The Athletic: Inside the Mavericks front office, Mark Cuban’s shadow GM…

[Mavs2021]

Now that I have read it in full. LOL. If I had written this word for word on here, which I probably have more or less....especially the part about Carlisle´s opportunistic behaviour. 

I told you Luka hates losing as much as Michael Jordan. He ain´t waiting around forever. The clock is ticking.

[fifteenth]

Those same sources add that Voulgaris has frequently gone as far as scripting the starting lineups and rotations for longtime head coach Rick Carlisle.

Cuban was won over by Voulgaris’ vision: an analytics-driven spread pick-and-roll offense with Doncic as the focal point which he has tried implementing in the past seasons.

Multiple team sources confirm Voulgaris remained involved in the team’s gameplans and in-game adjustments in a remote role.




If true, the guy's involvement extended beyond the front office and into coaching decisions. 

[jesusshuttlesworth82]

Who is Voulgaris and how does he operate? Is he an analytics guy?

He's a gambler that made (and then lost) millions betting on sports.  I played poker with him a few times.  He's an intelligent guy so this isn't as bad as Jack Easterby running the Texans but it's still a bad look.  As far as I know, he's never played, coached, or had any kind of scouting experience in basketball.

On the other hand, he is a numbers/analytics guy so some people here might actually like him making the decisions.  The Delon Wright stuff makes a lot of sense based on a lot of the numbers that were being thrown around here when he signed.

The reason it seems dysfunctional is because Donnie and Carlisle are not those guys.  So who exactly is calling the shots?

[BasketballJones41]

This guy was an absolute disaster and needed to go. It’s insane that he was even making coaching decisions. I still think the spread pick and roll would have worked had we surrounded Luka with actual knockdown shooters. But everything that’s coming out about this guy is such a bad look for the team.

[ItsGoTime]

Those same sources add that Voulgaris has frequently gone as far as scripting the starting lineups and rotations for longtime head coach Rick Carlisle.

Cuban was won over by Voulgaris’ vision: an analytics-driven spread pick-and-roll offense with Doncic as the focal point which he has tried implementing in the past seasons.

Multiple team sources confirm Voulgaris remained involved in the team’s gameplans and in-game adjustments in a remote role.


If true, the guy's involvement extended beyond the front office and into coaching decisions. 

Also if true, I have lost a bit of respect for RC in that he implemented these things. "In-game adjustments"? Are you serious? That has got to be RC rolling over and playing dead.

[VintagePejav2]

Cuban responds:
https://twitter.com/mcuban/status/140448...06982?s=21

[IamDougieFresh]

It looks like everyone knows Cuban agrees with this guy and they have to go along with his shit or risk losing their job

[mavsluvr]

Also if true, I have lost a bit of respect for RC in that he implemented these things. "In-game adjustments"? Are you serious? That has got to be RC rolling over and playing dead.

If Carlisle actually followed the guy's coaching directions, I seriously doubt that it was his own choice. Except in the sense that he could have quit instead, I guess.

[ItsGoTime]

It looks like everyone knows Cuban agrees with this guy and they have to go along with his shit or risk losing their job

Too much up Cubans rear to quit.

[jesusshuttlesworth82]

You can Youtube this guy if yall want to spend the time.  Several interviews about poker and gambling and so on.

[Kammrath]

One thing is clear:

There is HUGE division in the DAL front office (including coaching). Guys are speaking up to the media in an effort to grab power back and to try to fix the dysfunction. 


I think worst case scenario is we do not see big changes in the front office and coaching this season. That could spell long term disaster.

[fifteenth]

It looks like everyone knows Cuban agrees with this guy and they have to go along with his shit or risk losing their job

I'd quit. Seriously. I make orders of magnitude less money than Rick and Donnie, and still have little kids running around, but if someone hired a non-expert to tell me how to do my job I'd go jump to another company. 

I saw something about Rick and the Bucks? Maybe he's getting out because of this.

[Mavs2021]

One thing that Cuban hates more than others is bad press. Dude loves his image as a cool owner that's hip and with it. If he's seen as a buffoon running a circus he'll be motivated to make changes fast.

1000%. That´s the only good news about his delusional ego. Other owners would just keep cashing them cheques, while doing a shitty job.

