Mavericks Links: Kaman, Carlisle, Ledo
The Mavericks scored an encouraging victory in their last outing, knocking off a Western Conference heavyweight with a win over the Grizzlies. Still, memories of last season’s failure resurfaced before tonight’s tilt against the Lakers and center Chris Kaman, part of a host of Mavs who didn’t return to the team after playing on expiring deals last season. Here’s the latest:
- Kaman takes issue with what he perceives as Rick Carlisle‘s tendency to “micromanage” and says the Mavs coach is “uptight and kind of plays games with people a little bit here and there,” as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com observes. Carlisle told reporters that he takes his share of the responsibility for Kaman’s poor fit in Dallas, notes Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (Twitter link).
- Kaman had more to say about Carlisle, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News shares the new Lakers center’s belief that the coach was duplicitous and played favorites. Kaman also doubted he would see many minutes if he re-signed with Dallas.
- Ricky Ledo is probably headed for a D-League assignment at some point this season, Carlisle says, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (on Twitter).
Mavericks Notes: Calderon, Nowitzki, Dalembert
The Mavericks made some surprising news today, parting ways with GM Gersson Rosas, who apparently wanted more power over the team’s player personnel than the team was willing to give him. Rosas might not have been the proper fit in Dallas, but he figures to be a hot name in front office circles now that he’s back on the market. The Spurs were reportedly after him before he took the Mavs job, and Rosas drew mention as a possible candidate for the Nuggets GM opening this summer. Here’s more on the team he leaves behind:
- The Mavs feel Jose Calderon is the caliber of point guard they’ll need when they return to contention, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, who wonders how long it will take the club to get back to the top. Calderon fit the bill this summer as Dallas prioritized finding a ball-handler who didn’t commit too many turnovers, as Price examines.
- Dirk Nowitzki will be 36 when he hits free agency in July, but Mavs owner Mark Cuban doesn’t think he’s close to the end of his career, Price notes in the same piece. “He’s disciplined enough that I think he sees guys like Ray Allen and others who are going later and later and later,” Cuban said. “So who knows? I won’t put a limit on him.”
- Rick Carlisle identified Samuel Dalembert as the player who improved most from the start of training camp to the end, observes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com, who writes that the Mavs’ playoff hopes hinge on the performance of the 6’11” free agent signee.
- The Mavericks haven’t given Carlisle much to work with in the seasons since he guided the team to a championship, but he tells Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News that he’s prepared to stick it out “for the long haul” in Dallas.
Western Notes: Wolves, Mavericks, World Peace
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes that the Timberwolves will likely trade either J.J. Barea or Luke Ridnour by draft night. In the same piece, Zgoda notes that GM Flip Saunders is impressed with Victor Oladipo. Minnesota – currently slated to draft ninth overall – would have to swing a deal into the top five in order to have a chance at the former Hoosier star, though Zgoda doesn't think the team has enough assets to accomplish that. Here are more news and notes from the Western Conference tonight:
- The Grizzlies interviewed Ed Pinckney today and are another team among those monitoring Doc Rivers' situation with Boston, says USA Today's Sam Amick (Twitter links).
- While recalling the Mavericks' decision to break up their championship roster, coach Rick Carlisle described it as "gut-wrenching." This summer, Dallas will have another chance to reap the rewards from that tough decision, and Carlisle seems determined to get things done: "We're going to be active in free agency…We're an aggressive franchise by nature; our owner (Mark Cuban) is. And that's good. We're going to put together a good team" (A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com)
- Lakers forward Metta World Peace has been working out at the IMG Academy and reportedly looks great, tweets Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld.
- Matt Moore of CBS Sports isn't so sure George Karl would be a good fit with the current Grizzlies roster. Going off of reports that Brian Shaw and Lionel Hollins are in the lead for the Nuggets' job, Moore thinks Shaw would be an ideal fit, whereas Hollins would have more of a challenge with Denver's youth.
- Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK explains why Mason Plumlee would be a solid pick for the Thunder with the 12th overall pick.
- Janis Carr of the OC Register (Subscribers only) takes a closer look at Mark Madsen's coaching opportunity with the Lakers' D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders.
