Mavs Spotlight - Rick Carlisle (Offseason Edition)

Earl K. Sneed, Mavs.com
Mavs Spotlight - Rick Carlisle (Offseason Edition)


"Mavs Spotlight" is a series of exclusive one-on-one video interviews conducted by Mavs.com's Earl K. Sneed with various Dallas Mavericks players and coaches. In this installment, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle addresses the team's future and the summer plans for rookie Rodrigue Beaubois.

As he entered his second season at the helm, Carlisle believed that his squad had all of the necessary ingredients needed for a championship recipe. The coach then had little doubt that his squad would be raising the Larry O'Brien trophy by season's end, once the organization brought in Caron Butler, Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson via a seven-player trade with Washington over the All-Star break.

"The trade with Washington has been a big positive for us. It helped our overall toughness. I thought it put more of the right kind of players around Dirk (Nowitzki)," the coach said.

Carlisle also watched first-hand as a first-year pro out of Guadeloupe showed glimpses of being a centerpiece of the team's future plans. While the head man on the sideline loved what he saw from Beaubois in limited usage at the guard positions, he has big plans for the rookie this offseason.

"Roddy Beaubois has done some great things this year, and has done a good job of taking advantage of his opportunities. Going forward, he needs to spend more time this summer in Summer League playing the point guard position...We need him to enhance his knowledge of the point guard position," Carlisle said.

But despite the emergence of Beaubois and the additions of the trio from Washington, the season still ended in heartbreak for both the coach and his players. The 55-win Southwest Division champs fell in just six games to the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

Though he liked what he saw during the regular season, Carlisle has devoted his entire offseason to helping the Mavs get over the hump next year.

"I'm going to spend a lot of time studying the team, working with the guys and trying to get things better. Next year will be here before we know it...Right now, we've got to lick our wounds, and pick up the pieces and then circle the wagons. And then get the most out of this summer and go forward from there," Carlisle said.

Hear more of what the coach had to say:

In case you missed it, here's what Jason Terry, Caron Butler, Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki said, as they head into the offseason.

The series continues Thursday, when "EKS" chats with Rodrigue Beaubois. For all of your off-season news on the Dallas Mavericks, visit Mavs.com. Follow Earl K. Sneed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/EarlKSneed.