Top 5 Mike D’Antoni Coached NBA Teams

1. 2004-05 Phoenix Suns, 62-20

Statistically speaking, the 2004-05 Phoenix Suns were the greatest team Mike D’Antoni ever coached. The squad finished the season at 62-20 with a .756 winning percentage. In that season, Steve Nash won the NBA’s MVP award and led the league in assists with 11.5 a game.

There was no stopping this Suns team on the open floor. Nash worked the offense almost perfectly. The pick-and-roll ran impeccably. Teams had trouble containing the point guard. The Suns finished the season as the best team in the Pacific Division and averaged 110.4 points per game, which was the best in the league.

The Suns were also the best team in the Western Conference–they swept their opening round opponent, the Memphis Grizzlies. In the second round, the Suns faced off with rivals Dallas Mavericks and beat them in six games. It was a hard fought battle, but D’Antoni and Nash pulled away from their foes.

However, all the euphoria came crashing down in the next round when the Suns met the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs were poised to reach the NBA Finals. The Tim Duncan-led Spurs beat the Suns in five games. Even though Phoenix played amazingly in the regular season and the first two rounds of the postseason, the Suns fell to the eventual NBA champions in the Western Conference Finals.

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