Mavericks Links: Collison, Brand, Mayo
Headed for free agency this summer, Mavericks point guard Darren Collison told reporters that he’s capable of starting on any team. Despite finishing the final 23 games of the season as a reserve, the former UCLA product hasn’t ruled out a return to the Mavericks, even if it means he’d continue that role (Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram reports). Also, as Jon Machota of SportsDayDFW notes, Collison hasn't had any discussions with his agent about where he could end up next season. Here are a few more links to share out of Dallas:
- Price also hears that Elton Brand would like to return to Dallas next season in order to make up for being unable to help the team make the playoffs this season. Picked up off of amnesty before the start of the season, the former number one overall pick averaged 7.2 PPG and 6.0 RPG, marking the first year in his career with his scoring average in the single-figures.
- Count head coach Rick Carlisle among the proponents of bringing O.J. Mayo back in a Mavs uniform next season, writes Price. This morning, we heard that the 25-year-old swingman plans to opt out of his contract in hopes of negotiating a long-term deal with Dallas.
Odds & Ends: T’Wolves, Temple, Magic, Mavs
Kevin Love seemed optimistic about being able to bounce back from a difficult season with the best offseason of his life, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune. He also spoke about his desire for Rick Adelman to continue coaching the team, saying: "We need to have him back…I know his family comes first, but hopefully we can sit down and talk to him. This year has given us a lot of perspective, and hopefully he can see we have the making of a very good team here. We can make a push and have a special year next year…I think he’ll come back.”
You can find more of tonight's miscellaneous links below:
- According to Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press, Rick Adelman has deemed finding a quality shooting guard among the top of Minnesota's priorities this offseason.
- Garrett Temple hopes to have found a home with the Wizards, telling J. Michael of CSN Washington that he'd "love" to be back with them next year.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel thinks that the Magic should look to move Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson, and/or Glen Davis (at least one of them) in order to continue creating cap space for the future.
- Jan Hubbard of Sheridan Hoops wonders if a 35-year-old Dirk Nowitzki will have to endure another season like this one, especially if the Mavericks are unable to hit a home run in free agency for the second straight year after breaking up their championship roster.
- Though Mark Cuban isn't happy that Dallas is going to miss the postseason, he vouched for coach Rick Carlisle: "Rick’s a great coach…We obviously didn’t have what we thought we would have, but we obviously should have had more. I don’t know if we could have, but we should have, so it’s all on me. If that means I let Rick down, I let Rick down" (Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram reports).
- Jeff McDonald of Spurs Nation writes that Manu Ginobili has been "progressing" in rehab according to coach Gregg Popovich, and that the Spurs veteran shooting guard could be cleared for full contact soon. On a more unfortunate note, Boris Diaw is expected to miss three-to-f0ur weeks (including the start of the playoffs) after the forward underwent a procedure to remove a synovial cyst that had been bothering his spine.
Western Notes: Stephen Curry, Bogut, Spurs
Here are some rumblings out of the Western Conference tonight:
- Grizzlies guard Wayne Ellington is in the final year of his rookie contract and aims to be more aggressive in order to earn consistent playing time in Memphis, writes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal).
- Brad Townsend of SportsDayDFW discusses the importance of Rick Carlisle's leadership skills as it relates to the Mavericks' ability to succeed this season (subscribers only).
- Kevin McHale commented on some of the coaching challenges he's encountered with his inexperienced Rockets team (Jonathan Feigen of Ultimate Rockets notes).
- According to this report from CSN Bay Area, Stephen Curry received no concerns from Dr. Richard Ferkel after the orthopedic surgeon evaluated his ankle today. Dr. Ferkel also checked out the progress of Andrew Bogut's left ankle and determined that his rehabilitation has been on schedule. Warriors GM Bob Myers says that while Bogut does not need clearance to participate in full-contact practice, the team wants to make sure that he is completely free of any pain or discomfort before they let him scrimmage.
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters that the their final roster spot will come down to deciding between Derrick Brown and Eddy Curry (Jeff McDonald of Spurs Nation reports).
- Dwight Howard fully participated in today's practice with the Lakers and is prepared to make his debut tomorrow under the approval of their training staff (says Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN Los Angeles). Also, forward Jordan Hill was cleared to practice with the team today after being diagnosed with a herniated disk less than two weeks ago, and told reporters that he could possibly return before the season opener on October 30.
