Rick Carlisle is ready to let Jason Kidd and the Dallas Mavericks run. And run.

And run some more.

"When you play with Jason Kidd, you have to open it up," Carlisle said Wednesday. "Our wing guys are going to have to get conditioned to really run. The thing Jason Kidd does better than probably any point guard in the league is push the ball ahead."

Carlisle was hired over the weekend to replace Avery Johnson, who got the Mavericks to the NBA finals in 2006 and a franchise-record 67 wins in '07, but wore out his welcome with consecutive first-round playoff flops and problems with team owner Mark Cuban.

Johnson was fired two weeks ago Wednesday, the morning after Dallas was ousted by New Orleans. Carlisle quickly moved to the top of the candidate list compiled by Cuban and Donnie Nelson, the team's president of basketball operations, despite having no connection to the organization. He wound up being the only candidate interviewed.

"I think he embodies all the good things the Mavs are looking to accomplish — hard work, ingenuity, creativity," Cuban said. "We're really proud and excited to have him here."

Carlisle emphasized his ready-to-run mentality in the opening statement at his news conference. He also stressed that while more fun, "it's a lot of work, a lot of sweat."

"If you're going to play at a faster tempo offensively, there's an unbelievable physical commitment," Carlisle said. "It's probably going to be one of the tougher training camps. ... The summer our guys have in terms of preparation and conditioning is going to be absolutely critical."

Carlisle added that he plans to keep the defensive core established by predecessor Avery Johnson, prompting a whisper of "That's cool" from Dirk Nowitzki, who was sitting with the media to hear what his new coach had to say.

"We've got to be passionate and vigilant about what Avery (started) here," Carlisle said.

Carlisle said he was hoping to spend some time in Germany with Nowitzki this summer in hopes of adding "a few things to make the game easier for him." They've already talked plenty, with Nowitzki asking about Carlisle's long relationship as a former teammate and friend of Larry Bird.

Ainge chosen top executive in NBA: Danny Ainge, who engineered the trades for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen that helped the Boston Celtics post the biggest turnaround in league history, was given the Sporting News NBA Executive of the Year award before Wednesday night's playoff game.

"What he did off the court with this team, it made a lot of players and a lot of teams in the NBA aware that the Celtics were serious," Allen said before Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinal against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the voting by general managers and other executives from all 30 teams, Ainge received 18 of the 47 votes. Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak had 14 votes and New Orleans Hornets general manager Jeff Bower who had 12.

"He orchestrated a stunning and record setting turnaround of a struggling team with two great trades and various other roster acquisitions," Toronto GM Brian Colangelo said.

Bucks add Sampson to coaching staff: Kelvin Sampson is getting another shot at coaching.

The former Indiana University coach was one of four assistants hired by Milwaukee Bucks head coach Scott Skiles.

Skiles also hired former Chicago Bulls coach Jim Boylan and former NBA players Lionel Hollins and Joe Wolf.

Sampson also brings some baggage.

He resigned as Hoosiers coach on Feb. 22 and accepted a $750,000 buyout after an NCAA report charged him with five major NCAA rules violations.

Sampson took the Indiana job in March 2006 and two months later was penalized by the NCAA for making 577 impermissible phone calls between 2000 and 2004 while coaching Oklahoma.