Wednesday, October 29, 2008

When you have Jason Kidd, you've got to have an up-tempo game

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle on why he's decided to encourage his team to run this season:

"It's about me doing the right thing for this group of players. When you have Jason Kidd, you've got to have a strong, up-tempo game. So we're committed to getting the ball up and down the court.

Listen, I've always wanted to play at a faster pace; it's more fun to coach. But it's a different kind of coaching because the majority of the decisions fall in the hands of the players. So you've go to educate them in a lot of situations as to what's best for the team, and there's a learning curve. But we're committed to it."

Speaking of Kidd, here's Donnie Nelson's assessment of the Mavericks' PG:

"He’s kind of basketball’s version of Brett Favre, one of the best ever to play the position. What he did for the Dream Team this summer is proof and an indication of that leadership. With the quarterback position being in his hands, that’s something we’re looking forward to."