Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales came up with Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks. First he worked as a wide recievers coach for eight years, then a variety of other roles before moving on to be Tampa’s OC for one season before landing his current job. One thing is abundantly clear: Carroll’s style made a big impression on Canales and the way he runs his team.
From emulating Carroll’s relentless positivity to a mantra of unceasing competition, Canales has clearly modeled his coaching style after his former boss, who’s now with the Raiders. The influence extends into the Panthers’ physical space, including a basketball hoop in the meeting area where they hold free throw contests, a constant throughout Carroll’s time in Seattle.
Canales is directly involving his team in this year’s NBA Finals, apparently. According to team reporter Darin Gantt, he’s had the Panthers watching highlights of the games together – emphasizing the communication he sees on defense, among other things he thinks his team can learn from. As for the series, Canales refrained from making a pick, but Bryce Young is sticking with his OKC pick despite a 2-1 hole against the Pacers.
“Quarterback Bryce Young who picked the Thunder to win the Finals before they started, said Thursday he’s sticking with that prediction despite their 2-1 disadvantage. Canales deferred on a prediction, saying, “I just want teams to play up to their full potential,” which is a lot like saying he hopes both teams have fun.”
As the No. 1 seed in the western conference, the Thunder were heavily favored against Indiana coming into the series – while the Pacers were at best the fourth-best team in the east. However, they have some all-time Cinderella energy working for them – and their improbable run through the NBA playoffs included multiple 20-point comebacks.
Nevertheless, Young is probably right to stick with the Thunder. Indy’s comeback magic can only carry you so far and if not for a Jayson Tatum injury they might not even be here. The odds are still with the Thunder, too. In fact, for Game 4 OKC is the biggest finals road favorite in 35 years.
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