Has Carlisle run out of ideas/does he need a mental/physical break?

[Mavs2019]

I have the utmost respect for Carlisle, but I wonder whether the franchise simply needs somebody with fresh ideas and energy.

It was in 2003/2004 that the Carlisle coached Pacers won 61 games. He was coaching against...

Paul Silas
Don Nelson
Larry Brown
Jeff van Gundy
Mike Dunleavy Sr.
Phil Jackson
Stan van Gundy
Flip Saunders
Lenny Wilkens
Jerry Sloan
Rick Adelman

The only two other guys from way back that have been coaching uninterrupted since then have been Pop and Doc.


You see this more often in soccer, where the elite coaches often take a sabbatical/year off between jobs, simply to recover from the huge amount of stress that comes with the job. Might simply be time for Carlisle to take some time off and re-charge his batteries.

Carlisle is 61 years old now. He´s coaching against guys in OKC or Memphis that are 25 years younger.

This is easily the roughest stretch of his Mavs career and I´m not sure he has the energy or connection with the young generation to fix it. I think he´ll "step down" at the end of the year, get the full salary and the Mavs will look for a younger head coach.

[omahen]

Carlisle has been Mavs coach for forever. They had successful last season. Do you really think anyone (Carlisle included) is even considering replacing him after a rough 10 game stretch? Not to mention there are a ton of objective reasons why the stretch was rough.

[Mavs2019]

Carlisle has been Mavs coach for forever. They had successful last season. Do you really think anyone (Carlisle included) is even considering replacing him after a rough 10 game stretch? Not to mention there are a ton of objective reasons why the stretch was rough.

Exactly. Forever.

We´ll see how it goes. We have never had a star player publically call his team mates lazy. We know Carlisle will be pissed off about that. Meanwhile the other star player looks completely lost. If this becomes a power struggle Carlisle can´t win it. Luka ain´t Rondo. Furthermore this time our FO car salesman, who loves his public perception and the idea that he´s the smarest man in the room, won´t escape the national media wrath. They will come for the MBT ineptitude and then the coach is the weakest link.

The way bettors go against the Mavs in every single game clearly points to problems below the surface and beyond the COVID-related physical/rotational problems. They don´t care at all about match-up or anything. They blindly bet against a broken team.

We still had our three best players for most of the last nine games and we look like we cannot even compete with any NBA team.

We got blown out by a Rockets team led by two disabled people. Half of the other 120 minutes went to guys, most casuals, and many hardcore fans have never heard of. Houston wins basketball games with them. We are not just losing.

[omahen]

We have never had a star player publically call his team mates lazy.

He said WE, not "my teammates". It is completely true and the right thing to say. What would you want him to say? That everything is ok?

I don't think you can compare Mavs with Houston. Those guys had a huge chip on their shoulders because of the Harden situation. It really brought them together as a team. But those kind of things have a short term effect. 

IMHO, Mavs biggets problem is the horrible three point percentage. It is devastating for the morale if you can't hit wide open shots. Opposing defenses are just leaving guys like DFS/Green/Iwundu/Johnson wide open and pack the paint, which is frustrating Luka.  Mavs system depends on three pointers and they are dead last in three point percentage. They are shooting 34 % on wide open threes. They were shooting almost 40 percent on that kind of shots last season. Mavs are basically playing 4 on 5 offense.

I think a lot of these is just a slump, lack of confidence. Mavs need a break, a couple of wins and everything will start falling in place.

Sure, Carlisle might fall if Mavs don't make the playoffs. But only in this case.

[SwisherPrice]

RC will be safe for the next 5 years even if they miss the playoffs every year. Donnie too. The MBT is aligned together now, they're like the Jones family with the Cowboys. Cuban doesn't want to do anything without them.

[BigDirk41]

I think RC's future is directly tied to Luka. If Luka wants him gone, he's gone. If Luka wants him as coach, he'll stay coach. Luka is bigger than the entire franchise at this point. The Mavs can't risk losing a generational talent/ mega super star. I personally hope the Mavs turn this around soon because I don't feel like Luka will put up with losing for very long. He's already becoming vocal to the media. That's usually the first step in becoming disgruntled. Let's all hope that doesn't happen.

[F Gump]

This is easily the roughest stretch of his Mavs career

The Mavs have lost a few games in a row, and that means RC is washed and needs to go? Wow. If anything, that's a tribute to RC that expectations for him are so high -- and one reason you don't fire him.

With no team to work with and practice time so limited, the crap results that ensued shouldn't be a surprise. The Mavs upper echelon understands. Too bad you don't.

Total loss of respect for opinions going forward. Sorry, but this is pathetic sauce.

[dirkfansince1998]

This is easily the roughest stretch of his Mavs career and I´m not sure he has the energy or connection with the young generation to fix it. I think he´ll "step down" at the end of the year, get the full salary and the Mavs will look for a younger head coach.

I think people forget that a lot of guys asked for his head prior to the 10/11 season. He also had to coach a team that was build around DSJ/Matthews/Barnes.
Losing streaks happen and right now the Mavs obviously look really bad but I think he gets a lot of input from his younger staff members. It´s not like RC hasn´t adapted to different rules, play styles and rosters. Pistons and Pacers were defensive minded grit and grind teams. In his early days as a Mavs coach the team played a post heavy offense with two 7ft guys on the floor. Now he is all about pace and space in a flow offense. More freedom for his PG. High 3-point volume and no post ups.

