Posts tagged RickCarlisle at FanHouse

In February, Devean George blocked the Mavericks' first attempt to save themselves from acquire Jason Kidd. He knew the decision would be unpopular -- fans in Dallas booed him during his first appearance after the trade fell through -- but he was content "being the bad guy" while exercising his contractual rights as a soon-to-be restricted free agent who'd be losing his Bird rights.

Considering the whole debacle (and that the re-worked trade for Kidd not involving George cost Mark Cuban an extra $11 million), it seemed a foregone conclusion that George would be given the boot this summer. Instead, it's the exact opposite. From Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News:

George and the Mavericks reached an agreement Wednesday on a new, two-year contract worth about $4 million, according to George's agent, Mark Bartelstein. Bartelstein said the deal includes an option for George to return to free agency after next season.

"He's excited about returning to the Mavericks," Bartelstein said. "He's excited about playing for [new coach] Rick Carlisle. Rick made a great impression on him and came to visit him a couple of times."

I admit, I'm more than a little surprised that the Mavs wanted George back, and not only because of any lingering feelings of resentment about the botched trade. The fact is, George is woefully unproductive. He averaged just 3.7 points and 2.6 boards in 15.5 minutes per game. Looking at his stats independent of playing time, he posted a paltry 7.06 PER, far below the league average PER of 15.0 and ranking 312th in the entire league. And yet, for some reason, the Mavs not only kept him but also gave him the option to decide how long he wants to stay. Brilliant.

Next to Devin Harris, center DeSagana Diop was the clear #2 most valuable asset Dallas sent away to New Jersey in the midseason acquisition of Jason Kidd. He was the best defender the Mavericks had at a key defensive position. Surely, we would have helped some in rejecting the advances of David West and Tyson Chandler in Dallas' five-game first-round loss to New Orleans. He wouldn't have flipped the series -- but he would have helped.

Apparently, the Mavericks think so too, as the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reports Diop has reached a five-year deal with Dallas for the full mid-level. That will take DeSagana right through his prime (he's 26), and could leave Dallas with one of the best defenders in the league at center, which seems important as Andrew Bynum, Amare Stoudemire, Al Jefferson, and Greg Oden hang around the West.

The key question, one partially answered by the signing: how will Rick Carlisle use Diop? In three seasons under Avery Johnson, Diop averaged no more than 18 minutes a game. You might blame foul trouble, but Diop recorded only 1.9 fouls per game this season in his 17 minutes with Dallas.

Johnson is (was?) a notorious micro-manager, and his constant in-game substitutions always offered an opportunity for jokes for road crowds. Diop's never going to be even so good as a Dikembe Mutombo on offense, but with a steady diet of minutes, he could at least become a Mark Eaton type anchor through his prime.

Crystal Ballin' takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.

The Mavericks were caught trying to keep up with the Suns' and Lakers' roster changes in the West, but their trade for Jason Kidd seemed to be a step in the wrong direction. Thanks to that trade, the Mavs don't have a first round pick this year, so any help will have to come via some more trades (gulp.)

Picks: #51.

Needs: Size and athleticism, at either the center or the power forward spot. Quickness to spell Jason Kidd at the point.

Best case scenario: Rick Carlisle installs a new offense that will take advantage of Kidd's play-making skills, and the talents of Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard are showcased as well.

Southwest Kia has a very nice interview with Josh Howard, who made some late season noise when ESPN decided that his marijuana smoking admission was "news". But hey, when you wield the biggest media sword, that's your prerogative. So you had to see this interview, in which Howard sits down in a friendly venue and speaks at length about his offseason and the lessons he learned, kind of coming. Still, good stuff.

Highlights include: Howard admitting he learned "not to be brutally honest" (3:10), how to deal with the negativity (4:25), David Stern accepting his apology for the marijuana comments (6:11), how Rick Carlisle brings a "new energy" to the Mavericks (7:26) and the fact that he's a big fan of The Wire (8:50).

Most of the talk about the marijuana issue kicks in about 5:30 through the interview.



Big Ups to Odenized for the find.

So it has come to this. Two years removed from an appearance in the Western Conference Finals, the Suns are now examining Lakers and mustache/glass combo legend Kurt Rambis (first reported here and then by ESPN.com) and former Bucks coach and current Pistons assistant coach Terry Porter for their now vacant head coaching position.

Not Avery Johnson, not Rick Carlisle, not Larry Brown. Two assistant coaches who were replaced in their last head coaching jobs. This is the future of the Phoenix Suns. And this after trying so hard to "make an impact" with the trade for Shaquille O'Neal. My how the mighty have fallen.

Now, getting past the obvious lack of star power, these choices actually aren't that bad. They're pretty solid, actually. Rambis is well liked by players, and had some success in the strike-shortened 1999 season. Porter is the much more interesting choice, having coached a severely undermanned Bucks team to the playoffs, and having worked extensively in Detroit. There's been a lot of talk about the Suns trying to become more "Spus-like"(maybe without the elder power forward eliminating key players) with defense and poise. But taking a more "Pistons-like" approach may be the wiser option. Teaching consistent defense mixed with an efficient offense may be a winning combination if a coach like Porter can keep their egos in check.

