The Dallas Mavericks have had a rough go of it of late, with the team's latest loss coming Sunday night against the Suns. After the 98-92 defeat, Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle called out his team's effort.
Rick Carlisle says Mavericks ‘don’t play hard all of the time’
Dallas’ coach called out his team after its loss Sunday night in Phoenix.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
“We don’t play hard all of the time,” Carlisle said to reporters, via Mavs Moneyball. “That’s the problem. It’s pretty clear that’s where our inconsistency is. That’s where we have to get better. We have to be a more together team. I believe that we can do it. We did it in the second half.”
At one point in the first half, which after the game Carlisle labeled “an embarrassment,” the Mavericks trailed by 17 points. They entered the break down 57-42 before mounting a comeback and eventually taking an 86-80 lead with five minutes left in the game. But Dallas failed to score a point over the next four minutes and fell behind for good with two minutes left to play.
Carlisle had no answer when asked why he felt his team’s effort, particularly in the first half, was lacking.
”That’s a question you have to ask them, he said. “I have my theories but I’m not going to air them out publicly. In terms of the soul of the team, you have to ask those guys.”
But Dallas is just 25-19 since acquiring Rajon Rondo from the Boston Celtics in December. The team was 19-8 beforehand and also had the league’s top offensive rating at 113.6. Since the trade, that number has fallen to 103.5.
One area where Dallas has improved, though, is defense. Since adding Rondo the team’s defensive rating has jumped from 105.1 to 101.7.
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