This is a fantastic article that really highlights the pervasive dysfunction in DAL the last three years. It very fairly paints the picture and does not scapegoat any single individual.
My big take away: Cuban, RC, Donnie, and Luka ALL played a very significant role in the madness recently in the Mavericks organization. Every one of them is very guilty in this and every one of them was also right in their own way as well. RC and Donnie are gone...Luka and Cuban need to do their part to learn from this drama and fix their part in making the organization more functional.
https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/3286...-mavericks
My 2 cents…
Is the stuff in this article true? Idk.
What I do know is that RC got the most out of our shit rosters year after year.
I also know that the media hates him and he would never get a fair shake from MacDouche.
Also just saw Dennis’ tweet about the article being accurate
Some people around here don't like Tim because he skews towards looking for the negative sometimes. But he's a real live actual journalist/reporter. He uses sources and gets stories. I think he actually does a good job of not mxing his own editorializing in to a story, unlike Cato. Cato almost always mixes the two.
The real question is: Where do we find this mythical coach who the players like, who also can win us games?
(12-15-2021, 11:41 AM)fifteenth Wrote: [ -> ]Some people around here don't like Tim because he skews towards looking for the negative sometimes. But he's a real live actual journalist/reporter. He uses sources and gets stories. I think he actually does a good job of not mxing his own editorializing in to a story than Cato does. Cato almost always mixes the two.
MacMahon is actually damn good at what he does. That was fantastic journalism in that article. Nuanced and balanced while unearthing things we had no clear picture of.
Honestly, I enjoyed the read. I've always thought Carlisle was disliked by his players, but that it didn't really matter since they all played hard. Seems like Carlisle's schtick got old as soon as Dirk's locker room stabilizing presence left.
Reading how he treated DSJ makes me think did RC purposely sabotage him in order to justify benching him so that he could put Luka in full control?
In any case, I hope the Mavs as a franchise can just move on from this. Last 3 years have been a shit show. Cuban is a buffoon.
Nothing completly new but with every report and the resulting reactions from the involved parties we are getting a clearer picture of the complete mess the Mavs used to be (still are?). It is the entire organization. Top to bottom. Non basketball related managemant positions. Front office (MBT). Locker room. One thing that connects them all. A complete lack fo accountability.
Most interesting news for me. RC wanted Mitchell. If that is true I wonder how moch power he actually had when it comes to roster decisions. Adding the information from the Shedd interview it seems like the coaching staff wasn´t involved at all. Now we get another example of RC not getting the player he wanted (something that happened before, for example Rondo trade). How often did this happen?
(12-15-2021, 12:00 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: [ -> ]Most interesting news for me. RC wanted Mitchell. If that is true I wonder how moch power he actually had when it comes to roster decisions. Adding the information from the Shedd interview it seems like the coaching staff wasn´t involved at all. Now we get another example of RC not getting the player he wanted (something that happened before, for example Rondo trade). How often did this happen?
I am pulling a blank right now, but we also had the recent(ish) report that Donnie had to fight to get his way on draft night and one specific story of him having to say a guy's name over and over and over just to get his way. Does anyone remember the specifics on this?
(12-15-2021, 12:00 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: [ -> ]One thing that connects them all. A complete lack fo accountability.
Yep. The "President of Basketball Operations" sure as hell was not acting as such. And the owner over it all let a lame duck "president" reside for WAY too long.
(12-15-2021, 11:41 AM)fifteenth Wrote: [ -> ]Some people around here don't like Tim because he skews towards looking for the negative sometimes. But he's a real live actual journalist/reporter. He uses sources and gets stories. I think he actually does a good job of not mxing his own editorializing in to a story than Cato does. Cato almost always mixes the two.
My only resentment is, that this story is published half a year after RC, a Dallas coach for 13 years, left Mavs. I don't consider this as something really worth praising. A good journalist would come to this story during those 13 years, imho. Cato at least published his piece while Donnie and RC were both still with Mavs. As far as what was really going on we will never be able to fully understand as we always get just fragments leaving a lot to individual interpretation.
It might be fair to note that RC was actually pretty much spot on with assessment of the players mentioned. I think a lot of disagreements come from different viewpoints of the coach and player about his ability and role. I think RC was very good at assessing best roles for players.
Main take - Mavs hate Luka as they immediately trade/cut any player he becomes friend with. Smith, Mejri and Barea, only Boban somehow manages to fly under the radar. I guess everyone is too scared of his size
Doncic stood up for DSJ so its a good reflection on him. Carlisle was a tough grinding coach. That was a concern before he was hired. However that hard ass approach resulted in a lot of wins and a championship. However right now everyone is complaining about this team due to the subpar record, but they will get much better as they did last year. No way can Doncic play at his current physical condition.