Cuban hasn´t been bothered, because the Mavs have been so irrelevant for the national media for the last decade, that nobody ever dared to deep-dive into all the BS going on here.

If the Mavs were in New York, Cuban would probably be as infamous as his buddy Dolan already. Now with Luka here it allows national media writers like The Athletic to finally look into the Mavs, because somebody will actually read it.

Also makes you wonder whether Voulgaris (or Cuban) is the dude that has fed The Ringer their "Porzingis is trash"-agenda that they have been running like a commerical for the last few months throughout their NBA shows?

[ItsGoTime]

If Carlisle actually followed the guy's coaching directions, I seriously doubt that it was his own choice. Except in the sense that he could have quit instead, I guess.

Exactly. If this is true and he had any self respect, which it seems like he does. Is there any doubt that he would have gotten a job most anywhere else? LeBron would have fired any of his coaches to get RC on board.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

If he has that much influence, he should be coaching too...  They've got a year or so to get it together before Luka gets a wandering eye.  Cuban says the story is B.S. so we'll see how long this guy stays around.

[mavsluvr]

Exactly. If this is true and he had any self respect, which it seems like he does. Is there any doubt that he would have gotten a job most anywhere else? LeBron would have fired any of his coaches to get RC on board.

Are you suggesting that the story is not true, at least as far as interference with coaching goes?

[Mavs2021]

Also if true, I have lost a bit of respect for RC in that he implemented these things. "In-game adjustments"? Are you serious? That has got to be RC rolling over and playing dead.

Told you he was complacent. Also after reading the piece, I´m not so sure whether he´d be such an easy hire around the league anymore.

We all assume, he´d have a new job in five minutes, if the Mavs fired him. Would he though? And for more money?

Why would I hire Rick Carlisle today? He is known to clash with players and now it´s reported he allows a Vegas gambler to draw up his plays in 2021.

[Chicagojk]

It is easy Rick should walk away if he is taking orders but very rarely do you get the opportunity to coach a transcendent star.   Voices come and go in an organization and even in the best case you need to take peoples opinions who may have no idea what they are talking about.

With that being said, I don't think Donnie and Rick don't deserve any blame.  I am sure there is another side of the story.  Fact is, this front office has not been good enough recently.   Even though Donnie did draft Luka and Rick is still a good coach, I am almost at the point of getting rid of everyone.   Although Mark may be the biggest problem of anyone and it may not fix anything and could run Luka away.

[TXBamanut]

He's a gambler that made (and then lost) millions betting on sports.  I played poker with him a few times.  He's an intelligent guy so this isn't as bad as Jack Easterby running the Texans but it's still a bad look.  As far as I know, he's never played, coached, or had any kind of scouting experience in basketball.

On the other hand, he is a numbers/analytics guy so some people here might actually like him making the decisions.  The Delon Wright stuff makes a lot of sense based on a lot of the numbers that were being thrown around here when he signed.

The reason it seems dysfunctional is because Donnie and Carlisle are not those guys.  So who exactly is calling the shots?

Yeah, I believe that some people would love him here.   They are probably the same people who think Luka should have a 40+ usage rate and would have him have to 60 points a game while making every assist to win a game by himself all the time.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Bob Gallefinackis or whatever he's name is came up some of the hairbrained gameplans we've seen recently or wackadoodle rotation choices...it was like they figured out some of that stuff "Between Two Ferns".

[SwisherPrice]

The part about the coach is interesting to me and now I can definitely see the endgame for RC at some point in the next few years. Looks like I was wrong about him being part of the critical decision-making of the MBT. Seems like he is just playing the cards he has been dealt to keep his job as he likes being here for stability with his family.

He has always been a control freak but now he's had to learn to be less hands-on for Luka's sake. I bet deep down, he still prefers to be calling all of the shots but he knows he has to keep Luka happy. However, as great as Luka is now, there's still no replacement for experience in the league and he is probably 3-4 years away from having the experience that RC would prefer in order to trust (like Kidd and then JJB). In the meantime, I'm not sure if RC is the guy to be able to maintain that relationship with Luka while still being able to coach him up when Luka needs it. It takes a special type of personality/teacher.