni: ‘he’s Got To Be Coach Of The Year’
Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

Mike D’Antoni is a pretty polarizing figure. He had great success as head coach of the Phoenix Suns and helped revolutionize the NBA game. His time as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, however, were far less successful.

When he was hired to take over the Houston Rockets, no one was quite sure what to expect, but it has been excellent for both him and the Rockets. With the season winding down, most consider Mike D’Antoni the front-runner for the NBA Coach of the Year Award.

Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson had been critical of D’Antoni in the past, but he was clear in saying that the former Lakers coach should win Coach of the Year this season, via Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston:

D’Antoni’s system has turned James Harden into one of the frontrunners for MVP along with Russell Westbrook. The Rockets also brought in perfect additions for D’Antoni in players like Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson as well as trading for Lou Williams at the NBA trade deadline. He has done an excellent job at getting everyone to buy in as the Rockets rank second in the NBA in points per game and offensive rating.

Along with D’Antoni, Scott Brooks of the Washington Wizards, Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz, and Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat are sure to get some love for the award as well.

Magic, and general manager Rob Pelinka, both believe the Lakers have a future candidate for the award in Luke Walton though the Lakers have a long way to go before Walton could ever be considered.

You May Also Like

Mitch Kupchak Discusses Lakers Intentions With Andrew Bynum

During Mitch Kupchak’s press conference following team exit interviews Wednesday at the…

Luke Walton Explains How Lakers Turned 2017-18 Season Around

The Los Angeles Lakers looked to be dead in the water earlier this season. Head coach Luke Walton had coached…

Stanley Johnson Says Younger Players Receiving More Minutes Causes ‘No Animosity’ With Lakers Veterans

The Los Angeles Lakers have been constantly changing their rotation in 2021-22, forcing the players to adapt to rapidly changing roles…

Lakers News: Kawhi Leonard’s Uncle Addresses Impending Free Agency With Raptors Before 2019 NBA Finals Vs. Warriors

Kawhi Leonard’s impending free agency with the Toronto Raptors and his ties to the Los Angeles Lakers will be one of the…