GAME 36: DAL (19-17) @ OKC (16-21) | 108-115 loss

[KillerLeft]

RC is a veteran coach who likes veteran players.  Maybe it is the old veteran coach having probable's relating.  Heck, even our team shrink is an old veteran.

I see this opinion here often. It's quite popular, but I've never bought it, personally. I think developing young players is a specific strength of Carlisle's, though doing it the "right" way results in a frustrating lack of transparency for we, the fans. I could write 5,000 words on this topic (and have tried before) because it's fascinating to me. The "tl;dr" version is: just because we, the fans aren't afforded the opportunity to SEE the development in games doesn't mean that Carlisle and his staff aren't quite focused on developing them. 

I actually think holding them back from games until they're ready is beneficial to their trajectories in some cases. A) They learn that they must approach their careers the right way to earn time (more than half the battle, I'd bet) and B) it saves them from losing confidence by failing thoroughly in front of a live and tv audience. There's a time when that type of failure can be the best teacher, but I don't know that everyone is ready to learn those lessons immediately in year one. 

Further, Carlisle has always had the unenviable task of not (intentionally) allowing the team's level of play to hit rock bottom while developing said players, and at times is expected to vastly overachieve while doing so. It's a tightrope. Let's not pretend it's easy. 

Every time a player must be played out of the gate, whether by merit (Luka, Brunson) or because ready or not, the organization needs them to play in order to move forward (DSJ), Carlisle makes it work. 

I see that DSJ was growing here until he got in his own way. I see how he then was moved to a bottom dwelling team who absolutely SHOULD have leaned into allowing him to take the reigns and fail in order to learn, only NY didn't allow that. They benched his ass to an extreme degree. I read how Crowder and others credit Carlisle with teaching them things that have quite literally allowed them to have careers. I see how young lottery busts, like Brandan Wright, Aminu, WCS and others come here and seem to have completely resurrected their careers, only to fall away again (in some cases) once they leave. I see how undrafted "trash" like DFS and Kleber are rewarded for their strong work by becoming usable, above average role players here. I could go on and on. 


I just don't buy the "he won't develop young guys" stuff. I don't think less of those who do, but it has just never rung true to me. 

Maybe I'm over reacting.  I tend to do that after a loss.

We all are, and we all do. Losing sucks. Hopefully, my devil's advocate doesn't give the impression that I don't value your perspective, or that of others.