From the Dallas Morning News and the Randy Galloway radio show.

As you probably know by now, Dick Motta has been selected as the
new coach for the Dallas Mavericks.  The deciding point,
according to owner Donald Carter, was when his wife, Linda, gave
her vote of approval.  [Many see Linda as the bball brains of the
family.]  No contract has been signed or a length of time been
decided on - they are operating on a handshake agreement.  At age
62, Motta is the second oldest coach in the NBA - Chuck Daly is
63.  Motta is the fourth winningest coach (number of wins, not
percentage) in league history.
     Red Auerbach   938-479
     Lenny Wilkens  926-774  (active)
     Jack Ramsay    864-783
     Dick Motta     856-863  (active)
     Bill Fitch     845-877

Keith Grant was also promoted from director of scouting and
acting VP of operations to director of player personnel.  His
responsibilities will be basically the same as former VP of
operations Rick Sund.  
Sund: "He has been outstanding since I've known him.  He's very
capable.  He and Dick will work very well together.  I think it's
a good checks and balances there."
Grant:  "The thing I've stressed in all of our meetings since the
season has ended is that I want a real unity.  That's from
everybody.  That will be at the forefront."

Motta has a short list of people he would be interested in as his
assistants.  No official word, but everyone is leaning towards
Brad Davis in a grooming position as future coach and Motta's son
Kip.  Motta says that he will not select his staff until he had a
chance to discuss it with Grant.  Davis finished the '92-'93
season as an assistant under interim coach Garfield Heard and has
been broadcasting games for 2 years.  He retired as a player for
the Mavs after the '91-'92 season and is the only player to have
his number retired.  Kip Motta is currently an assistant coach
for Portland.
Motta on Davis:
"One, He's a great guy.  I've watched him do clinics.  I
thoroughly enjoyed his attitude as a player.  I don't want to put
him in sainthood or anything, but you played him every day.  He
was out early, left late and had fun when he played.  He left it
on the floor."
"Another thing is he knows this team.  He coached some of them
and also broadcasted with them.  I've relied a great deal on him
so far.  Not in his evaluation of players, but in asking, 'Is
this typical of this guy?  Is this the way he is all the time?'"
Grant on Davis:
"I will say this about Brad, I was very impressed with what he
did last year.  Very impressed.  I think when Brad hung up his
shoes, when he retired, I don't know if he wanted to go in that
(coaching) direction.  But I think last year was a positive
experience for him."

Motta's comments
On advising the team since January and his new job:
"I felt revitalized.  I felt my instincts came back.  I've been
doing it for about 40 years.  It's still there.  ... I feel very
confident, and I feel it's a very logical choice.  And if I owned
a team, I would insist that I coach it for a while."

On his return to Dallas coaching:
"It's very seldom that an individual gets a second chance to do
something he probably should have done in the first place."

On his relationship with Carter:
"I have a good relationship with the owner.  I can understand
him.  Sometimes, it's not easy, but I can understand him, and he
can understand me."

On the differences in the players from a few years ago:
"You used to get into a huddle and someone would say how.  Now,
they say why.  Sometimes, you can't explain it.  So you have an
assistant coach there to say it's OK.  He might be a little
senile, but he's OK.  You live with that."

Owner Donald Carter on Motta:
"I think through some rough times - even with my own family and
friends - Dick Motta has been my coach for a long time.  It's
still my yardstick.  And, probably, he will always be my coach,
even after he's retired, up in the front office or wherever he
is."

Others on Motta
Utah coach Jerry Sloan (played under Motta):
"Dick has always been a coach.  I thought he was always a great
coach.  I certainly enjoyed playing for him.  He helped me
tremendously."

Jamal Mashburn:
"I'm pretty excited.  I think it's a good decision on
management's part.  He's been there, and that's important."
"I think Coach Motta, even though he's 62, he's more laid-back. 
He sits down and talks to you.  He and I have had good talks,
especially about what it takes in the NBA."

Sean Rooks:
"I'm looking forward to things kicking off and going in the right
direction.  Coach Motta's been coaching a long time.  He has his
ways.  I know what he wants to do."
"It's not a situation where he has to make a lot of adjustments. 
I'm sure he's going to do what it takes to get us back on track."


Galloway talked with Tarpley's agent.  His agent said that
Tarpley would be receptive to playing under Motta.  [Motta was
coach for Tarpley's rookie year '86-'87.]  Galloway also said
that it might actually be possible for the Mavs to get a good
trade for Tarpley and that Tarpley's agent said that several
other team's scouts have been to Greece to evaluate Tarpley's
performance.  

Notes from Galloway's on-air interview with Dick Motta:
Motta said that he caught the coaching bug the longer he was in
the advisory position.  He also talked with Chuck Daly prior to
accepting the job.  Daly said that he [Daly] was "a lifer". 
Motta found that he too was a lifer.  

If he had to do it all over again, he would not have left in
1987.

He has all the phone numbers and plans to meet individually with
each player.  He also wants to see and understand his program
before preseason starts.  He plans on having too four day mini-
camps instead of the usual one.

He talked a little about Sacramento and the problems he had
there.  He basically blamed the management, owners (who were
about bankrupt) and the losers mentality that had befallen the
players.  He said that they had learned to lose.  Ralph Sampson
was on the payroll sucking up 1/4 of the salary cap.  Motta
wanted to draft Dikembe Mutombo, but was out-voted and the team
selected Billy Owens.  Owens refused to sign and was traded on
opening day for Mitch Richmond.  Richmond wasn't pleased to be
traded and it took him two or more years to get over being in
Sacramento.  They also had talent in Danny Ainge and Rodney
McCray, but both players hated it and wanted to be somewhere
else.  Motta felt that it was a no win situation and took a
little comfort that his successor also was not able to turn
things around.  It was also the first time he had been fired from
a team.


Motta's system heavily favors the offense going through the small
forward, so Mashburn should love it.  

As for my opinions, I still have some pain from when Motta left
[I remember the news conference clearly], but I'm willing to put
that behind and see what he brings to the team.  I think the team
should have waited two more weeks to see who else was available
and wanted the position.  But it was not my decision to make.  I
was encouraged by the snibbits from the press conference and from
Motta's interview with Galloway.  He has a positive attitude and
has a solid plan for this season.  He is a teacher and will
command respect.  He will be good for the team and the players,
but I do not see him sticking around for the long haul.  

BTW, Motta being hired means that Peter Vescey's rumor back in
March was right about Motta being the next Dallas coach.

Other Mavs news:
The doctors have cleared Fat Lever to be able to play for another
season.  Lever said that he would be interested in returning to
Dallas, but I don't think that will happen - his large salary
slot is too valuable.  He would be an excellent pick up for a
contending team needing a point guard (San Antonio) or one
needing a mentor/backup.  I think playing his last year in Denver
would be interesting and intriguing, not to mention the
sentimental value.


patricia