Rick Carlisle Point Quotations

We have to avoid becoming stagnant. We knew at some point Orlando would hit a stretch where they hit shots. We also knew that when that happened we had to keep the ball moving on offense and not slow it down and get into isolation plays. That bogged us down in recent games. I thought we did a good job of staying away from that.

He's at the point now where rookies are still rookies, but they have a veteran sort of confidence about them, and he should. The other thing he has learned this year is that when he plays well, it's going to be tougher to keep playing well because teams are going to keep getting ready for you.

He's a legit point guard with size, he's an excellent defender, and he still hasn't entered his prime, ... The other thing we like about Chauncey is that he really wants to be here. He chose us over 12 to 14 other teams. That means a lot.

He made a point tonight. He was a key part of the game.

Our point guard position was really tremendous, especially in the second half. That's the kind of production we need at all our positions. Let's face it, we're the kind of team right now where we're playing eight guys (Friday). We need six out of eight (players) playing at a high level to beat a team like Sacramento.

We've gotten to the point where we understand that we're a veteran team that has to play to our strengths. We have to be efficient and have a certain toughness about us. We've shown a lot of those qualities over the last week.

Every point counts right now. I know David regrets what happened. We have to channel our emotional energy into emotional strength. That's got to be one our goals as we head down the stretch.

His approach to the season has been so diligent, so professional, that we knew at some point we were going to have to give him an opportunity to play.

He's working hard to get to the point where he can come back. Hopefully it's sooner rather than later. We'll see.

He said he couldn't play. We weren't approaching it like he would play (against Orlando) and not play (against Miami). It's a situation we're aware of. He's worked himself back to the point where he can play. We'll just play it by ear.

It's clear off the last few games that he's a difference maker for us. I'm not going to look to play three guys just to play three guys. I'm going to look to try to have a rotation where guys can be comfortable. But you have to be accountable and play your minutes hard. Otherwise there are good players behind you; that's the fact. Our point position hasn't been this strong in a long time. It's good news for us.

Any loss right now is a big factor for all the teams involved. Another thing I think is important to point out is Tony Brown did a great job taking over for Doc Rivers. He's a former assistant coach of mine. I'm happy for him. I'm not happy for us. We're in a precarious position right now.

It's something I talked to A.J. about. At some point it was probably going to be time to make that switch. A.J. has been great about communicating back with me about it. Jermaine and Tinsley need to be together in the starting lineup on both ends of the floor.

That's something the medical people have to discuss. It's a conversation I haven't been involved in and I don't know what point it's at. You have to look at the long-term future of a young player as well as the short-term gains you have by playing him.