Good article, but not surpising and only a few new tidbits. I wouldn't put up with Rick's style in my profession, but I've always thought that it was kind of accepted in sports. But things are changing, and I think for the better. It would be a good thing for coaches to move away from bully tactics.
I agree with the "no accountability" comment from above. It was a free-for-all with each individual having to carve out space for himself. The most glaring thing about Donnie is that he's not a part of the story. A real leader should be aware of what's going on and have the ability to manage it.
Before Nico and Kidd, Cuban undercut Donnie, but then didn't manage the people that Donnie was supposed to manage (not defending Donnie). The only thing that can make things better is for Cuban NOT to do that to Nico. Cuban has to empower Nico and Nico has to manage his team, otherwise it's chaos, just like it has been.
(12-15-2021, 12:15 PM)omahen Wrote: [ -> ]It might be fair to note that RC was actually pretty much spot on with assessment of the players mentioned. I think a lot of disagreements come from different viewpoints of the coach and player about his ability and role. I think RC was very good at assessing best roles for players.
I am a big RC fan but it is hard to ignore the importance of people skills. Every report confirmed or even strengthened my opinion that he is one of the greatest basketball minds that ever coached in the NBA. But they also highlight that he lost the connection to the locker room. Something that probably wasn´t his strong suit to begin with. Amplified by the loss of veteran leaders like Dirk and JJB.
I wonder if a transition to a front office position would have been an option for him?
(12-15-2021, 11:57 AM)SleepingHero Wrote: [ -> ]Reading how he treated DSJ makes me think did RC purposely sabotage him in order to justify benching him so that he could put Luka in full control?
I don't think he sabotaged him. I think he just didn't like his game and wasn't able to fully get DSJ to do what was needed for him to be a legit partner with Luka. Sounds like if you're not useful to Rick, there is a chance you're treated poorly.
The "you're jealous of Luka" comment, in front of the team, is really bad form. Hated to hear that.
I'm a fan of Rick, but I don't like the bully tactics.
(12-15-2021, 12:00 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: [ -> ]Most interesting news for me. RC wanted Mitchell.
Man, that would have been nice! Especially if we were still able to get Luka the next draft.
(12-15-2021, 12:38 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: [ -> ]I am a big RC fan but it is hard to ignore the importance of people skills. Every report confirmed or even strengthened my opinion that he is one of the greatest basketball minds that ever coached in the NBA. But they also highlight that he lost the connection to the locker room. Something that probably wasn´t his strong suit to begin with. Amplified by the loss of veteran leaders like Dirk and JJB.
I think it has more to do with the fact, that 13 years is a long time and people get tired of eachother. I think the situation was far from black and white as some could understand it from the piece. If he was such a complete ass, he would not have success in Indiana, Detroit and Dallas and he would not last 13 years in Dallas.
But it is also true that times change and perhaps stuff that worked with the "old guys" just doesn't work with the "new generation".
(12-15-2021, 12:36 PM)fifteenth Wrote: [ -> ]I wouldn't put up with Rick's style in my profession, but I've always thought that it was kind of accepted in sports
It used to work for some of the most dominant sport teams of the last 20 years. But it always involved a star player that was willing to deal with it for the sake of winning. For example Brady in NE or Duncan in SA.
(12-15-2021, 12:48 PM)dirkfansince1998 Wrote: [ -> ]But it always involved a star player that was willing to deal with it for the sake fo winning. For example Brady in NE or Duncan in SA.
It is one thing to be the star player and put up with the toughness and roughness of a coach yourself...it is another to be the star player and watch the coach belittle and torment those on the bottom of the rung. Totally different.
So if this article is true then DSJ and Luka didn’t have any issues with each other. So then what led to the Barnes, Matthews, VAJ freeze out of Luka? Because I thought it was all over the fact that they thought DSJ should be the number one option. So maybe those three were just pricks?
(12-15-2021, 12:56 PM)Kammrath Wrote: [ -> ]It is one thing to be the star player and put up with the toughness and roughness of a coach yourself...it is another to be the star player and watch the coach belittle and torment those on the bottom of the rung. Totally different.
The bottom rung players were who Jimmie Johnson belittled. Once upon a time it was "the way things are" with coaches.
(12-15-2021, 12:59 PM)BasketballJones41 Wrote: [ -> ]So then what led to the Barnes, Matthews, VAJ freeze out of Luka?
I think it was more that the vets didn't want to follow, or defer to, a rookie.