We all hail Rick Carlisle as one of the NBA’s best tacticians, and a bench coach who can exploit advantages, hide weaknesses and give his team a decided advantage come playoff time.
Okay, coach, go earn your reputation.
Already in a 0-2 hole after being dunked out of Houston Tuesday night, Carlisle’s Mavericks return to American Airlines Center Friday night for Game 3 without 2/5th of their starting lineup. No Rajon Rondo. No Chandler Parsons. A less-than-100-percent Devin Harris.
Nobody gives the Mavs a chance to win Game 3, much less rally to make it a competitive series.
So what might Carlisle have up his sleeve?
First of all, expect the Mavs to play their best game of the series. Of course, coming off two double-digit losses that isn’t setting the bar too high. But this is a proud team with a championship banner, and I don’t expect them to lay down.
If Harris can play, it gives Carlisle another weapon that he lacked in Game 2. A push-the-pace point guard that will keep the minutes down for J.J. Barea and Raymond Felton. And bottom line, without Parsons and Rondo the other Mavs have to play better than they have.
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Monta Ellis will be asked to play 48 minutes and score 30 points. Dirk Nowitzki has to make his open looks. Tyson Chandler must stay out of foul trouble. And Carlisle must keep the Rockets out of their offensive rhythm with a savvy mix of zone and a variety of double-teams and single coverage on Dwight Howard in the paint.
It will be an upset if the short-handed Mavs win Game 3. And it will be a shocker if they go back to Houston 2-2. But given a choice, I’d rather they have Carlisle on the bench than Rondo in uniform.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
