When Rick Carlisle resigned as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, speculation began about his next trip. After 13 years in Dallas, including a championship in 2011, Carlisle would undoubtedly have many applicants for his next stop. The two organizations that were the favorites to win him over were the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics hired Ime Udoka and it appears Mike Budenholzer’s job in Milwaukee is safe after the Bucks beat the Brooklyn Nets in their seven-game playoff series.
Among the teams with coaching positions, the Indiana Pacers were low on the list of desired goals. The New Orleans Pelicans have a bright future ahead of them with Zion Williamson and Co. The Portland Trail Blazers have Damian Lillard who is in a win-now mode. The Washington Wizards have the dynamic backcourt of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal. Even the Orlando Magic has some young pieces that would be fascinating to develop.
In the end, it was a return to Indiana that Carlisle ultimately made the right choice. He served three seasons as Larry Bird’s assistant before becoming head coach of the Pacers from 2003 to 2007, a total of 181 to 74 years old during his time there.
The Pacers were looking for an established seasoned coach after their game against Nate Bjorkgren did not go as planned. The four-year $ 29 million contract that Carlisle received is another factor that shows just how much Indiana wanted to bring him back.
“That’s good for the Pacers. I think they landed a home run here. ” @IsiahThomas, @ Dennis3DScott & @MattWinerTV respond to Rick Carlisle allegedly agreeing to become the next Pacers head coach. pic.twitter.com/KyHtG6NgZ7
– NBA TV (@NBATV) June 24, 2021
The decision to leave Dallas and MVP candidate Luka Doncic for a team without a superstar in the roster is a bold one, especially considering his contract is two more years away. The Mavericks finished fifth in the Western Conference, where they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in an epic seven-game series. They finished seventh in the preseason and 14th the year before.
The consistency was there, but the Mavericks haven’t gotten past the first round since their championship season. The departure of longtime Executive Director Donnie Nelson was the first sign that a new regime was being built in Dallas.
Reports of power struggles and rioting in the front office were likely a primary reason for Carlisle to move on. The insecurity of the squad alongside Doncic is another reason he may have left. Kristaps Porzingis’s trading has not done very well and they have some important decisions to make about free agencies this off-season. If you take Doncic out of the equation, Indiana has the better squad, especially when you consider the competition in the east.
In the end, it was only time for Carlisle to move on. Only Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra have been with their teams longer and both have recently won championships than Carlisle. After nine playoff appearances in Dallas, the 2001-2002 coach of the year will now focus on getting the Pacers over the proverbial hump.
Indiana welcomes Carlisle back with open arms. Fans and media have already referred to this as home run rental for both sides. It seems like a heavenly game, but there will be a lot of questions to answer before the start of next season.
In terms of the roster, the elephant in the room here is the tall man pairing of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner. The experiment had mixed results, and the chances are that one of them will be postponed to the off-season. While Turner will get a higher return on a trade, he’s also the type of player who would seemingly thrive under Carlisle. In his own words, he no longer believes in the aftermath.
Check out the list and how #Pacemaker have played for the past few years and have relied heavily on playing through Sabonis in the Post.
Carlisle from 2019: “A post-up is no longer a good game.”
– J. Michael (@ThisIsJMichael) June 24, 2021
In a postgame interview on December 27, 2019, he went into this aspect of the game in great detail. “The post-up is just not a good game anymore. It’s just not a good game. It’s not a good game for a 7-3 man. It’s a situation of little value. ”He was more focused on Porzingis specifically. “The value of these situations has decreased. We need to realize that this game has changed. It has changed. It’s just a fact. “
Carlisle has repeatedly commended Porzingis for his outside shooting, rim protection, and ability to drive more and get the right pass. Turner developed the latter last season and was a huge asset to Indiana’s offensive. It’s a stark contrast to Sabonis, who feasted on his opponents with his back to the basket.
That being said, it was a career year for Sabonis, who scored nine triple doubles in the regular season. Only Westbrook, Doncic, Nikola Jokic and James Harden had more. His 48 double doubles were only followed by Jokic, Westbrook, Rudy Gobert and Jonas Valanciunas.
The Pacers used Sabonis as the hub of their offensive, which made up much of their success at this end of the floor. Double teams were often seen for the All-Star last season. Without his vision of getting the right pass and his ability to hit near the hoop, Indiana would have been one of the most pointless teams in the league. The front office might ultimately choose to keep both, but they’ll likely have to choose one or the other this summer.
Another questionable position on this team is point guard. When Indiana completed the purchase of Malcolm Brogdon of Milwaukee, it came at risk. The 28-year-old has suffered many injuries over the course of his career and this season was another memory of that. He played only 56 games this season, only two more than the year before.
Carlisle’s story with Point Guards is a bit rocky, especially his break with Rajon Rondo during his brief stay in Dallas. There has also been speculation that he and Doncic might not always get along, and if Brogdon can’t be on the same side, his time in Indiana could also be short-lived.
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Carlisle shared his thoughts on the Pacers’ current roster. “It’s a team of seasoned, selfless guys who play hard,” he said. “It’s always possible for a move to be made before the season starts, but I think Kevin Pritchard and I are both very excited to get the squad healthy and see what this team can be.”
Indiana has been one of the most injury-ridden teams this season with so many of their boys lacking time. TJ Warren essentially missed the entire season and Turner’s formidable year was cut by 25 games. Jeremy Lamb missed half of the season, Brogdon missed 16 games and Sabonis also missed ten due to injury. Added to this was the absence of Victor Oladipo after his trade, who then had to wait until March to see Caris LeVert play.
Looking at their own free agents, the list is short. TJ McConnell, Doug McDermott, and JaKarr Sampson are all fully free agents. McConnell and McDermott both had career years with the Pacers. TJ led the league in steals and Doug expanded his offensive play, scoring from all different areas of the floor. The Pacers also have the 13th overall pick in next month’s NBA draft. They haven’t voted in the single digits since 1989, but could do so if they wanted to move up.
Carlisle’s record of 100-64 at the Detroit Pistons and 555-478 at Dallas is further proof that he wins no matter where he trains. Don’t expect that to change in Indiana, where he has all the ingredients to build a winner. “It’s an exciting situation because there are advantages here,” said Carlisle. “Coming back healthy will be a big part of it.”
With 836 career wins as head coach, Carlisle ranks 15th in history. His presence alone won’t be enough to get this team over the top, however. Players need to hold themselves accountable and be ready to be coached.
Pacer legend and @NBAonTNT Analyst Reggie Miller called it “a sunny day in Indiana to get Coach Carlisle back”.
But also sent Pacers players a message to “look in the mirror”. pic.twitter.com/PhGf3cvNex
– Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) June 24, 2021
The Pacers had to retire in 2003 under head coach Isiah Thomas in the first round. When Carlisle took over the team, the Pacers won 61 games and lost in the Eastern Conference final in six games to the Pistons, who won the championship.
The following season looked promising, but the infamous “Malice at the Palace” brawl between the Pacers and Pistons ruined their season. With their top players suspended, the Pacers finished 44-38 and lost to Detroit in the postseason. Reggie Miller retired, Ron Artest requested a trade, and the team has never been the same. The roster has been retooled and players have been treated to restore the team’s image. After Carlisle and the Pacers split, Indiana missed the playoffs for four consecutive seasons.
By the time Carlisle’s contract expires, it will be 20 years since that dark day in Detroit. Call it a backlog, run it back, or just a second chance. A lot has changed for both the Pacers and Carlisle in the last 14 years. Now they are coming back together to finish what they started.
