The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Mavericks Radio Voice Chuck Cooperstein Joins To Talk About Stephen Silas

Episode Date: October 29, 2020

All right, let's say hi to an old friend of the show. And usually I get to call two games from his palatial American Airlines Center Arena. But unfortunately, because of the COVID, we did the games on television. Chuck Cooperstein, the radio voice, the Dallas Mavericks here on the Matt Thomas show. Coup, long time, no, see, I actually miss calling games in Dallas this past year. Yeah, what's the deal with that? What's going on? It's your fault.

I know. Well, no, it's kind of out of our control. I know. The schedule never quite worked out that way. Yeah. Very, very weird. I think we should. Yeah.

But I would not call, I would not call our spot palatial, but I would call it spacious. I would not call it palatial, though. Palatial, yeah. I would say among the Texas cities, actually, the Toyota Center is not half bad compared to San Antonio in Houston, but that's just play-by-play guy's bitching. Coup, I didn't realize that Stephen Sittles was a neighbor. So did he take his garbage out on time? Did he not use fun? Fireworks?

No. Here's the deal. I mean, we live in the same community, but it's a fairly large community. And his house is probably about a mile and a half to two miles from me. So, I mean, we're in the same jurisdiction in the same area code. But, you know, we're not passing each other when I'm walking the dog in the morning. Oh, so there was no carpooling after late night trips coming home from the other. Milwaukee. No, no, there's not that.

First of all, he's working way too hard after the game. I understand. Well, obviously, some of the players in the Mavericks were very happy for him. When you heard the decision that the Rockets made, what were some initial thoughts about your relationship with him, what you've seen from him developing young players in the Dallas organization?

Well, I mean, that has been a strength of his, really, for the last 20 years. I mean, when you think about, you know, his dad was an outstanding coach, not to mention an outstanding player. he worked for four years for Don Nelson, who is a truly brilliant coach in a brilliant mind. If you can't learn from him, then you've got a problem.

And then, you know, he worked, you know, with Steve Clifford for so long. And Steve Clifford is a sensational coach. In the last two years, obviously, he's worked with Rick Carlisle. And, you know, I think Rick Carlisle is as good as it gets. So, you know, he's been around 20 years. He's more than prepared for, and, you know, he's been. seen so many different styles that, you know, it was only a matter of time before she was going to get the chance to run his own ship.

And I'm so far. He's a really good guy. You know, he's really easy to talk to. You know, it's always interesting when you move the 18 inches from the suggestion box to the one who's on shoulders that everything is riding. But I think he's more than ready to handle this. Obviously, he's got an interesting situation in Houston. I don't know that he has an ideal roster to work with.

Right now, he's got two really good players. What I'm interested to see is, you know, what he does not even so much with Hardin, although, you know, I think that you'd like to see Hardin move a little bit without the basketball. But really what happens with Westbrook, because I thought that, from January 1st until the leak shut down in March, that was probably the best that I'd seen Russell Westbrook ever, ever. It was almost as if he finally came to the realization

of this is what I do and this is what I can't do. I don't know who got to him, but I know the game that he played against Dallas at the end of January, that was absolutely phenomenal stuff. from him. And my guess is I don't think you just saw the same guy coming out of the bubble because I think he was hurt and I think the COVID got him a little bit. And so I think there's a little bit of up in the air. I don't know how your opinion is of Russ, but there's still a which Russ is going to come back and open up this season. Well, you know, I've never been a huge fan, to be

honest, because I just don't think that I don't think he's a good decision maker and never have thought he was a good decision maker. I love how hard he plays. I mean, that's a good, I just don't think. That's the greatest act that he knows he's going to bring everything that he has every night. But sometimes that does work to his detriment. He takes shots that he shouldn't take. And I don't know the shot that I'll never understand why he takes the shots that he takes. I don't think he's a very good defender. And especially now, I think he's a gambler.

