06-18-2021, 10:21 PM
(06-18-2021, 09:54 PM)KillerLeft Wrote: I think Larry Brown is a great comparison for Carlisle.
The difference there, and one that I wish more people appreciated, is that every time Brown got sideways with someone he'd take his toys and bounce. There is NO CHANCE Brown would have stuck it out here through Chandler Parsons, Harrison Barnes, Wes Mathews, Dennis Smith Jr, etc. Carlisle stayed. He didn't have to, and it probably negatively impacted the way people will view him after retirement. Now, I'm not saying that made him a saint or anything, because I'm sure he got something for his sacrifice - his daughter got to live in one place all through school, for one thing. But WE got the benefit of some truly awful rosters being made into mediocre or even mildly good teams, when most any other coach would've delivered something like the 90's Mavs.
100% agree.
Rick is the reason Dirk got a championship and he's the reason Dirk got to enjoy the last decade of his career being competitive and winning games when they shouldn't have been. The championship and what he did for Dirk is legendary. Mark has admitted he messed everything up in the stretch after the title and Carlisle kept Dirk here so we could enjoy him a bit longer. Without Rick, Dirk probably doesn't resign the first time he did after the title. He certainly doesn't the next few times.