Josh Howard and Rick Carlisle went to dinner, and the new coach of the Mavericks picked up the bill. That's Step One in building a new relationship and repairing a fractured one.
"From what I've heard, he's a great coach," Howard said. "The guys I talked to had nothing but good things to say. I'm looking forward to working with Coach next year. "He's an X and O's guy and he wants to win. He's really excited about this situation and the pieces he has."
Howard checked in with a pair of former teammates -- Marquis Daniels and Darrell Armstrong -- who played for Carlisle in Indiana. Howard wasn't just interested in a scouting report on the coaching style of Avery Johnson's replacement. He also wanted to get a sense of the person.
The dinner served as introduction for both as they each enter a critical offseason. Carlisle has begun putting his stamp on the franchise, which includes his input in reshaping the roster. Howard is moving forward from a disappointing series of events, on and off the court, to finish up the season.
They discussed those issues and Howard's willingness to work harder than he ever has to prepare for his sixth NBA season.
"We talked about what happened and he understood my point of view," Howard said. "I'm planning to take (my workouts) to the next level for myself first and because of what happened at the end of the year. You learn from stuff like that and I was finally able to put everything behind me."
Carlisle expects Howard to do just that.
"Josh is one of the younger veterans that has an opportunity here to step up and take a little bit more responsibility," Carlisle said. "I think it's important to be positive with him, I think it's important to listen to the kinds of things he has to say and his views on the game, but at the end of the day, the coach is in a position of leadership and has to direct the team in a way that's going to be most successful for the franchise."
SEASON HIGHLIGHT: The Mavs locked down their eighth consecutive postseason trip with their only solid stretch against playoff contenders since adding Jason Kidd. After dropping 10 in row to winning teams, Dallas knocked off Golden State, Phoenix and Utah over a nine-day period in April. The victory over the Jazz on April 10 clinched the playoff berth.
TURNING POINT: The front office tried to find answers with the trade for Jason Kidd during the All-Star break. With less than 30 games left in the regular season to work with, the blockbuster deal didn't have the impact the team hoped. Recognized as perhaps the best pure passer in the NBA, Kidd never brought the dynamic dimension Johnson's system needed.
