Pooh
08-28-2003, 05:04 PM
By Mark Alesia
[email protected]
August 28, 2003
The problem with Rick Carlisle, who grew up in hockey country near the Canadian border, is that "icy" describes how he was regarded by some people around the Detroit Pistons.
But Larry Bird, Pacers director of basketball operations, looks at Carlisle's 100 victories in two seasons, plus their three seasons together in Indianapolis when Carlisle was an assistant on Bird's coaching staff, and the concerns melt away.
"Rick's intimidated by me, so I don't think we'll have any problem," Bird said to laughter Wednesday at the news conference to announce the firing of coach Isiah Thomas.
There was no use concealing it. Bird wanted Carlisle to succeed him when Thomas got the Pacers' coaching job three years ago. Bird wants him again.
"Obviously, he's my first choice," Bird said. "I don't know about Donnie (Walsh, Pacers CEO). We've got other guys on the list. If we can't work anything out with Rick, we'll move on.
"I talked to Rick (Tuesday) night to see if he had any interest in this job, and obviously this would be a great opportunity for him. He'd like to sit down and talk to us about it."
At an afternoon news conference Wednesday, Bird said talks with Carlisle might even begin later in the day.
Not only did Bird and Carlisle coach together, they played together for the Boston Celtics. Carlisle's playing career overlapped with Bird's for three seasons -- 1984-85 through 1986-87.
The Celtics made the NBA Finals in each of those seasons, winning the title in 1986.
Carlisle's firing by Detroit shocked people in the NBA, considering he was Coach of the Year in 2001-02, leading the team to the conference semifinals. Last season, the Pistons went to the conference finals.
But according to the Detroit News, Carlisle alienated the Pistons' owner and treated others coldly. He reportedly had little interest in the team's marketing and media efforts.
Players grumbled about him, too. After being swept by New Jersey in the Eastern Conference finals, players said they used too much halfcourt offense and didn't get enough easy points in transition.
Carlisle was heading into the final season of a three-year contract, meaning he would have been a lame-duck coach in a league where players hold most of the power.
And Larry Brown, who eventually took the Pistons' job, was available.
"I don't know everything that went on up there," Bird said. "I was at his training camp. It looked like his players respected him. He works them hard. He's fair with them. Whatever happened, happened. Larry Brown, to me, is one of the better coaches in this league, by far. If you have a chance to get Larry Brown, you go get him."
After losing out to Thomas in July 2000, Carlisle called coaching the Pacers "one of the best jobs in professional sports."
"From a technical standpoint, I suppose I could make a case that I'm more qualified than Isiah," Carlisle said at the time. "But this job is about so much more than the technical standpoint.
"It's about getting guys to play hard and to play at their very best levels. It's about formulating a vision, a dream. I believe those will be Isiah's strengths. Isiah is very capable. He's going to do a great job here."
Walsh gave Bird responsibility for basketball operations earlier this summer, but it was Walsh's decision to hire Thomas over Carlisle.
"I just thought Isiah fit with our team," Walsh said at the time. "I thought Isiah brought some qualities very few people could bring to a team, just as Larry Bird did.
"I thought Isiah would come in and instill the kind of confidence he had (as a player), the kind of leadership he had. I think he'll have the players' attention, and I think there's the feeling on the part of the players that they'd like to play for Isiah."
[email protected]
August 28, 2003
The problem with Rick Carlisle, who grew up in hockey country near the Canadian border, is that "icy" describes how he was regarded by some people around the Detroit Pistons.
But Larry Bird, Pacers director of basketball operations, looks at Carlisle's 100 victories in two seasons, plus their three seasons together in Indianapolis when Carlisle was an assistant on Bird's coaching staff, and the concerns melt away.
"Rick's intimidated by me, so I don't think we'll have any problem," Bird said to laughter Wednesday at the news conference to announce the firing of coach Isiah Thomas.
There was no use concealing it. Bird wanted Carlisle to succeed him when Thomas got the Pacers' coaching job three years ago. Bird wants him again.
"Obviously, he's my first choice," Bird said. "I don't know about Donnie (Walsh, Pacers CEO). We've got other guys on the list. If we can't work anything out with Rick, we'll move on.
"I talked to Rick (Tuesday) night to see if he had any interest in this job, and obviously this would be a great opportunity for him. He'd like to sit down and talk to us about it."
At an afternoon news conference Wednesday, Bird said talks with Carlisle might even begin later in the day.
Not only did Bird and Carlisle coach together, they played together for the Boston Celtics. Carlisle's playing career overlapped with Bird's for three seasons -- 1984-85 through 1986-87.
The Celtics made the NBA Finals in each of those seasons, winning the title in 1986.
Carlisle's firing by Detroit shocked people in the NBA, considering he was Coach of the Year in 2001-02, leading the team to the conference semifinals. Last season, the Pistons went to the conference finals.
But according to the Detroit News, Carlisle alienated the Pistons' owner and treated others coldly. He reportedly had little interest in the team's marketing and media efforts.
Players grumbled about him, too. After being swept by New Jersey in the Eastern Conference finals, players said they used too much halfcourt offense and didn't get enough easy points in transition.
Carlisle was heading into the final season of a three-year contract, meaning he would have been a lame-duck coach in a league where players hold most of the power.
And Larry Brown, who eventually took the Pistons' job, was available.
"I don't know everything that went on up there," Bird said. "I was at his training camp. It looked like his players respected him. He works them hard. He's fair with them. Whatever happened, happened. Larry Brown, to me, is one of the better coaches in this league, by far. If you have a chance to get Larry Brown, you go get him."
After losing out to Thomas in July 2000, Carlisle called coaching the Pacers "one of the best jobs in professional sports."
"From a technical standpoint, I suppose I could make a case that I'm more qualified than Isiah," Carlisle said at the time. "But this job is about so much more than the technical standpoint.
"It's about getting guys to play hard and to play at their very best levels. It's about formulating a vision, a dream. I believe those will be Isiah's strengths. Isiah is very capable. He's going to do a great job here."
Walsh gave Bird responsibility for basketball operations earlier this summer, but it was Walsh's decision to hire Thomas over Carlisle.
"I just thought Isiah fit with our team," Walsh said at the time. "I thought Isiah brought some qualities very few people could bring to a team, just as Larry Bird did.
"I thought Isiah would come in and instill the kind of confidence he had (as a player), the kind of leadership he had. I think he'll have the players' attention, and I think there's the feeling on the part of the players that they'd like to play for Isiah."