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The Wing Whisperer

By Steven Dewald

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Rick Carlisle’s History of Maximizing Potential

Al-Farouq Aminu‘s competent start to the 2015-16 NBA season has been a pleasant surprise for everyone in Rip City. His four year 30 million dollar contract had most pundits scratching their heads this past offseason. Fortunately for Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey, the addition of Aminu has looked like a smart buy. How has Aminu gone from after thought in New Orleans to a starter in Portland? A year with NBA “Wing-Whisperer” Rick Carlisle certainly could have something to do with the rise of the former Wake Forest man.

Aminu’s stop in Dallas last year had him under the tutelage of one of the most talented NBA coaches. Besides leading Dallas through their most successful era, Carlisle has also had a habit of expanding the games of perimeter players. From his time as an assistant in Indiana, to his current head coaching job, he has mentored some of the most effective wing players in the NBA.

Nov 8, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers forward Al-Farouq Aminu (8) brings down a rebound over Detroit Pistons forward Ersan Ilyasova (23) at Moda Center at the Rose Quarter. Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports

Carlisle’s biggest success might be his mentoring of former “Fab Five” guard Jalen Rose. Rose came to Indiana around the same time that Carlisle was hired as an assistant coach. Rose’s career was off to a rocky start at that point.  Two forgettable years with the Nuggets saw the Michigan guard traded to the Pacers. His first year with Carlisle as a coach (1997-98) saw Rose’s numbers at a modest 9.4 points per game, 1.9 assists per game, and 2.4 rebounds per game. In Carlisle’s final year as a Pacers assistant (2000-01) Rose’s numbers had jumped to an impressive 20.5 points per game, 6.0 assists per game, and 5.0 rebounds per game.

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Rose is not shy about praising his former coach. He often refers to Carlisle’s influence as a key factor to his success. Rose was able to collect over 100 million dollars in his time as an NBA player. A feat he recently credited to his former coach on his podcast/radio show Jalen & Jacoby.

A more recent success story can currently be found in Boston this season. Jae Crowder has appeared to have turned the corner as an NBA rotation player. The former Marquette wing played his first two and half seasons in Dallas under coach Carlisle. His rookie year with the Mavericks (2012-13) saw Crowder put up a stat line of 5.0 points per game, 0.8 steals per game, and 2.4 rebounds per game. Now with the Celtics, Crowder has turned into a high motor defensive stopper. His 2015-16 stat line reflects this improvement. He is currently averaging 10.8 points per game, 2.4 steals per game, and 5.0 rebounds per game.

This brings us back to Aminu, who is currently starting at forward for the Trail Blazers. Aminu as a bench player in Dallas last season put up a stat line of 5.6 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game, and a 3P% of .274. As a Blazer he is currently averaging 12.2 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game, and a 3P% of .357. His minutes have seen a massive increase since arriving in Portland, but even his per 36 numbers have increased from 10.9 points per game to 13.6 points per game.

It is hardly a coincidence that all these players have achieved success after being coached by Carlisle. Carlisle has tailored a system around maximizing his players natural gifts, translating to productive winning basketball (just forget the Rajon Rondo experiment). With each Aminu double double we should give a little thank you to the coach down in Dallas.