The eye test still comes up with a big, fat fail when you see Rick Carlisle in Indiana Pacers gear.
It still doesn’t look right.
After 13 years prowling the sideline at American Airlines Center, Carlisle makes his return Saturday night as the Pacers make their only appearance of the season in Dallas. Carlisle left the Mavericks last summer as the winningest coach in franchise history, quickly catching on with Indiana.
Carlisle will be at the other end of the court from where he was for so long, leading Mavericks’ teams that ranged from champions in 2011 to lottery regulars later in that decade.
“It’s going to be great to see a lot of special people that were a very important part of what we accomplished,” Carlisle said Friday as the Pacers were preparing to play in Oklahoma City. “There were a lot of great memories.
“To stay 13 years in one place, it’s in large part because of two people – (owner) Mark Cuban and Dirk Nowitzki. Without people like that, an organization doesn’t have the kind of stability that can allow you to stay 13 seasons.”
Obviously, the championship will be Carlisle’s legacy. To win the title with Nowitzki and Jason Kidd leading the way is an incredible accomplishment.
But as he runs into so many familiar faces in his return – there won’t be enough time to share with all of them – he’ll no doubt have a few heartfelt moments with a few of his former players who are still with the Mavericks, particularly those that he helped develop and who have blossomed into serious NBA players.
Jalen Brunson, Maxi Kleber and Dorian Finney-Smith came into the league in the last six seasons and, until this year, they didn’t know any other coach than Carlisle.
You could say the same for Dwight Powell, who only spent a few months in Boston before being traded in his rookie season to the Mavericks.
These were the kind of players who started in the NBA as projects. But it was Carlisle and his staff, along with some hard work and drive from the players, that helped turn them into valuable assets.
“I put in a lot of time with Carlisle, especially with my jump shot,” Finney-Smith said after Friday’s practice at AAC. “And also with him teaching me the NBA game.
“He’s a smart coach. Even when we weren’t really good, I felt like we were in every game. He was always good at having a good game plan for whoever we played. Especially when we had Dirk on the court and we had to figure out ways to guard people.”
That was in reference to Nowitzki’s declining years when his ability to move on defense was, shall we say, limited (something Nowitzki would readily agree with, by the way).
Finney-Smith’s work with Carlisle and assistant coaches like Mike Weinar while they were with the Mavericks is part of the reason why he will be one of the most coveted free agents this summer. The same can be said for Jalen Brunson, who in his fourth season will have an abundance of interest when he hits the open market.
“They’re all great people and great workers,” Carlisle said of the group that he helped develop into solid NBA players. “It’s great to see them stepping up to really important roles on a winning team. They’re special guys.”
The Mavericks saw the Pacers in Indiana in December, but Carlisle came down with COVID-19 two days before their Dec. 10 game at Indy.
That makes his return to AAC the first time he’ll actually coach against his former team, although he got credit for the Pacers’ win last month when Lloyd Pierce took over in Carlisle’s absence.
“It’s going to be a little different,” Finney-Smith said. “I spent all my time here with Carlisle. Great coach. It’s going to be fun. I’m a competitor. He’s a competitor.
“I’m going to talk a little trash, probably to his assistant, Mike Weinar. I can’t help it. Especially if I hit a 3 over there (in front of the Indiana bench), I’m going to let them hear about it. It’s going to be fun.”
Carlisle isn’t exactly the sentimental type. But he admits his time in Dallas was something special. So special that his wife, Donna, and daughter, Abby, still call Dallas home. Abby has this year and next left in high school, so the Carlisles decided to keep her here rather than find a new school in Indianapolis.
“I’ve gotten to see them a fair amount this season,” Carlisle said. “But that’s one of the challenges.”
Kidd said he considers it a privilege to coach against Carlisle – and to follow in his footsteps in Dallas.
“He had a heck of a run here,” Kidd said. “We missed him at Indiana due to COVID. So to see him back, a lot of great memories here with Rick.
“In all of coaching, you have a lot of coaches (with) long tenures. You look at Pop (San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich), you look at Spo (Miami’s Erik Spoelstra), guys that win. And winning, you tend to stay. You’re judged on winning and Rick did that at a high level here.”
Asked what he remembered about Carlisle’s coaching style, Kidd said: “He’s always been well-prepared. He understands what it takes to win. He has a game plan and he’s not afraid to make changes as the game goes on.
“When you look at the list of coaches, I think they have a top-15 coming out. He could be regarded as one of the top 15 best coaches to ever coach in the NBA. But his preparation is like no other. He’s always ready to go.”
That preparation has been challenged in Indiana, as the Pacers have fought injuries and are plodding along far below .500.
But the retooling that the Pacers are going through is another opportunity for Carlisle to do what he does best – develop young talent.
“I’ve been very fortunate to be back with a great organization, and to go from one great organization to another,” he said. “You hope to have some level of high character people. I had that in Dallas and it’s been great here, too, from the owner right on down.”
Twitter: @ESefko
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