09-29-2020, 02:45 PM
(This post was last modified: 09-29-2020, 02:58 PM by KillerLeft.)
@"cow" I'll agree that there are times when the assembly of the roster and the way the roster is used seem to be at slightly crossed purposes.
It's some combination of:
Here's an example:
Wright is signed. The Mavs want we, their customers, to be excited about it. They also want us to stop talking about how they couldn't get Kemba. Cuban, Donnie and Carlisle all do radio, tv and newspaper interviews about what they think Wright brings to the table. This is not presented as "well, if he can do ____ and ____ then he has a chance to help us with ____" because NOBODY wants to hear that during the off season, which is a time of hope and season ticket sales. Cuban goes so far as to suggest that his inclusion on the roster means that "the smallest guy in the starting lineup will now be 6'5"." (I wonder what the coach and GM thought of THAT interview)
Wright arrives, works hard, but isn't the difference making player who has been described to us in the press. Is it now the coach's fault for not using the player correctly and killing his confidence? Does this mean "Carlisle doesn't value defense?" Can he "just not reach some players?" Were we lied to about the player? Did the team accurately convey their expectations for the player, only they were WAY wrong about him? Is there something unreported going on in the player's personal life that's holding him back as a professional? We could go on and on and on with this.
Maybe the problem is all ONE of those things, and maybe it's a combination of ALL of them. We will NEVER know. What we DO know, if we're paying attention, is that Carlisle is one of the most respected coaches in all of basketball by his peers and those in the cottage industries surrounding the sport.
When Cuban made the decision not to defend the title in order to chase top free agents, there were points during the ensuing few years when it became clear that the move was unsuccessful and that the team was on a collision course with "rebuilding." There is no question that Carlisle could've (maybe should've) gotten out of here at some point back then and gotten himself a better job. He stayed, probably because he had kids of a certain age and didn't want to move them, but also because he believed in the organization and wanted to remain part of it. He didn't complain (at least externally) about those absolutely abysmal, high-turnover rosters, and just went about his business, milking more positives out of each season than I can honestly believe. While Carlisle can project as arrogant at times, these aren't the actions of an arrogant man. I think the man is a saint, to be quite honest.
Every team has successes and failures. The Mavs' failures seem bigger to Mavs fans because we're constantly searching for the things keeping them from winning the championship. Every team's fans are doing this.
I, personally, think that when you take a step back and examine how the Mavs operate relative to other professional sports teams (especially the other ones in THIS town) it's hard to think they're complete idiots (though there are things to complain about), and even harder to think the coach is among their chief problems (though there are things to complain about).
It's some combination of:
- Not enough (effective) communication between coach and player acquisition team (GM, scouts, etc)
- Unsuccessful evaluation of the incoming players (as it pertains to what HAS been agreed upon by the group above)
- Players not growing into the role they're asked to play for the team (it's fair to wonder whether some of this is on the coach)
- the "wildcard" owner sweeping in to outsmart himself
Here's an example:
Wright is signed. The Mavs want we, their customers, to be excited about it. They also want us to stop talking about how they couldn't get Kemba. Cuban, Donnie and Carlisle all do radio, tv and newspaper interviews about what they think Wright brings to the table. This is not presented as "well, if he can do ____ and ____ then he has a chance to help us with ____" because NOBODY wants to hear that during the off season, which is a time of hope and season ticket sales. Cuban goes so far as to suggest that his inclusion on the roster means that "the smallest guy in the starting lineup will now be 6'5"." (I wonder what the coach and GM thought of THAT interview)
Wright arrives, works hard, but isn't the difference making player who has been described to us in the press. Is it now the coach's fault for not using the player correctly and killing his confidence? Does this mean "Carlisle doesn't value defense?" Can he "just not reach some players?" Were we lied to about the player? Did the team accurately convey their expectations for the player, only they were WAY wrong about him? Is there something unreported going on in the player's personal life that's holding him back as a professional? We could go on and on and on with this.
Maybe the problem is all ONE of those things, and maybe it's a combination of ALL of them. We will NEVER know. What we DO know, if we're paying attention, is that Carlisle is one of the most respected coaches in all of basketball by his peers and those in the cottage industries surrounding the sport.
When Cuban made the decision not to defend the title in order to chase top free agents, there were points during the ensuing few years when it became clear that the move was unsuccessful and that the team was on a collision course with "rebuilding." There is no question that Carlisle could've (maybe should've) gotten out of here at some point back then and gotten himself a better job. He stayed, probably because he had kids of a certain age and didn't want to move them, but also because he believed in the organization and wanted to remain part of it. He didn't complain (at least externally) about those absolutely abysmal, high-turnover rosters, and just went about his business, milking more positives out of each season than I can honestly believe. While Carlisle can project as arrogant at times, these aren't the actions of an arrogant man. I think the man is a saint, to be quite honest.
Every team has successes and failures. The Mavs' failures seem bigger to Mavs fans because we're constantly searching for the things keeping them from winning the championship. Every team's fans are doing this.
I, personally, think that when you take a step back and examine how the Mavs operate relative to other professional sports teams (especially the other ones in THIS town) it's hard to think they're complete idiots (though there are things to complain about), and even harder to think the coach is among their chief problems (though there are things to complain about).