Carlisle fits Dallas Mavericks

May 11--Some will look at Rick Carlisle, shrug and wonder what the Mavericks see in him.

Others will remember how Carlisle worked the sidelines in Detroit and Indiana, called almost every offensive play and wonder what makes him so different from Avery Johnson. That image doesn't fit with the club's stated goal of installing a system that allows Jason Kidd to express himself creatively.

For all of those who don't get it, for the skeptics who can't get excited about the Mavericks' coaching hire, Jerry Stackhouse wants to put your minds at ease.

"He's the best guy available and the best coach for our team with our personalities," said Stackhouse, who played for Carlisle in Detroit. "He's the best fit without question.

"There are not enough positive things I can say about him."

It's tempting to dismiss what Stackhouse has to say as the comments of a player looking to get in good with his new coach if it weren't for one thing. Stackhouse doesn't suck up to anyone. Besides, there is no assurance that Stackhouse will even be on the roster when the Mavericks report to training camp, and the veteran knows it.

What you have here is the enthusiastic endorsement of Carlisle by a player with no hidden agenda.

An ability to adapt on the fly? Stackhouse said Carlisle and Doug Collins do it better than any of the other coaches he has played for in his NBA career.

The knowledge to devise a play that results in a wide-open shot at the end of a close game? Stackhouse said Carlisle does it consistently.

The insights to give a player a tip that will help improve his game? Two staples of the Stackhouse repertoire, the post-up move at the free throw line and the jab step that creates space for a jump shot, were taught to him by Carlisle.

Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks president of basketball operations, has said publicly that the new coach must run an offense that will accent Kidd's skills. That doesn't seem compatible with the offensive control Carlisle exerted with the Pistons and Pacers.

"Rick is smart enough to get it done," Stackhouse assured. "If you judge him from what he has done in the past, there is reason to ask can this guy adjust to what the Mavericks want to do as they go forward. But knowing him, he's a coach who adjusts and operates with the personnel he has."