Rick Carlisle pushes for a sense of urgency

[HMFFL]

A kennel update from here in Loserville suggests an ugly trend. The Cowboys and Stars have gone dog, the Mavericks are showing early, yet familiar, mutt tendencies, and the idle Rangers, if anyone still cares, remain litter runts.

At the moment, we really stink.

But it was also rather amusing to hear a soft bark from the new guy in town, Rick Carlisle.

"Urgency."

Rick’s word, not mine.

After a summer, and then a training camp of mutual lip-locking between owner and players to coach, and coach to owner and players, then with most of the local media also involved in a sloppy-seconds scene, the Mavs opened a new NBA season under total lovefest conditions.

But to ever have to ask for "urgency" from your players is not exactly good. Forced to do so, however, in less than a week (three games to be exact) is a bleeping disgrace.

To understand Rick’s legitimate concern, however, there was a Monday night visit from LeBron and Cleveland. Only one star was on the floor, and it wasn’t Dirk, who went south because of some defensive heat. It might have been Nowitzki’s worst game since his rookie season, but it also emphasized a familiar story for the Mavs.

Take out Dirk, and you take out the team.

After that game, Carlisle asked for urgency from one and all, although not in anger, even if anger was needed from a new coach. The Mavs went to San Antonio the next night and played with urgency, albeit against a Spurs team that is struggling. A much-needed win happened.

If you think nothing in an NBA November can be classified as "much-needed," take a closer look. What is different about this team except the coach? And the coach, we have been told repeatedly, was all that’s holding back the Mavericks.

Carlisle, thus far, has been fine except for some rather strange substitution patterns that caused private yelping from within the locker room.

No, a 10-man rotation won’t work. Rick needs to settle on eight players, and go with them, which, of course, is a problem for a fading Jerry Stackhouse, and that can lead to bigger internal issues.

Link

[ppp000]

Trade Stackhouse for a bag of potato chips.

[realfung]

I think Carlisle did a good job so far although they lost games, I think the Mavs have the tools. This is all about mental. Mavs don't believe they can do it together. The stats are good and individual performance is good, but they have to play like a team.