Considering those of us here in Michigan have our own fine opinion of Rick Carlisle and the job he did in the Motor City, I’ll do my best to be the Celtics homer I am to describe what possibilities this ‘86 Celtic has in the upcoming 2015-16 NBA season.
Born and raised in New York state, Carlisle attended Lisbon HS before finding his way to the University of Virginia to play alongside the likes of Ralph Sampson and Olden Polynice. Drafted in the 3rd round at number 70 overall by the Celtics, he played 3 years in Boston, playing in 3 NBA Finals, before spending a season each in New York and New Jersey. After only 5 games in New Jersey playing for Bill Fitch, Carlisle was waived by the Nets before coach asked him on the same call to add him to the coaching staff. Thus, his coaching career began. Later, he be called upon by Celtic teammate Larry Bird to be an assistant in Indiana with the Pacers.
After a long run of Eastern Conference Finals appearances with the Pistons, he was being tossed to the side in favor of the original coaching maverick, Larry Brown. Carlisle soon found his footing and again made a new home office in the vicinity of fellow Celtic and Pacers GM Bird. Friends from their time in Celtic green, Carlisle was an easy choice for Bird after his success with the Pistons. When Carlisle eventually took Dirk Nowitzki and a ragtag team of Mark Cuban’s Mavericks to an NBA Finals win, it was the icing on the cake and the notch needed to make writers and historians realize his true greatness as a coach.
After a year in which Dallas had the top offense in the League before making a franchise and team chemistry alteration in adding former Celtics mercurial point guard Rajon Rondo to the mix, the Mavericks are rife with salary-cap room and the ability to choose their direction for the future with only Dirk, Chandler Parsons, Devin Harris and Gal Mekel on the books for under $30M and Monte Ellis($9M) and Raymond Felton($4.5M) holding player options for next year. With an expected salary cap of over $67M, the Mavericks are in position to chase marquee free-agent, LaMarcus Aldridge, who is from Texas, as well as Kevin Love and others.
If the Mavericks are able to move a couple pieces and sign a higher-tier free agent, I expect them back in the Playoffs in the deep Western Conference. But barring a major free-agent signing or a spectacularly unexpected trade, the Mavericks will not be making the move back to the NBA Finals next year.
(photo credit:Â nbae getty images)