(5-14-08)

Carlisle introduced as Mavs coach

DALLAS (AP) - The Dallas Mavericks today introduced new coach
Rick Carlisle -- who's ready to let Jason Kidd and the team run.
Carlisle says when play with Kidd, you have to "open it up."
Carlisle says what Kidd does better than probably any point
guard in the league is push the ball ahead.
Carlisle was hired over the weekend to replace Avery Johnson,
who got the Mavericks to the NBA finals in 2006 and a
franchise-record 67 wins in '07.
But Johonson wore out his welcome with consecutive first-round
playoff flops and problems with team owner Mark Cuban.
Johnson was fired two weeks ago -- the morning after Dallas was
ousted by New Orleans.
Carlisle told reporters he plans to keep the defensive core
established by Johnson, prompting a whisper of "That's cool" from
Mav standout Dirk Nowitzki.
Nowitzki was sitting with the media to hear what his new coach
had to say.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)