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May 15--Here's what we learned about the Mavs' new coach once the lawyers finally got done:
-- Rick Carlisle didn't burn any bridges with ESPN at his introductory news conference, calling the worldwide leader "the greatest sports organization I've been a part of until today." And this from a guy who played for the Celtics.
-- He's not as dull as you heard. He laughed, he told stories, he perspired profusely. Probably saving the poker face for the bench.
-- He made it clear that the Mavs have two great players, and one of them isn't Josh Howard.
The public restructuring of the team's organizational ladder gives you a clue that there actually is a difference between the Mavs' new coach and the former. Now if only Carlisle holds to it under duress.
Avery Johnson couldn't, no matter how hard he tried. He simply couldn't let go of the offense.
Not for Paul Westphal, not for Jason Terry, not for Devin Harris, not even for one of the greatest point guards ever.
Of course, as we were surprised to learn at Johnson's exit interview, his opinion of Jason Kidd changed greatly the last couple of months.
Johnson may yet prove to be right about the wisdom of putting the offense in Kidd's hands. A full training camp -- Carlisle promises a veritable track meet -- should give us a better idea.
But Johnson didn't help Kidd's cause any, either, transforming a free-flow genius into what Dirk Nowitzki called "a weakside spot-up shooter."
"We've got to find other ways," Nowitzki said Wednesday, "to let him put his stamp on it."
Nowitzki no doubt delivered the message in his first meet-and-greet with Carlisle. The talk lasted more than four hours, ruining the 7-footer's lunch.
CNN501 
