By MARC BERMAN
Last updated: 7:27 am
July 23, 2008
Posted: 3:11 am
July 23, 2008
Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni switched rooms at the luxurious Wynn Hotel on the Las Vegas strip Monday morning, moving from one wing to another, from one basketball universe to another.
From guiding the Knicks' summer-league team to helping pilot the U.S. Olympic team, D'Antoni's exhausting offseason continues.
"When you're excited about something, it's not really work," D'Antoni told The Post yesterday. "I'm with the best team in the world. The only time I get tired is if your team is not exciting. I'm in two great situations right now."
With D'Antoni just having sold his house in Phoenix and still looking to set up roots in Westchester, he now will be with Team USA as an assistant coach until - he hopes - after the gold-medal game in Beijing deep into August.
He goes from coaching Renaldo Balkman and Mardy Collins to LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
"I'll be back around Aug. 25," D'Antoni told The Post. "If I'm back before that, you can throw me in the Hudson River."
Knicks fans will want to throw D'Antoni into the Hudson if the club posts another 23-59 record. Summer league was a mixed bag. Second-year forward Wilson Chandler looked excellent and the Knicks discovered a new sharpshooter in Anthony Roberson, to whom they have given a guaranteed contract.
But 6-10 rookie Danilo Gallinari put a damper on the week when the Italian Stallion showed tons of offensive talent but a lack of durability in suffering a back injury in the opener and missing the final four games.
"I hated that," D'Antoni said. "He's the biggest reason why you have summer league. I'm glad I got to watch Chandler. Roberson I think will be a nice spot player. But it was a disappointment Danilo didn't play more. We did get to watch him in practice three days and play one game. But he was bored. He wanted to play."
Team USA began training camp Monday at Vegas' Valley High and leaves Saturday for China, where it will play a handful of exhibitions before opening up Aug. 10.
