Coaching is a tough business, especially when it comes to telling players they've messed up. But that's partly why Rick Carlisle gets the big bucks. And he's found in his years of leading NBA teams that being honest with players usually eliminates problems. "I haven't seen a film yet that lies and tells you something that's not there," Carlisle said Sunday. "It's not personal. It's coaching. It's trying to get the team better." "We try not to hammer them with too much film. But on the other hand, there are some things they got to see and you got to show them." A lot of these Mavericks found the last coach, Avery Johnson, overbearing. But he also led the Mavericks to their only appearance in an NBA Finals. Every coach is different. And when he has to tell a player he's making a mistake, he can scream, he can be subtle or he can simply say, "Look at the film." All three can be effective, and Carlisle has used each. For Kris Humphries, he went to the film. "I'm greedy," Carlisle said. "I want him to play better and better. The last couple games, some things have been falling off a little bit in terms of his energy level so I've talked to him about that. He needs to be an energizer guy for us." Specifically, Carlisle showed Humphries that he took a pass when it came to getting back on defense after a Mavericks' turnover Saturday against Cleveland. "He pointed that out at halftime," Humphries said. "Definitely, stuff like that can't happen. We're still working things out." Carlisle said Saturday's game was one of Humphries' worst of the preseason, even though he nearly had a double-double with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Humphries is expected to do the dirty work, which some players have a problem with. Not him. "It depends on what you consider dirty work and glamour work," he said. "You got guys who can shoot real well. You got guys who can penetrate. And then you got guys who are going to have to dive on the floor, rebound, bring a little extra that sometimes guys who play a lot more minutes have a tough time doing night in and night out." That's Humphries. Or, at least, that's what Carlisle expects. And the film doesn't lie. Healing up: Shawn Marion is hoping to return for the team's final preseason game Friday at Houston. In between then, the Mavericks go to Pittsburgh for Tuesday's rematch against Cleveland. Josh Howard continues to make progress, but after several months recovering from ankle surgery, there's still no timetable for his return. As for Tim Thomas, he's had three weeks now since his right knee surgery and he said Sunday he's at least another week and a half or two weeks from being cleared to practice. He also missed three days with flu-like symptoms. Once cleared, he said, it would be another week or two to get back in game condition. "It's my first surgery, and I didn't know what to expect," the 32-year-old forward said. "It's one of those things where, if I was younger, I'd probably bounce back a lot sooner. "I didn't want to miss any time with a new system and new teammates. But I got hurt and it's just one of those things. You never want to miss time, especially with a team that's going after the ultimate goal. Now, I'm behind the eight ball a little bit, but I'm doing everything I can to get back."
