Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle appeared on DAC on 103.3 FM ESPN Radio yesterday for his weekly appearance to talk Mavs/Suns, the Cavs/Warriors rivalry, Harrison Barnes, Dorian Finney-Smith, and more. Check out the full audio below, with some of the top moments transcribed to follow.
On Andrew Bogut’s zero-rebound game against Phoenix: “If you’re getting broken-down by guards and a guy like Andrew is having to go help and go vertical and block shots and things like that, his body comes off his man, and theyr’e getting rebounds and we’re not. He’s being taken out of position because we’re getting breakdowns. There was a lot of that last night. IT’s easy to sit back and wail away on Bogut for not having a great statistical night, but there’s a reason for it.”
On Dorian Finney-Smith’s development: “We have a great eye for talent here with the Mavericks, as you guys know. (Laughs.) Our scouts did a good job with — you know, I think targeting him as an undrafted guy that was worth the risk of some guaranteed money. We guaranteed him some money to get him locked into a multi-year deal at a very reasonable number, and it was a great opportunity for him. He’s made the most of the opportunity. Our player development people and coaches have done a good job with him. He’s unique for a young guy. He’s a guy that’s really focused on the defensive end. He loves the challenge of defense. He’s got a mind that’s geared toward the technicality of defense. He loves the challenge. That’s where he’s ahead of the curve of some guys that have come in the league. … When it’s all said and done, if he keeps developing the way he’s going, we’re gonna look back on this draft and say that he’s a guy that should’ve been taken in the lottery somewhere. but we’ll see. Time will tell.”
On potentially bringing Pierre Jackson back: It’s a possibility. We’ll see. The 10-days kick in next week sometime, so at this point we’re keeping flexibility with our roster, which I think you’re seeing a lot in the league right now. We’ll go from there.
On the prospects of a third-straight Cleveland/Golden State Finals: “Back in the early-’80s when the NBA was having struggles, the thing that was viewed as really resurrecting the league was the LA-Boston rivalry. It was two teams that had two transcendent stars that met in the Finals many years. At that period of time, that point in time, that was viewed as a major positive. Today, the CBA is geared much more toward parity. You’re seeing a lot more close games, you’re seeing a lot more teams involved int he playoff race. At least in the West, there’s a lot of teams still in touch with the eighth spot. … Time will tell with all this. There are some situations where there were supposed to be dynasties and things dissolved rather quickly in history. I wouldn’t assume anything.”
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