Darrell Armstrong has seen Rick Carlisle from the inside, and the former Pacers guard says the coach’s edge is exactly what makes him connect with players.
Armstrong spent 12 of his 16 seasons on the bench with Carlisle when the two were with the Dallas Mavericks, a run that included the 2011 championship. He also had a previous stint with the Pacers in 2007, which gives his view of Carlisle’s second run in Indiana a little extra weight.
What stood out to Armstrong wasn’t just the structure or the discipline. It was the mix of seriousness and personality.
“Just the way he approaches the game, you know, he's business,' Armstrong said. "He's all about business, and you understand he's all about his work.
But he has a funny side to himself too. He says some funny stuff, but you know what you're going to get.
You've got to come in ready to play, ready to practice, and that's the fun thing about being under Rick. He's been there as a player, won a championship, and now he's won as a coach too and got back to the NBA Finals.
So, for me, watching from afar, I thought he was relaxed and ready, and different; even his second time around in Indiana, you could just see it the way he was with his players. Those guys were playing hard for him.”
That, in Armstrong’s eyes, is the definition of a players’ coach: demanding, but clear; serious, but not stiff.
“Yeah, that's what you want: you want your players to play hard for you, and those guys did. They got to Game Seven of the NBA Finals, and unfortunately, Tyrese tore his Achilles. That series, that last game, could have been strange, because Indiana came out ready to play.”
Carlisle’s path back to Indiana came after his departure from Dallas in 2021. He said at the time, “This was solely my decision,” and added, “Dallas will always be home, but I am excited about the next chapter of my coaching career.”
Mark Cuban responded by praising Carlisle’s impact on the Mavericks and the championship they won together. “Rick informed me today about his decision to step down as head coach,” Cuban said. “On top of being a tremendous basketball coach, he
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