06-26-2021, 10:45 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-26-2021, 11:14 PM by KillerLeft.)
(06-26-2021, 10:11 PM)Scott41theMavs Wrote: KL, for the record, I believe RC is one of the five best X's-and-O's coaches in the NBA right now (vs. someone like Barlettbear, for whom the gross majority of his critiques of Rick were over those issues). I also believe that he's as poor at player development and being a player's coach as Rivers is at the X's-and-O's, so it balances out.
There's no reason to engage on this. I have moved past caring whether or not people agree with me on this, particular topic. I have realized that my professional experiences have put me in a specific head space to appreciate things about Carlisle that other people might not value as much, while simultaneously leaving me desensitized to other things about him that some find repulsive, apparently.
But, I'll try to close out my lifespan on this topic as clearly as possible.
For starters, I think the post you wrote before this one is inaccurate. I just don't interpret the "reports" we've read the same way you do, and think you've hyperbolized the conclusion to a hysterical level. However, this is irrelevant to me, even if you're absolutely spot on.
When I look at Carlisle, I just see someone who's better at understanding basketball than other people, knows it, worked hard to become that way and sometimes forgets to be nice to the people while he gets down on their level to explain things he shouldn't have to explain. Literally every single great person in my field is the exact, same way, including those who taught me and made me who I am today. I have spent my entire professional life admiring people like Carlisle and aspiring to be more like them every day. It's not that being short with people is the goal, it's that the actual goals become so important to you that you forget to care how you are coming across, socially. I have students who hate me at first, even some who quit, but those who fight through to the end of the journey usually thank me down the road for the incredible gifts I give them, kind of like you hear about Carlisle from guys like Jalen Rose, Tyson Chandler, Ron Artest, etc.
When a group of people make sacrifices to become a team, well...that means different things to different people. Someone has to be the person for whom NOTHING else matters. Someone who will literally stop at nothing to help the group of people reach a standard that gives them a chance at competitive success. This is a hard, hard life, and it requires a certain type of person.
There's enough smoke about Carlisle's personality rubbing some the wrong way for me to concede that some people don't like him. From my seat, the biggest sin the head coach of a professional basketball team could make is not saying/doing everything they know how to say/do in order to win because they're worried about people not liking them. Some might be able to do the job at an elite level without pissing people off, but to me, the only WRONG thing you can do is lower your standards to avoid conflict. That's a SIN, in a life like this. People are trusting you to prepare them to WIN.
You guys all say he's not a great man - I won't argue anymore. But, Rick Carlisle has never pled guilty to domestic violence (go read that report - it's out there). He has never been charged with a DUI. After BOTH of Kidd's first two stops as a Head Coach, the wreckage left in his wake as far as people not liking him was drastically worse than anything we read about Carlisle's tenure this week. This divorce has been one of the better, more professional ones you'll ever see in pro sports, imo, (credit to Cuban for that, too) with the exception of that "they should hire Kidd" stuff, which I admit was super weird.
Speaking of that incident specifically, I have no idea how to interpret it. I have ideas, but don't know. Maybe it something negotiated between he and Cuban. Maybe it was just him trying to support Kidd. Maybe it was a reverse psychological jab at Luka, setting the bar as high as possible. Maybe it was throwing Mosley under the bus. I have no clue, and it doesn't sound like ANYONE does, really. It's very possible that this was a dick move.
But I'll say this: in my professional past, when people have moved against me, I've done worse. MUCH worse. I play to win, and I don't feel sorry for people who intentionally get in my way. So, if that's what Carlisle did there (which is far from clear, imo), I won't say it's my favorite thing about him, but I also can't say I don't understand it.
The thing that I think is VERY reasonable to hold against Carlisle is the record since 2011...only, I have a very low opinion of the team building during that stretch. Like Donnie, IF the losing wasn't Carlisle's fault, I think it's reasonable to fault him for accepting the situation by staying here for so long. He could've gotten another job at any time, after all. I have a feeling the wish to provide stability for his daughter during her formative years might've been a pretty big factor, but having forgone anything resembling family life myself, I struggle to relate to that thinking, even if I'm aware of its import to other people.
In a way, the fact that Carlisle, with two years of guaranteed money left and the NBA's best young player (who everyone agrees had not asked for him to be fired) decided to end things here on his own terms and go to a situation where he thinks he can make more of a contribution makes me respect him MORE (though as a Mavs fan I had a couple of rough days dealing with him quitting on my team). I think he legitimately believes that this move is better for everyone involved. He manned up and did it.
Like I said. At this point, it's clear that the majority of people here aren't going to get where I'm coming from with this. I have made my peace with that. I probably shouldn't have responded to Kamm's post.