A Few Thoughts on Mavs 107, Raptors 110

[Dahlsim]

don't fault Rick for trying something that didn't work. However, in retrospect, I think he let it go on too long, and I think he would probably agree with that. 
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So if we agree with Rick that it really was an 'L' on him because he let it go on too long, then is it just too difficult to say in this case the fault IS on Rick?

I don't see it as productive to view this in terms of "fault." I see the debacle as exposing a team weakness that can be shored up. 


Say a person tries an experiment that didn't work. I can logically say both that the experiment didn't work, and that it made sense to try it.  

I don't think we can say this loss was entirely on Rick, despite the fact that he said that. He could have implemented all the strategies we are proposing, and still have lost the game. We can't know what an alternative reality would have looked like. Additionally, the players made plenty of mistakes on their own that were somewhat surprising for NBA athletes. I tend to think that we learned that he should have intervened -- not so much because it might have salvaged a win, but because it seemed that the experience in the end seemed more (inadvertently) cruel than educational.   

Maybe the most important bigger-picture takeaway is that this was a pretty clear statement that the Mavs don't see themselves as in ultimate win-now mode. If Carlisle's instructions were to go all out for the best W-L record possible, he likely would have approached it differently. So anyone expecting the organization to sell the farm in January to bring in a couple of vets to seal a title run might want to think about whether it makes sense to adjust their expectations. 

Appreciate your thoughts, dahlsim.

Well said and a lot of good points ML. 

I addressed fault in this context because you said you don't fault Rick.  In terms of the 'L' this particular game was absurdly winnable hence why it is widely being considered in media and is historically one of the worst blown leads in NBA history. 

That I put mostly on Rick and in doing so I think I'm in agreement with him.  Of course players play the game so they always share the blame, but strategically, Coach Carlisle could have saved that 'W' had it been his highest priority to do so.  It wasn't. 

In the big picture, was it still a good thing, in terms of development?  I don't know.  I don't think it was because I think he could have distributed some minutes to the bench help in such a way as to get the win and still get the message across that 'hey, see how your guys were about to blow that game' but see how JJ and the Bigs were able to save it?? 
Still as I said, Rick, by all evidence at least in the mind of Mark Cuban, has earned the right to throw a few games away in the interest of lets say character development? 


A blessed and merry Christmas to all Mavs fans!!!
All others, well you have a nice day too.