Mavs, Carlisle Close To Deal

Rick Carlisle

While nothing is imminent as of this writing, Rick Carlisle and the Dallas Mavericks, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, appear to getting closer to a deal that would bring Carlisle in as the team’s next head coach; Carlisle told the News that both sides are still in discussions and no deal is done as of yet. It has been approximately a week since Avery Johnson has been fired, yet the list of coaching candidates in Dallas is quite small, with Carlisle (no surprise there) being the leading candidate.

I would imagine that team owner wants a coach that puts an emphasis on defense - or in this case build on the foundation already in place by Johnson; Carlisle’s calling card is his defensive teams that he had coached in the past in Indiana and Detroit. Assuming that Carlisle is hired, the question remains: does he retain any of the Mavericks’ coaching staff? It’s hard to say, but it is entirely possible that Johnson, once he is hired by a NBA team, will take some - if not all - of his staff with him. That may be the biggest hurdle facing Carlisle once he assumes the reins of the team. I wouldn’t be surprised to see an announcement from the Big D as soon as Thursday, at the earliest.