Rick Carlisle Suggests Hawks Shouldn't Have Fired Lloyd Pierce Because Pierce Is A Democrat

The Atlanta Hawks fired head coach Lloyd Pierce on Monday after he compiled a miserable 63-120 record in a little more than two seasons. Opposing NBA coaches, including Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, blasted the move.

But Carlisle didn't cite stellar coaching as a reason why the Hawks should have kept Pierce. Instead, Carlisle cited Pierce's politics.

"Georgia, in very large part because of Lloyd’s work and commitment, went from being a traditional Republican state to a Democratic state ... which has massively changed the landscape of our country," Carlise told reporters.

Of course, Pierce didn't win over all of Georgia. He didn't even win over his own team -- as a report from The Athletic said ongoing friction between Pierce and Hawks star guard Trae Young was among the reasons why Pierce got canned. Other Hawks players had also grown frustrated with Pierce, per the report.

Carlise is the president of the NBA Coaches Association, so he is naturally going to defend any coach who gets the axe. That's understandable. Pierce, 44, is also a quality man who has indeed done a lot for his community and has a reputation for treating the people around him with respect.

So this isn't about Pierce. It's about Carlisle giving political reasons for why the Hawks should have kept an underperforming coach. Pierce, Carlisle implied, fit the political party with which the NBA strongly identifies, and therefore Pierce should have kept his job.