Dallas Mavericks News and Rumors: Head Coach Rick Carlisle Takes Aim at Underperforming Players, Promises Changes

When the Dallas Mavericks failed to sign free agent center DeAndre Jordan over the summer, they went to Plan B and signed several free agents, but not a single one of them has the kind of talent and impact Jordan could have brought in to the team. Nonetheless, the Mavs are still a very formidable squad led by veterans Dirk Nowitzki and returnee point guard Deron Williams.

However, even if the team is loaded with veteran presence, they seem to be finding it difficult to wear consistency this season. And it looks like coach Rick Carlisle is fed up.

On Tuesday night, the team lost to the Toronto Raptors, 103-99, prompting Carlisle to call out his players while threatening changes as a response to their inconsistency and lapses in effort and energy on the court.

He may not have mentioned anyone by name but it certainly looked like he was referring to some players in the starting unit. This is because the loss to the Raptors could have been a blowout if not for the late run from the team's reserves.

In contrast, Toronto got solid efforts from their starting unit, led by DeMar DeRozan's 28 points and center Bismack Biyombo's 20 rebounds.

As his team fell to fifth in the tough Western Conference, Carlisle made known his frustration during the post-game press conference. "Look, if it's going to be like that, these guys aren't going to be Mavericks very long," he said in an obviously threatening tone.

For Mavs center Zaza Pachulia, he thinks the coach is just trying to fire them up. "He's a coach trying to push the right buttons. He's been in the league for a long time and he's done great things — winning seasons, championships. He knows what he's doing," the Georgian player said.

Longtime Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki decided to keep mum on Carlisle's statement.