Carlisle is becoming an elite coach. He's already surpassed Flip when it comes to the playoffs.

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Nov 13 LW Milan Lucic had an active night. He scored his first goal in eight games since his Oct. 25 hat trick and also pounded Michael Komisarek in a third-period fight. Lucic cut his hand in a fight with Michael Komisarek. "I'll be fine," he said. "(X-rays are) negative, but there's so many broken bones in there from before you can't really tell."

Carlisle is my favorite coach in the NBA. I think I'm going to like Flip too.

Sometimes I think that some really good coaches get the best out of their players during the regular season but cannot go very far in the playoffs because their players don't have the same talent level as the other teams players. I think during the playoffs most players try harder and are more focused, so the talent laden teams that were on cruise control during the regular season just step up their game a couple of notches and since both teams are now putting forth a relatively equal effort, the talent laden team wins, regardless of coaching .

I'm not saying that there are not special adjustments that coaches must make in the playoffs or that some coaches don't make these adjustments better than others. I just think that in some cases maybe really good coaches get a bad rap.

Just a theory, and I could be dead wrong on all of this.

But maybe that's what happened to Flip. I also think I remember back in the early to mid eighties Don Nelson having a Milwaukee team with Sidney Moncrief, but nobody else really (if I remember correctly...which I may not). I think that team always semed to win the division but got killed in the playoffs. I don't know ANYTHING about Don Nelson or his ability to coach, really. (Only that he wore ugly fish ties). But I wonder if maybe that was the case.

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"Quite simply captain, I examined the problem from all angles, and it was plainly hopeless. Logic informed me that under the circumstances, the only logical action would have to be one of desperation. Logical decision, logically arrived at." -- Spock

Well said Micro, I get so tired of the LB haters foolishly placing blame on him for everything that went wrong on him. Indeed LB has his fair share of the blame to bear but not all of it, and certainly NOT anything to do with Rip's sub par Finals performance. A coach can only due so much, when it comes down to it the PLAYERS are the people who play & win the games... Always have and alway will.

This years Pistons team have everything to match what Indy can throw at them. depth at every position. It will be a good match if we meet them in the playoffs. GO PISTONS!!!!

I think Pistons-Pacers would be a great FINALS matchup. Too bad, it won't happen. Is there a better rivalry out there? Both teams will field a different look with a few new faces. What a great way to keep us interested.