He's not really great within the team concept. but as an individual athlete, he's phenomenal and still phenomenal. But I would think that I'm Stephen Silas, and I'm sure he remembers this day in January, that that's the Russell Westbrook I want to see. And if I can get that out of him every night, then show what, we're in a pretty good place. I think we're going to figure out that the hardest is going to score,

he's going to do whatever he does. but to me, you know, Westbrook is the X factor. And if he totally buys in and to a circuit re-hard, the idea, you know, we're not going to play isolation ball all the time. We're going to play a lot of ticket ball. We're going to try to kick it and swing it into all that stuff. Because I think, you know, if you look at the Mavericks offense and how efficient it was last year,

I think that's what Steve is going to try to bring to Houston. And if he gets the buy-in that I have to believe that he's going to, given his ability to relate to players, that the rockets are going to be okay. And that Stephen's going to do a really, really good job. Maybe you can help me answer this a little bit. We're visiting with Chuck Cooper, seeing the Voice of the Mavericks here on the Matt Thomas show. People have asked me in the last 24 hours, what are you thinking?

And I don't have an answer because, frankly, the years that I've been in Houston, especially my second tour here, I'm only used to coaches that have taken over that have had lots of NBA experience. Kevin McHale's been in a front office with Minnesota. He had a little bit of coaching experience. Obviously, Mike Dantonian moved around as well. We're kind of flying blind here on a coach that's never been in a head coach. And as you talked about, you know, going from that first assistance chair to the chair is quite an adaption. Let me ask you, what do you think will be the biggest thing? You work with Carlisle, but he had previous experience before. So tell me what you think in all your years of traveling in the NBA is the most difficult adjustment

for a top line assistant to become the guy, and what do you think Stephen will have to do when he gets here? Well, it's that balance that you walk of getting the players to understand that you care about them. I think that's maybe even, it's so different now, I think, than even, say, 15 years ago when you have, when you might have had an autocrat for a head coach, but the players have to see that you care about them and how you can get them better. And Stephen, in his time, wherever he's been, you know, I mean, look, you know, he's worked with Steph Curry and he's worked with Kimball Walker,

and he was Lucas' workout guy in Dallas the last two years. Guys get better around him. And that's really important. But along with that, you have to make sure that, you know, that you establish that you're the man and that what you say goes. And if the players see that you care about them, then they're far more likely to listen to what you have to say, you know, even if everything, you know, may not be the way it was. and it may go somewhat counter to what you believe your best attributes might be. All words of wisdom from Chuck Cooper's to the voice of the Dallas Mavericks here on the show. Chuck's been a longtime Dallas sportscaster, one of the greatest in our state ever,

and I'm just saying that because you're on with me now. But give me 30 seconds on how back-blank crazy Dallas-Fort Worth is over the Cowboys and what's going on with them right now. You know what? I've always said that things, the best scenario always for football and NFL team and sports radio is a team

that goes 10 and 6 and loses in the first round of playoffs. And we understand that. You guys understand that. For sure. But there are times when you completely melt down where it

alternates between you know, it's just lappable and just totally absurd. And And that's kind of where we are with the Cowboys right now. Because even if they get a whole bunch of people back, even if Ault was able to come back, and Jack Martin apparently is going to come back this week,

they're a bad football team. And when you think about everything that they did in a free agent, every major free agent signing that they had this spring, none of those players, literally, Matt, none of those players are on the active roster right now. They're all gone. Any chance Mike McCarthy gets the hook after one year? No, I don't think that's going to happen.

Jerry doesn't like to pay people not to coach. Yeah, Jason Garrick can back up on that for sure. So I don't think you'll see that, but I do think, especially on the defensive side, that you will see major changes. And that's going to be hard for Mike because obviously his relationship with Mike goes back, well over 20 years. And, you know, Mike Nolan was responsible for Mike McCarthy getting his first entree into the NFL. So, you know, the idea of letting him go would be very, very difficult for McCarthy to stomach, but I think that's something that may be

insisted upon from on high. Thank you for your insights. Small prayer. I know I'm saying it every day that we're calling games inside arenas again, friend. I hope that to you and your family stay safe, and we'll talk with you very soon. I'm right back at you, Matt. Take care. You got it, Chuck Cooperston. You can follow them on Twitter. Great stuff at Kup Mavs.

I just found them just today. It's a worthwhile follow. Great insights on Stephen Silas.