Rating the Coaches at the Dallas Mavericks for 2020-21

The Dallas Mavericks have always been competitive for as long as Rick Carlisle has been on the job.

He’s benefited from a career alongside the great Dirk Nowitzki and now Luka Doncic, but still.

Carlisle and his strong coaching staff are a huge reason why the Mavs should be treated as legit 2021 NBA Finals threats. A lot needs to happen for the team to actually meet those lofty expectations, but the potential is there.

Dallas does take a hit on this staff, of course, with bright offensive mind Stephen Silas leaving to take the lead job with the Houston Rockets.

That makes for some awkward greetings during the regular season, but it also hurts the Mavs on the sidelines.

They still appear to be in good hands, though. For a little reassurance for bettors and Dallas fans alike, let’s take a look at the Dallas Mavericks coaching staff for the 2020-21 NBA season.

Dallas fans already know this, but they have one of the best coaches in the league. Rick Carlisle enters his 11th campaign with the Mavs and has helped his team reach the playoffs 13 times.

Carlisle brought home the Mavs’ lone franchise title in the 2011 NBA Finals, and he’s admittedly earned the right to power through some growing pains with a rebuilding franchise ever since.

Even through the decline of Nowitzki and the arrival of Doncic, Carlisle has endured just one truly awful season on the sidelines.

A title winner in 1986 as a player, Carlisle found instant success with the Detroit Pistons in his first stop in the league. Had he not been fired in favor of Larry Brown, it’s arguable he’d have won a title there, too.

Once passed over, he headed to Indiana, where the Pacers won 61 games in his first year at the helm. His teams have collectively reached the conference finals three times, and this Rick Carlisle coaching bio perfectly illustrates his ability to adjust to his personnel, no matter the situation.

Carlisle has had success with grind-it-out teams featuring post-centric players, he’s had teams that played gritty defense, and he’s coached up this current Mavs team that isn’t at all known for their defense.

Overall, he’s a coach that works with what he’s given and does so at a very high level. Now that he has legit pieces on his roster, Dallas is truly a team to fear.

It’s no wonder BetOnline has him among the best bets to win the 2020-21 NBA Coach of the Year.

2021 NBA Coach of the Year odds

Steve Nash +800
Tyronn Lue +900
Erik Spoelstra +1000
Doc Rivers +1400
Monty Williams +1000
Rick Carlisle +1200
Brad Stevens +1200
Steve Van Gundy +1600
Lloyd Pierce +2000
Quin Snyder +2200
James Borrego +2500
Mike Budenholzer +2500

— BetOnline.ag (@betonline_ag) December 7, 2020

Carlisle’s resume speaks for itself, but he doesn’t do it all alone. Dallas had a brilliant assistant in Stephen Silas last year, but he was so good that he got his own head coaching job.

The rest of the Mavericks coaching staff is still plenty useful. Let’s get to know their staff ahead of the 2020-21 NBA season.

A defensive specialist, Mosley, is going into his fifth year on the Mavericks bench. Mosley has a wealth of experience, having handled the team’s Summer League head coach duties, and also spent some time with Team USA.

Mosley’s time in the league dates back to 2009, where he got his start with the Denver Nuggets.

Fans will instantly recognize Armstrong, who spent some time with Dallas as a player during a solid 15-year career. He’s now been on the Mavs bench for 11 seasons, where the ferocious competitor has preached defense, intensity, and communication.

Weinar is another regular on the Dallas bench, as he’s been with the Mavericks for the last 11 years. An offensive specialist, Weinar was on hand for the Mavs’ lone championship win, and he contributes to the team’s game-planning regularly.

Boucek enters year two with Dallas after coming over from Sacramento. A trailblazer as one of the few female coaching assistants in the NBA, Boucek also was head coach of the Seattle Storm and Sacramento Monarchs in the WNBA.

Dallas has one of the best head coaches in professional basketball and one of the longest-tenured shot-callers, as well.

Rick Carlisle alone makes the Mavs respectable, and the fact that he has so much talent to work with now makes Dallas a team to watch out for.

Carlisle isn’t alone, though. His coaching staff lost a special mind with the exit of Silas, but he still has an offensive specialist in Weinar, two defensive aids, and an experienced assistant on the rise in Boucek.

Dallas isn’t guaranteed to win a title this year or the next, but with their current roster and this strong coaching staff leading the charge, they at least have a real chance.