Bordow: D’Antoni deserves praise for his work

Saturday was a sad day for the Phoenix Suns. They lost a coach, a system and their identity. And I can’t help but think that in a couple of years, we’re going to miss Mike D’Antoni a lot more than we do today.

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I’m not going to argue with those who believe D’Antoni needed to go. Nor am I going to try to dispel the ridiculous notion that D’Antoni is somehow a coward for taking the Knicks’ job.

If someone truly believes that, well, they won’t listen to reason, anyway.

But I do want to make one point:

D’Antoni didn’t leave because he and general manager Steve Kerr had philosophical differences.

Sure, that was part of it. But the rift between Mike, his brother Dan and the Suns’ front office ran far deeper than most realized.

I pulled Mike D’Antoni aside before Game 3 of the Suns-Spurs series and asked him if he’d like to respond to the criticism that he was being outcoached by San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich. He said, “I don’t want to talk about it,” and walked away.

When I told a Suns front office executive that I thought D’Antoni was upset with me, he said, “At least he’s competing with somebody.”

That kind of behind-the-scenes sniping was happening every day — on both sides. The coaching staff thought assistant general manager Vinny Del Negro and senior vice president of basketball operations David Griffin were undermining D’Antoni’s authority, and the Suns’ front office believed D’Antoni’s stubbornness when it came to his playing rotation was hurting the team.

The relationship between D’Antoni and his bosses was irreparably damaged, and D’Antoni knew it. Even if he ceded to Kerr’s requests — holding Amaré Stoudemire and Leandro Barbosa more accountable, spending more practice time on defense, playing his bench more — he would wonder if he had management’s full support.

So D’Antoni bolted.

He traded a superior team for the chance to make more money and coach without having to look over his shoulder.

Did he make the right decision?

I don’t know.

But I don’t blame him for going.

D’Antoni will be criticized on his way out — some members of the media will want to align themselves with Kerr and owner Robert Sarver — but I would rather thank him.

The Suns finished 29-53 in 2003-2004, the year D’Antoni replaced Frank Johnson as coach. Over the next four full seasons, he won 232 games, three Pacific Division crowns and twice reached the Western Conference finals.

Not only that, D’Antoni started an offensive revolution in the NBA. More and more teams are now playing fast-paced, entertaining basketball, and for that, everyone from commissioner David Stern down to the fan in the last row owes D’Antoni a debt of gratitude.

Did D’Antoni have his shortcomings?

Absolutely. What coach doesn’t?

Did he fail to win a championship?

Sure, although I still believe the Suns would be defending their title now if not for the suspensions last year of Stoudemire and Boris Diaw.

But when you consider D’Antoni’s entire body of work — the record, the accomplishments, making the Valley a Suns town again — how can you not give him what he deserves as he heads to New York.

A standing ovation.