Should criticism stay behind closed doors?

Matt’s Take:

The Dallas Mavericks are 5-7 in their last 12 games and showcased an embarrassing lack of effort against the Phoenix Suns Sunday.

This is a team fighting to make the playoffs in the Western Conference. With the likes of Dirk Nowitski, Rajon Rondo, Chandler Parsons and Monta Ellis on the roster, there is no reason this team shouldn’t be clawing and scratching each and every night.

But they don’t, at least that’s what Head Coach Rick Carlisle would lead us to believe after he blasted his team on national television, calling his team’s effort “an embarrassment.”

Carlisle dug a bit deeper in his verbal jab, saying “We don’t play hard all the time. And that’s a problem,” according to an ESPN article.

It’s sad that people are actually upset with the coach for airing his feelings to the public. I don’t understand the criticism.

I say good on him. At the end of the day we are talking about grown men who get paid a ridiculous amount of money to play a game they love.

If they cannot handle being “called out” by their coach, whose job it is to motivate them to play hard, then maybe they need a new career.

Sure, you can talk about the need to keep dirty laundry inside the locker room, but Carlisle didn’t call out any single player by name. He simply made an assessment of his teams effort, or lack thereof.

We don’t see people freak out when Greg Popovich calls out his team, so why the need to lambast Carlisle?

Apparently we’ve gone soft to criticism these days. Sounds like some folks have to grow a little thicker skin.

Heck, I’m sure Carlisle didn’t say anything in public he hasn’t already said behind closed doors. Let’s get over it.

Andrew’s Take:

Rick Carlisle is the real-life NeNe Leakes.

“But Andrew, NeNe is a real person.”

Stop it. There’s no such thing as “reality television.” At this point, the NBA is the closest thing we have.

When Carlisle calls out his players, on national television, it feels like I’m watching The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Don’t ask me how I know what that garbage show feels like.

If you’ve ever been apart of a basketball team you know that “complete commitment” is required to achieve success. As compared to the other major American sports, basketball requires more cohesion amongst teammates.

It’s math, really. Rosters are smaller on the hard wood. When there are only 12 guys on a team, one bad apple has a more significant effect, as compared to a 53-man football team. And when it comes down to actual play, between the baselines, basketball has no room for “loafing.”

Carlisle’s Dallas Mavericks are going to make the playoffs. But they’re currently a 7 seed, in a very-deep Western Conference. Things aren’t looking up as far as championship chances go.

Rajon Rondo, Tyson Chandler, Monta Ellis, Raymond Felton, Richard Jefferson, Dirk Nowitski, Chandler Parsons, Amar’e Stoudemire and Charlie Villanueva are all on the Dallas roster. That’s multiple Hall-of-Famers, some of whom are taking pay cuts for the sake of winning this year.

After a poor first half, on Sunday afternoon, Carlisle did not hide his feelings.

“An embarrassment, flat out,” he said, as he walked off the court at the half. Later in the intermission, he added, “We don’t play hard all the time. And that’s a problem.”

Like I said, a basketball team is a small group. The “family” cliché definitely applies. You would not call out your family in such a way, and Carlisle should have kept his criticism in-house.

I feel a divorce coming on.