It´s not like RC has one prefered scheme that he enforces on all teams he ever coached. That´s what SVG or D´Anthony do.

[Kammrath]

I have never worried about RC and his game knowledge or his overall adaptability as a coach as the game evolves. 

I have always worried most about....

1) ...how he handles players psychologically. 

2) ...his seeming stubbornness and desire to be in control. 


I think one or both of those will be his eventual undoing as a coach.

[dirkfansince1998]

I have never worried about RC and his game knowledge or his overall adaptability as a coach as the game evolves. 

I have always worried most about....

1) ...how he handles players psychologically. 

2) ...his seeming stubbornness and desire to be in control. 


I think one or both of those will be his eventual undoing as a coach.

Just talking about this season it was mentioned multiple times that Luka is getting more freedom to make decisions and call plays. I think RC tries really hard to adjust and give the younger players more freedom.
I wouldn´t be suprised if more RC and less Luka on offense would actually lead to better results. RC constructed league leading offensive lineups without any superstars. The pre Rondo Mavs with Nelson/JJB/Wright. JJB/Devin/Powell. Even last season the Mavs still had a great offense when Luka was on the bench.
Maybe we need a little bit more play/set calling from RC and less from Luka.

[Kammrath]

Just talking about this season it was mentioned multiple times that Luka is getting more freedom to make decisions and call play

No question, I myself have made this observation. I do not think that negates the overall personality traits I see in RC over the years.

I think RC meshes really well with certain players and personalities. Others not well at all. I just think eventually he is going to run into a situation (with Luka?) where it ends up being his undoing. That's all I am saying.

[cow]

I have never worried about RC and his game knowledge or his overall adaptability as a coach as the game evolves. 

I have always worried most about....

1) ...how he handles players psychologically. 

2) ...his seeming stubbornness and desire to be in control. 


I think one or both of those will be his eventual undoing as a coach.

3)  How he develops players.

4)  How he handles integrating acquired players.

Those seem like really big crap shots in the Carlisle era.  And while Carlisle has a lot of warts, I'd rather look our General Manager.  Donnie hits some home runs but he also strikes out a lot.  Our roster construction this year is pitiful.

[Scott41theMavs]

Way up there in my biggest concerns about the Mavs' situation is that, if they decide they need a new coach, who the hell is that? Spoelstra and Stevens and Snyder aren't going anywhere.

[KillerLeft]

I am Carlisle‘s biggest fan on this board, but if Nick nurse gets fired in Toronto I will personally forge Carlisle‘s pink slip.

Outside of that, yeah… I just don’t see anybody out there who could possibly be better.

[dirkfansince1998]

Way up there in my biggest concerns about the Mavs' situation is that, if they decide they need a new coach, who the hell is that? Spoelstra and Stevens and Snyder aren't going anywhere.

Let´s get a crazy european guy from Serbia or Slovenia.

[cow]

I am Carlisle‘s biggest fan on this board, but if Nick nurse gets fired in Toronto I will personally forge Carlisle‘s pink slip.

Outside of that, yeah… I just don’t see anybody out there who could possibly be better.

Quin Snyder seems like a lifer in Utah but I'm a huge fan.

[dirkfansince1998]

Donnie hits some home runs but he also strikes out a lot.  Our roster construction this year is pitiful.

Agree. He is a great scout. Especially when it comes to international prospects but he is not a great GM. Hit a homerun. Strike out in the next two offseasons. I won´t even mention plan powder. It looks like the Mavs will have max capspace once agan. Let´s see who gets a one year deal next summer because all good free agents already signed extensions.

[Mavs2019]

I am Carlisle‘s biggest fan on this board, but if Nick nurse gets fired in Toronto I will personally forge Carlisle‘s pink slip.

Outside of that, yeah… I just don’t see anybody out there who could possibly be better.

Did you know Nick Nurse before he got the Toronto job?

Have you ever heard of the Grizzlies or Thunder coaches before?

There is always a good young coach to be found!

Do I have faith in Nelson/Cuban finding that guy? Absolutely 100% NOT.

Do I think the Mavs have any interest in looking for that guy? Absolutely 100% NOT.

It´s just that Luka has more power than everybody else on this franchise and before Cuban loses him, dramatic changes will be made.

[Scott41theMavs]

Way up there in my biggest concerns about the Mavs' situation is that, if they decide they need a new coach, who the hell is that? Spoelstra and Stevens and Snyder aren't going anywhere.

Let´s get a crazy european guy from Serbia or Slovenia.

As good of a suggestion as anything else that could actually happen.

---

Donnie hits some home runs but he also strikes out a lot. Our roster construction this year is pitiful.

Agree. He is a great scout. Especially when it comes to international prospects but he is not a great GM. Hit a homerun. Strike out in the next two offseasons. I won´t even mention plan powder. It looks like the Mavs will have max capspace once agan. Let´s see who gets a one year deal next summer because all good free agents already signed extensions.

I think the Mavs' draft this year was pretty abominable given what they could have done. That of course pains me to say as a huge pre-draft fan of Terry and Tiger. But the Green pick... he looks like by far the best of our rookies, but he looks awful next to some of the guys we could have taken with that pick.

[SwisherPrice]

The bench is also very weak this year. In past years they had Stephen Silas and Melvin Hunt before him as the lead assistant. Those guys had a lot of experience on different teams in the league and were known for their work in helping develop many star players early in their career.