- According to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, forwards Louis Amundson and Dante Cunningham have emerged as "energy guys" for Rick Adelman and the Timberwolves.
Southwest Notes: Benson, Carlisle, Assistants
- Tom Benson cleared another hurdle in the process of assuming ownership of the Hornets, as the Federal Trade Commission signed off today on his $338 MM purchase of the team, writes John Reid of The Times Picayune.
- Not every coach in the league experiences the same pressure of working for a candidly passionate and fanatical owner like Mark Cuban, but Rick Carlisle believes that those traits bring along a constant effort to provide the necessary resources to compete. Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas recorded more of Carlisle's thoughts on his confidence in management along with the work cut out ahead for the Mavericks this summer.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation gives his power rankings of the NBA's top assistant coaches who deserve a shot at a head coaching position. Dave Joerger of the Grizzlies is slated at number four, while Mike Budenholzer of the Spurs tops the list at number one.
Mavs Notes: Carlisle, Free Agency, Donnie Nelson
It's been a busy day for owner Mark Cuban and the Mavericks as they locked up head coach Rick Carlisle to a four-year extension earlier on Tuesday. The move marks the first of many for the 2011 NBA champions as they were swept by the Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. The Mavs will likely feature a vastly different lineup come the fall, so let's head to Dallas to catch up on the latest news and happenings at the American Airlines Center.
- It's time for the Mavs to put together a plan of attack for the offseason now that Carlisle's contract status has been addressed, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com. The team must look to get younger and explore every avenue possible to convince Deron Williams to join Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas. Regardless of which players end up on the Mavs' roster, Carlisle's biggest task as head coach will be to provide strong communication as he looks build team unity.
- After signing his contract extension, Carlisle hit the radio to chat with ESPN's Galloway and Company about the team's goals for free agency this summer, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Carlisle stated that the Mavs will look to add a player to the roster that will make Nowitzki the second-best player on the team. Entering the 2011/2012 season, Nowitzki was ranked the fifth-best player in the entire NBA by ESPN.com's TrueHoop Network.
- With countless decisions ahead of him this offseason, Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson is relieved that one of the team's most pressing concerns has been addressed in the re-signing of Carlisle, reports Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. "Rick is simply one of the top coaches in the league today," Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson told The News. "He's embraced this community, established a winning culture, and has taken this franchise to a place it's never been."
Mavs Sign Rick Carlisle To Multiyear Extension
1:04pm: The Mavericks have officially announced Carlisle's extension via a team release. Owner Mark Cuban's statement suggests the contract is for four years.
"We are excited that Rick will be back with the Mavericks for at least the next four years," Cuban said. "He is a proven winner, a great teacher and a coach that will help the Mavericks improve as a team and as an organization."
12:32pm: The Mavericks have agreed to a contract extension with coach Rick Carlisle and will announce the deal later today, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas confirms (via Twitter) that the two sides have reached an agreement.
Carlisle, who coached the Mavericks to a championship last year, was in the last year of his contract with Dallas. He owns a 198-114 record in his four seasons with the Mavs, including three straight years of 50+ wins prior to this season's 36-30 mark.
The agreement with Carlisle is the first of many contract decisions this summer for the Mavs, who could have as many as nine players hitting free agency.
Coaching Rumors: Carlisle, Bobcats, Knicks
Before the free agent period for players gets underway this summer, a number of free agent coaches could land new jobs. Here are the latest updates on a few coaching situations around basketball:
- Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson and owner Mark Cuban are in agreement that Rick Carlisle should be back coaching the team next year, writes Earl K. Sneed at NBA.com. Like many Mavs players, Carlisle is not yet under contract for 2012/13.
- Mike Krzyzewski announced at a press conference today that this summer's Olympics represent the last time he plans to coach Team USA in international competition, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer provides an update on the Bobcats' coaching search, which president of basketball operations Rod Higgins says is progressing at a "nice, slow pace."
- The Knicks are more interested in "putting on a good show" than winning, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who says that's why New York hasn't reached out to Phil Jackson. Berger hears that Jackson "has the itch" to returning to coaching, but hasn't been contacted by an NBA team.
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports explores the evolution of Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, who tells Wojnarowski that reports that he'd lost the team earlier this season were "a joke."