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Rick Carlisle's unfinished business in Indiana | Basketball initiates

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Rick Carlisle’s unfinished business in Indiana | Basketball initiates

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When Rick Carlisle stepped down as head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, speculation began about his next destination. After 13 years in Dallas, including a championship in 2011, Carlisle would undoubtedly have plenty of contenders for his next stop. The two organizations that were the favorites to land him were the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks. The Celtics have hired Ime Udoka and it looks like Mike Budenholzer’s job in Milwaukee is secure after the Bucks beat the Brooklyn Nets in their seven-game playoff series.

Among teams with vacant coaching positions, the Indiana Pacers were way down the list of desired destinations. The New Orleans Pelicans have a bright future with Zion Williamson and company. The Portland Trail Blazers have Damian Lillard in winning mode now. The Washington Wizards have the dynamic backcourt of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal. Even the Orlando Magic has some young pieces that would be interesting to develop.

In the end, it was a return to Indiana that Carlisle finally decided he was the right fit. He was Larry Bird’s assistant for three seasons before becoming the Pacers’ head coach from 2003-2007, going 181-74 overall during his time there.

The Pacers were looking for an established veteran coach after their bet on Nate Bjorkgren did not go as planned. The four-year, $ 29 million contract Carlisle landed is another factor here, which shows how much Indiana wanted to bring him back.

The decision to leave Dallas and MVP candidate Luka Doncic for a team without a superstar player on the roster is a bold one, especially since he had two years left on his contract. The Mavericks won the fifth seed in the Western Conference where they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in an epic seven-game streak. They were seventh the previous season and 14th the year before.

The consistency was there, but the Mavericks haven’t gone past the first round since their championship season. The departure of longtime executive Donnie Nelson was the first sign of a new regime being built in Dallas.

Reports of a power struggle and turmoil within the front office were likely a major reason Carlisle decided to move on. The uncertainty of the roster outside of Doncic is another reason he may have left. Kristaps Porzingis’ trade has not gone very well and they have some key free agency decisions looming this offseason. Taking Doncic out of the equation Indiana has the better list, especially given the competition they will face in the East.

In the end, it was just time for Carlisle to move on. Only Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra have been with their teams longer, and they have both won championships more recently than Carlisle. After nine playoff appearances in Dallas, the 2001-2002 Coach of the Year will now focus on the proverbial Pacers’ hump.

Indiana welcomes Carlisle with open arms. Fans and the media have already called this a home run rental for both parties. It sounds like a game made in heaven, 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 big-man couple of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner. The experiment had mixed results, and there’s a good chance one of them will be moved during the offseason. While Turner produces a higher return in a trade, he’s also the kind of player who would seemingly thrive under Carlisle. In his own words, he no longer believes in post-up play.

In a post-game interview on December 27, 2019, he detailed this aspect of the game. “Post-up is no longer a good game. It just isn’t a good game. a good game for a 7-3 guy. This is a low value situation. He focused more specifically on Porzingis. “The value of these situations has plummeted. We have to realize that this game has changed. It’s changed. It’s just a fact.

Carlisle has repeatedly praised Porzingis for his outside shot, rim protection and ability to drive more and pass the right way. The latter is something Turner developed last season and has been a huge asset to Indiana’s offense. It’s a stark contrast to Sabonis, who feasted on opponents back to the basket.

That being said, it has been a career year for Sabonis, who recorded nine triple-doubles during the regular season. Only Westbrook, Doncic, Nikola Jokic and James Harden had more. His 48 double-doubles trailed only Jokic, Westbrook, Rudy Gobert and Jonas Valanciunas.

The Pacers used Sabonis as their attacking hub, which has generated much of their success at this end of the pitch. Doubles were a frequent sight for the All-Star last season. Without his vision for passing the right pass and his ability to score near the basket, Indiana would have been one of the most futile teams in the league. The front office might ultimately decide to keep both, but they’ll likely have to choose one or the other this summer.

Another position in question with this team going forward is that of leader. When Indiana struck a deal to acquire Malcolm Brogdon from Milwaukee, it involved risk. The 28-year-old has had his fair share of injuries throughout his career, and this season has been another reminder of that. He has only played 56 games this season, just two more than the year before.

Carlisle’s history with the playmakers is somewhat turbulent, especially his break up with Rajon Rondo during his brief stint in Dallas. There was also speculation that he and Doncic didn’t always get along, and if Brogdon isn’t able to be on the same page, his time in Indiana could also be short-lived. .

In a recent interview with ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Carlisle expressed his thoughts on the current Pacers roster. “It’s a team of talented, selfless guys who play hard,” he said. “There is always the possibility of changes being made ahead of the season, but I think Kevin Pritchard and I are both very excited to get the roster back to good health and see what this team can be.

Indiana was one of the teams hardest hit by injury this season, with so many of their guys running out of time. TJ Warren has basically missed the entire season, and Turner’s impressive year was cut short by 25 games. Jeremy Lamb has missed half the season, Brogdon has missed 16 games and Sabonis has missed 10 with injuries as well. To this was added the absence of Victor Oladipo after his exchange, then the fact of having waited 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 unrestricted free agents. McConnell and McDermott both had years of careers with the Pacers. TJ led the league in interceptions and Doug widened his attacking play and scored in all areas of the field. The Pacers also have the 13th pick overall in the NBA Draft next month. They haven’t selected single-digit since 1989, but could if they wanted to progress.

Carlisle’s 100-64 record with the Detroit Pistons and 555-478 in Dallas is further proof that he wins, no matter where he coaches. Don’t expect that to change in Indiana, where it has all the ingredients needed to build a winner. “It’s an exciting situation because there is some good here,” Carlisle said. “Coming back to good health is going to be a big part of it.”

With 836 career victories as a head coach, Carlisle ranks 15th in history. His mere presence, however, will not be enough to pass this team over the bump. Players need to take responsibility and be ready to be coached.

The Pacers suffered a first-round outing in 2003 under head coach Isiah Thomas. When Carlisle took over the team, the Pacers won 61 games and lost the Eastern Conference Finals in six games to the Pistons, who went on to win 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 best players suspended, the Pacers finished 44-38 and lost to Detroit in the playoffs. Reggie Miller retired, Ron Artest called for a trade and the team has never been the same. The roster has been reorganized and the players have been distributed to restore the image of the team. After Carlisle and the Pacers went their separate ways, Indiana missed the playoffs for four consecutive seasons.

By the time Carlisle’s contract is over, it will have been 20 years since that dark day in Detroit. Call it an unfinished business, a takeover, or just a second chance. A lot has changed for the Pacers and Carlisle over the past 14 years. Now they are coming together to finish what they started.

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