The sincere admiration of talent goes above any personal quarrel. The coach who led the Dallas Mavericks to his first and only ring in 2011 under the quality and spirit of Dirk Nowitzki, the experienced and renowned Rick Carlislewas revered and untouchable in the Texas franchise until his deteriorating relationship with Luka Doncic played a decisive role in his decision to leave Dallas two years ago.
However, the Slovenian’s first coach in the NBA – now in the Indiana Pacers-, is very clear about how the point guard should be considered. Even now, at a time when he has fallen behind in the MVP race due to injuries despite his average 33 points, behind only the 33.2 of Joel Embiid. During the Pacers’ visit to Toronto on Wednesday, the coach was forceful when asked by MD about what aspects he thinks Doncic can still improve on and, moreover, with Kyrie Irving by his side.
Doncic and Carlisle, in their time together in Dallas
“Luke? He is fantastic at everything. If he’s not the best player in the world, he’s right at the top and that’s what’s going to happen. He can do everything, ”answered Carlisle, who considers that the former del Real Madrid, Despite the margin of learning that his recently turned 24 years of age may have, he is already perfect or almost perfect as a deep connoisseur of him that he is.
The Indiana coach thus maintains a position on Luka Doncic that he already expressed last year, his first after the stage in Dallas. Carlisle’s faith in ’77’ and even in his team is so great that he also has no doubts about meeting the minimum goal of the team he trains Jason Kidd.
“Even if they traded Finney-Smith, they still have good defenders”
“Listen, all I can tell you is this: in the western conference no team wants to play that team (referring to the Mavericks) in the first round. For good reason: they have a lot of potential. Even if they transferred to Finney-Smith (to the Nets, in the operation for Irving) they still have good defenders”, Rick Carlisle assured in the same response, assuming that Dallas is going to get into the playoffs despite the uncertain situation that Kidd’s people are experiencing, in places of play-in now with his ninth place with 9 games to go, the first of them tonight against the Charlotte Hornets.
What was supposedly going to be a fantastic duo with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving is far from the very high expectations generated, only coinciding in 9 of the 19 games played by the Mavericks since the arrival of Irving between the injuries of one and the other and with a negative balance of 3-6.
Things are not working out in Dallas as well as expected after Irving’s arrival
The inclusion of the ex of the Nets in the roster had to promote more the role outside the ball of the Slovenian, perhaps the only aspect that remains for him to develop at ’77’. His use of the ball has gone down from 37.6% to 35.2% since the arrival of Irving but more interaction between the two is missing and more actions from Doncic outside the role of main manager, although, on the other hand, the problems to match the two stars, the little time left and the scarce margin of experiments given by the situation of the team in the table has complicated it greatly.
Doncic – Carlisle, a complicated relationship
The story of the bad relationship -or at least, it could be improved- between Luka Doncic and Rick Carlisle dates back to the point guard’s ‘rookie’ season, 18-19, according to what Tim MacMahon told on ESPN last Campaign. Upon his arrival in the best league in the world, the point guard developed a great friendship with Dennis Smith Jr, starting point guard the previous year, on 17-18, in his rookie year.
However, Carlisle was wary of the ability of the current Hornets player to form base tandem with Doncic and was accused of purposely trying to weaken that bond, reproaching Smith Jr. in a team meeting for his alleged jealousy of the Slovenian.
The former Real Madrid player felt that Carlisle tried to confront his friend, who, despite starting with Doncic, was transferred to the mid-season Knicks in the operation for which he arrived in Dallas Kristaps Porzingis, whose relationship with ’77’ never worked, sent to the Wizards in the middle of last year.
The point guard did not like the way a Rick Carlisle treated the players, with whom, far from understanding each other, he was accumulating tensions and disagreements questioning his authority even in front of the rest of the players and doubting his decisions. Carlisle always tried to soften the relationship with the praise for Doncic in public and tried to get even closer in June 2021, when he planned to appear at the training sessions of the Slovenian team -which was preparing for the qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games-, to spend time with him.
The coach did not finally attend at the request of the player and would end up resigning despite having a contract the following season since Doncic did not ask for his departure, taking over Jason Kidd, who in his first year achieved what Carlisle had not achieved in three with Doncic: pass a single round of playoffs.
The differences seemed fixed last season, when Rick Carlisle -in his return game to Dallas already with the Pacers-, merged into a hug with the Slovenian and already defined him as the best player in the world or almost. Nobody doubts that Luka Doncic has to be mandatory in that discussion. However, it does not have many arguments the ‘prophecy’ that the Mavericks will be safe in the playoffs.
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