The New York Times with a good piece on soccer and basketball. Here is new Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni.
“The whole culture is they appreciate the guy who passes the ball to the guy who gets the assist and passes to the guy who scores,” D’Antoni said in an interview Thursday. “They appreciate the work that went into it. Even the guy who is not getting the stat is important in the whole function of the team and the goal that is being made. That, to me, is fundamental.”
The Dallas Morning News on new Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle.
“He knows it’s a players’ game,” Larry Bird says. “But he’s going to demand a lot. Once the season starts, he’s very focused. Rick will be fine. And this might be the strongest team he’s ever had.”
I like Carlisle’s approach, This is his third head coaching gig.
“Ego is important because it’s what drives you to be good at something,” Carlisle says. “But whenever it gets in the way of communication and what’s best for the organization, that’s never good. I’m a pretty humble person by nature – very grateful for the opportunities I’ve had. But when you get into these positions, there’s a lot of scrutiny. You have to work to earn the trust of your players and the people you’re working with.
“So if the video guy has a great idea that can help win you one more game, I’m going to listen to the video guy. This whole thing has to be a team operation, from the secretaries to the video guys to the training room people to the coaches to the players. All of that stuff works in lockstep. When you have things out of whack in one area, that stuff can affect what [happens] on the court. So we’ve got to have everybody in harmony.”
Filed under: Mike D'Antoni, Rick Carlisle | Tagged: Dallas Mavericks, Mike D'Antoni, Rick Carlisle, Soccer
