J’ai Fait Une Erreur Compréhensible.

Let’s make a quick trip back to April 29th, 2010.

The San Antonio Spurs beat the Dallas Mavericks in the sixth and deciding game of their first-round playoff series, and a coach was crucified. Rick Carlisle had the audacity to bench the explosive Rodrigue Beaubois for most of the fourth quarter, and no one quite understood why. Beaubois was hugely influential in rallying the Mavs back from a double-digit deficit, and with the Mavs’ season hanging in the balance, Carlisle turned away from the rook. He sat Beaubois on the bench as he had done so many times before, and outrage ensued.

People were right to be outraged. Beaubois scored 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting in just 21 minutes, and who knows what could have been for Dallas had he seen a bit more burn. Instead, Jason Kidd struggled (supposedly due to back problems), Jason Terry was ineffective, and Dirk Nowitzki was swarmed while the rest of the Mavericks watched. Throw in some defensive struggles and a few long two-point jumpers from Tony Parker for good measure, and that was all Rick wrote.

Carlisle made his call, even if it was curious at the time and looks like blatantly poor judgment in retrospect. Count me among those who doesn’t envy a head coach’s position, though. It would have been impossibly tough to leave Kidd on the bench. He’s a more versatile defender than either Terry or Beaubois, a better rebounder, and that’s saying nothing of his far superior playmaking skills. Dallas acquired Kidd so that the offense could be under control at all times, and while handing the reins to Beaubois to run the offense would have made for riveting theater, it’s not quite in line with the Mavs’ conservative offensive philosophy. Beaubois hadn’t played much point all season, and throwing him into the fire during the fourth quarter of a season-deciding game doesn’t seem like inspired management.

Then again, there’s something to be said about Beaubois’ inexperience running the point and playing in general considering his bursts and obvious skill. Carlisle should have been comfortable with Beaubois by that stage. It’s a shame that he wasn’t, and Rick has only himself to blame for that.

Anyway, Kidd was a lock. Shawn Marion was a lock for his defense on Manu Ginobili. Dirk Nowitzki was on the floor for obvious reasons. Brendan Haywood and Erick Dampier split time defending Tim Duncan. That means that when basketball fans raged about Beaubois’ benching, they really raged about one thing in particular: Rick Carlisle’s decision to play Jason Terry, one of the greatest clutch scorers in franchise history, over Rodrigue Beaubois, a dynamic, game-changing rookie that lest we forget, was still a rookie (and one with limited playing time under his belt, at that).

JET played horribly during the game’s first three quarters. He had some open looks, but didn’t have a single make by the time the fourth rolled around. It was one of Terry’s poorest performances in a Maverick uniform (if not the poorest), but Carlisle wasn’t wrong to trust in JET. Terry has a habit of bouncing back late in games, and the Spurs are no stranger to his daggers. It just didn’t happen, and Carlisle looked the fool.

His judgment didn’t serve him well, and the Mavs lost the game, the series, and their season. But last night showed a bit of what Carlisle was likely expecting all along, and what JET has done so many times before.

In yesterday’s game against the Hornets, Terry shot 2-for-11 in the first half despite having some incredible looks. Some nights the shots just don’t fall, and when that happens, JET’s utility is slashed significantly. If Terry can’t even hit his open looks, he doesn’t serve much of a purpose on the court. He’s a scorer, and all of the other skills that round out his repertoire are merely complementary.

But Carlisle played Terry anyway, and as good shooters are ought to do, Terry started putting in makes. He hit seven of his eight shots in the second half, and made all three of his three-point attempts. He dropped 18 in 20 second-half minutes, including a pair of momentum-changing three-pointers to start the fourth, and four of the Mavs’ final five game-clinching points.

Was Carlisle’s decision to leave Beaubois on the bench faulty? Based on the result, that seems inarguable, but I’d contend otherwise. We all love Beaubois, and he was fabulously effective in the game in question. But JET is JET, and the decision to play him with everything on the line is far from indefensible. I’m as irritated as anyone that Beaubois wasn’t given more playing time throughout the season (and throughout the Mavs’ playoff series, for that matter), but given Terry’s pedigree, no one should have been surprised that he was given fourth-quarter priority. He went 2-of-6 in a game just a few months prior before nailing a game-winning jumper. He is and has always been an instrumental part of Dallas’ half-court offense, and the Mavs’ shooting guards are placed in sets and utilized with him in mind.

Terry’s performance in the fourth quarter last night was outstanding, but not out of character. This is who Jason Terry is, and it’s who he was when Rick Carlisle stood behind him in April.