Rick Carlisle was asked in a Dallas radio interview this week if he'd ever consider a reunion with Ron Artest, and he wasn't able to hide his enthusiasm about the idea. Tim McMahon of the Dallas Morning News transcribed Carlisle's thoughts:

"Of course," said Carlisle, who coached Artest in Indiana. "This guy is one of the real difference-makers that we have in this league. He's had one all-star year; that's when he played for me. I've had a chance to reconnect with Ronnie a couple times over the last couple of years. I love him and I love his family, so yeah. This guy was one of the most physical, intimidating players that I've ever seen at the small forward position, so he'd be a player that any team would want to have."

Now that Carlisle has left his gig as an ESPN analyst and is once again gainfully employed by an NBA team, someone might want to remind him that he doesn't have to say exactly what's on his mind all of the time. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if Carlisle isn't guilty of tampering, he's certainly toeing the line.

According to a report by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Dallas Mavericks have their man. The paper is reporting that a verbal deal is in place with Rick Carlisle to become the new head coach of the Mavericks. It will be his third head coaching job in the NBA, this time succeeding Avery Johnson who was fired after another disappointing first round exit.

The deal outlined by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram by a source close to the situation is a four year contract that will pay Carlisle a little over $4 million per year, which, if you're keeping score at home, is more than Johnson made. Carlisle has long been considered the front runner for the deal, and today was the expected day of deliverance. He brings with him a 281-211 lifetime coaching record, and a .484 playoff career winning percentage.

Known for coaching a balanced offense-defense philosophy and a strict offensive structure, Carlisle's first priority will be to form some sort of cohesion from the semi-chaotic-chaotic mess the Mavericks devolved into at times after the acquisition of Jason Kidd. Figuring out what to do with Josh Howard after his comments regarding offseason drug use and late-year shooting slump might also be up there. Either way, Mark Cuban got the guy he wanted, the Mavericks have a new head coach, and it's Rick Carlisle.

Rick Carlisle isn't officially the next head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, but if you believe his agent, that's pretty much just a technicality. From the Jeff Caplan in Ft. Worth Star Telegram:

"A lot of this is about finding your fit," said agent Warren LeGarie, who is working in Greece. "With Donnie [Nelson] and Mark [Cuban], I think Rick has found a fit."

Nelson, the Mavs' president of basketball operations, reiterated Tuesday night that negotiations are moving forward and that he was optimistic Carlisle would soon be the ninth head coach in Mavs history.

The Dallas Morning News reports that LeGarie, who also represents Mike D'Antoni, has returned from Europe to continue negotiations. Both of these reports jive with the lastes from ESPN's Marc Stein, who cites sources calling a four-year contract a "done deal" and says Carlisle could be officially introduced Friday or Monday.

Carlisle has taken his team to the playoffs in five of his six years coaching, including getting past the first round (a problem for the Mavs in recent years) four times. As my colleague Tom Ziller pointed out, Carlisle isn't exactly known for his offensive acumen, but as I see it a defensive specialist may be able to make more of an impact in a conference that boasts five teams that averaged at least 105 points a game.

Not so fast, Mark Jackson. New York Knicks team president Donnie Walsh is scheduled to meet with Avery Johnson today to discuss the team's current opening for a head coach. As you may recall, Mark Jackson -- the guy with zero previous coaching experience -- was for some reason the leading candidate for the job not too long ago, but wisely, the team is now exploring all of their options.

Walsh has recently met with (still current!) Suns' head coach Mike D'Antoni, as well as Rick Carlisle (frontrunner for the Mavs' job). I'm not sold on Carlisle, but honestly, D'Antoni and Johnson would both be fantastic choices for the job.

It's not like these two coaches are coming off of losing seasons, or have a history of not being able to perform. In fact, it's just the opposite. Both coaches are coming off of 50+ win seasons, and if not for stupid, panicky mid-season trades, either team could have potentially gone much further in the playoffs. The Knicks would do well to hire either of these two for the position, although based on the current talent on the roster (which the new coach will be stuck with for a while), it would seem that Avery Johnson would be a better fit at the moment.

There's a report this morning -- backed up by an NBA TV talking head last night -- saying Rick Carlisle has been chosen as the next coach of the Dallas Mavericks. We'd accept this as fact if the source weren't Peter Vescey, who in the past week has retracted a column and errantly reported Derrick Coleman needs a heart transplant.

Vescey reports in the New York Post that Carlisle has interviewed with the Knicks on Wednesday, but has since wowed Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson down in Big D. Vescey parroted the same report on NBA TV's postgame festivities last night (via HoopsHype). ESPN.com's Marc Stein (the most plugged-in national reporter when it comes to Dallas) offers Carlisle only as a favorite in the job hunt, one of five candidates Cuban will consider. The Dallas Morning News, for its part, have nothing on the potential hire.

My only concern for the Mavs here: You need some creativity on offense, right? You need a coach who will, at the very least, turn the reins over to Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki and let the points fly, yes? Carlisle spent four seasons in Indiana; here are the Pacers' ranks in leaguewide offensive efficiency each of those seasons, chronologically: 9th, 18th, 21st, 30th. Yep, worst offense in the league in 2006-07. What did Jim O'Brien do with basically the same roster in 2007-08? 19th in the league.

Carlisle can coach defense, and he's not likely to grate on Kidd like Avery Johnson did. But this sure as heck doesn't seem like your typical magical elixir.