On April 29, the first round of the NBA playoffs gradually came to an end.

On this day, the Dallas Mavericks lost on the road to the San Antonio Spurs.

They finished second in the West in the playoffs, but were beaten by the Spurs in the first round.

Dirk Nowitzki has been hit again in three years since the 2007 season.

Such a result is difficult for the entire Mavericks team and the entire Dallas fan base to accept.

At the end of the match, Nowitzki could even feel the laughter from the crowd.

It's been three years, and since that Black Eight, he has been suffering from all kinds of infamy, especially the reputation of "soft egg".

Eliminated in the first round in 2008 by the fledgling Paul and the Hornets, Kidd showed his old age against Paul in the series.

In 2009, they were beaten by the Nuggets in the second round, and they took out the Spurs in the first round that year.

As a result, this year, the Spurs got their revenge, successfully overturned the Mavericks with the seventh pick, and the series was not too suspenseful.

The Mavericks got off to a good start in their first home game against the Spurs, and then were beaten by the Spurs three times in a row and fell behind 1:3.

Back at home in Game 5, the Mavericks' big win over the Spurs saved some face, but the series was already in the hands of the Spurs.

As a result, in the sixth game, the Mavericks came to San Antonio and were beaten 22-8 by the Spurs in the first quarter.

I dug a big hole for myself at the beginning, and finally buried myself and couldn't climb out again.

Losing in the playoffs for the third year in a row, it's hard to imagine how much pressure Nowitzki is under.

'06 was the closest to the championship, and they were just one free throw away from the championship.

But it was a free throw that killed the Mavericks, and from that moment on, they couldn't get up again.

Four seasons have passed, and Nowitzki's teammates are about to change, and there is only Terry left.

They still couldn't go further, and the second-place record in the West in the regular season was in vain, and they went home early.

The Spurs created the first "black seven" miracle since the best-of-seven system in the first round.

It was several years later than the Black Eight.

Unfortunately, the victims of both miracles were the Mavericks.

Nowitzki can score 26.7 points in the series, which is outstanding.

But the Mavericks' entire team has been up and down, especially offensively.

In the four games they have lost, they have not scored more than 90 points.

In the face of the Spurs' veteran defensive experience, the Mavericks' individual abilities have not been brought into play.

Carlisle was in a deep state of self-reproach and reflection after the game.

On the way back to Dallas, he didn't say a word.

For two seasons since taking over the Mavericks in 2008, Carlisle has worked hard to build an offensive system around Dirk.

The offensive routine created by his predecessor Johnson that suited the player's individual offensive ability was too rigid.

There were a lot of factors that contributed to the fall shortfall in '06, especially with some off-the-counter factors.

And in 07, there were really a lot of tactical problems in it, and the first round was very dead.

After Carlisle took charge, he revamped the team's tactical system, hoping to make the team's attack fluid.

He believes that the team's offensive tactics with Nowitzki and Kidd as the core must be flexible.

Pursuing toughness and toughness doesn't necessarily lead to victory, because it's not suitable.

However, for two seasons in a row, Carlisle felt that he had not grasped the lifeblood of the team's tactics.

It's always a little bit worse, a little bit here, a little bit there, and it's not really satisfying.

The main responsibility of a good manager is definitely not to develop a few tactics and draw a tactical board on the sidelines.

Their job is much more complex, they are the brains of the team, and they have to make sure that their players work around a core idea, and they can do their best at both ends of the floor.

However, what exactly is this core idea, Carlisle feels that he has not thought about it enough.

The whole team was immersed in a terrible atmosphere, and on the plane back to Dallas, everyone didn't say a word.

Carlisle wanted to sleep, but he didn't feel sleepy at all, and his mind kept reviewing the game to get answers.

Carlisle knew he didn't have to worry about getting out of class, and when he left the Spurs' home court, Cuban came over and said so.

"Keep up the good work next season."

Carlisle also knows that Nowitzki will stay with the Mavericks, and the 33-year-old will not give up.

He won't offer a trade, he won't say he's going to compete for a championship somewhere else, and Cuban won't trade him.

Nowitzki is a fantastic player and as a European player doesn't like to toss.

They want to be able to play in one place all the time, unless the team offers to trade him.

Next season, we will still have to make a fuss about Nowitzki.

Cuban will continue to bring in players, and Carlisle, as head coach, will have to figure out how to best play Dirk's abilities and hide his weaknesses on the defensive end.

Headache, really a headache.

Assistant coach Stotts stepped up and said, "Rick, I saw a post-game article and I think there might be some inspiration, I'll show you." ”

Carlisle waved his hand and said, "Stotts, do we still have to rely on all that nonsense in the media to guide the team's game?" ”

"These articles are different and were recommended to me by Mike Dunleavy," Stotts said. ”

Dunleavy and Stotts knew each other, although they hadn't worked at the same time.

Stotts entered the league when he was drafted by the Rockets in 1980, when Dunleavy played for the Rockets.

The Bucks that Dunleavy went to later, Stotts also worked, but the timeline was staggered.

Everyone is a coach, and people who know each other well will communicate with each other on weekdays.

Carlisle heard Dunleavy's name and said, "Did the Clippers pull the big score to 2:3?" ”

Stotts nodded and said, "That's right, they made a lot of adjustments and changes in the fourth game, and the effect was immediate. Take a look at this article. ”

So, Carlisle pulled himself together, took Stotts's phone, and began to check the article, titled "The Triumph of Space and Ball Possession."

This article takes the review of the fourth and fifth games of the Clippers and Lakers as an example, and tells the role and significance of the Clippers' lineup and tactical adjustments.

Carlisle was very casual at first, and a veteran like him was reluctant to read media articles.

However, as he read more and more, the more he read it, the more he felt that this article was very interesting and inspiring.

In particular, one of the sentences reads: "In offense, when a tactical system solves the problem of space and ball distribution well, it is not too important whether it focuses on inside or outside, shooting or breaking." These are things that the players decide on their own. Before the game, the coach settles out the distribution of space and possession so that the two reach a perfect balance, so that the players can operate their attack in the most comfortable state and play at the best level. ”

This sentence had a enlightening effect on Carlisle, and he suddenly figured out a lot of questions.

"Who wrote this article?" After reading it, Carlisle asked urgently.

"It's the NBA-Batman who likes to post all kinds of rumors and gossip, and it's his blog."

"What? It's this guy... I... I'm going to contact him in a private message. ”

(End of chapter)