This past Tuesday's matchup between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers was selected by hoops fans worldwide to be televised on NBA TV for Fan Night. I never knew so many hoops junkies were so hyped about watching new Warrior Valdimir Radmanovic!
RECAP: Warriors 108, Cavaliers 114 - A Victorious Loss
1993-1994: Good times in Dubs land.
Anyhow CWebb and the Celtics eternal employee Kevin McHale had some interesting things to say about the Dubs and Nellie. Jump for a video and some quotes.
NBA TV's Chris Webber on Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson Nov. 17, 2009 from Turner Sports on Vimeo.
McHale on Golden State’s team chemistry after trading (Stephen) Jackson to the Charlotte Bobcats: "When the players come out and say it will be better when Stephen Jackson goes, which they started a couple of weeks ago, that is really an indication that it is very disruptive. I think (the Warriors) will play free and easy tonight."
Webber on the Golden State Warriors: "When you are on a team that has a bad feeling in the locker room, it is really good to get a breath of fresh air. And I think for Golden State this is a breath of fresh air. When you win and when you lose it is good to just be able to concentrate on your team and the game and not everything that is going inside and outside the locker room."
McHale on coaches getting teams back on track after turmoil: "You have to stay with what you believe in and you can’t be changing. Some coaches say, ‘tonight we are going to play defense, tomorrow we are going to play offense.’ The players get confused and pretty soon they say that the coach has no idea what he is talking about. Stay with your pattern, do what you do. The message has to be the same every single day in the locker room and then the players start buying in and believing. I think that Nellie (coach Don Nelson’s) message is going to be the same. Score a lot of points."
Webber on playing for Golden State’s coach Don Nelson: "I actually got two chances to play for (Nelson), once when I was a young rookie and I think I could have made better decisions then…definitely, I know I could have made better decisions then. He could have as well, as far as explaining the game to young guys. Then I got to play with him my last year in the league for about 10 games and I’ve seen a difference in the way he handles players. To me, he is a player’s coach, definitely a good personality. But that may set some guys up and I think that could be a double-edged sword at times."
McHale on Golden State being under-manned: "One of two things can happen, you either get disheartened and say, ‘we are under-manned and say we can’t play, we can’t win.’ Or the guys can say, ‘I can shoot all I want because the coach can’t take me out.’ There is a point where they can say, ‘it doesn’t matter the coach can’t take me out,’ so maybe they will relax and play."
McHale on Golden State’s play against the Cavaliers: "I did think they played a little looser without Stephen Jackson. The guys in the locker room were saying he needed to go, he wasn’t good here. He left and I thought they played with energy. I thought they played loose and had some chemistry out there."
GSoM Archive:
0 recs | 16 comments
Every coach is a players coach in the NBA
you can’t not be. Players have too much power, as opposed to NFL (for ex) or MLB with much larger rosters. The only REAL Difference between coaches in NBA is whether players buy in or don’t.
End of day, if pheonix bought into Terry porter last year he probably would still be around. If Miami bought into Stan VanJeremy, he wouldn’t have been fired. NBA players have largest ego’s and most power as 1 or 2 players can truly change your team from mediocre/bad to elite (read:Cavaliers)
tafkasam - November 19, 2009
He's not a bad coach by any means.
I’m tired of people blaming everything on him.
Am22mO - November 19, 2009
+1
Look at how he led the We Believe Warriors when they had a ton of odds against them to make the Playoffs in the first place. Even led the Warriors to 48 wins the season after that.
He just tends to suck at coaching a rebuilding team that has a lot of inexperienced players. I wouldn’t want him to coach my team if they are rebuilding but if I had a team with a leader and decent role players that I would welcome Nellie over. Give LeBron to Nellie and King James would average a triple double every season.
Precise Films Productions - November 21, 2009
I am a fairly ardent supporter of Don nelson and his legacy,
…but I hate it when he says stuff like, “I love Stephen Jackson.” It’s creepy and obnoxious.
Nellie’s sense professionalism and interpersonal skills have always been dubious, more especially concerning younger players.
However, I think some players resist or otherwise cannot conform his style of play, so consequently they fall by the wayside.
As far as I’m concerned, that describes Webber. He didn’t want to be Center, so he bolted on us. He set the franchise back years. I remember Nelson in an interview shortly after Webber bailed on us saying, “I do most of my crying in private these days.” Nelson’s a bit of a weirdo, but he’s still inextricably linked to the most successful Warrior’s teams in my lifetime.
Player’s coach? Who cares?
Jeremy Belvins - November 19, 2009
Oops,
When I wrote “who cares?” I didn’t mean to imply it’s bad or irrelevant question. In fact, I don’t know what my point is.
GO DUBZ!
Jeremy Belvins - November 19, 2009
To be fair
is Chris Webber at all a center? I really don’t think he is.
Reverend_Randy - November 19, 2009
To be fair
Is Amare Stoudemire? Pau Gasol? Chuck Hayes? Ben Wallace?
Great players play where their team needs them.
Feltbot - November 19, 2009
I...
…wouldn’t agree with playing him as a center long term, certainly, but given the massive success Webber enjoyed it seemed like a moot point.
Zack Vank - November 20, 2009
C-Webb how I loved you
ejdacanay - November 19, 2009
imagine how different the warriors would end up if he actually stayed
Golden State probably would have a reputation of being one of the greatest teams in the 90s and early 00s.
Precise Films Productions - November 21, 2009
If we're losing someone has to take the blame...
It’s either Nelson, Rowell, Cohen, Monta… Just go down the list! I swear to whatever religion you believe in 2-3 years ago in the “we believe” era, everyone was riding Nellies Jock!!! So it just proves that winning cures everything cause I promise you that he coaches the team the same damn way since he’s been here!
gogomaplata - November 19, 2009 via mobile
winning
Of course winning cures everything. The whole point is to win.
FunkyFresh - November 19, 2009
That team was a bunch of vets
Not a lot of developing guys.
dubzfan - November 19, 2009
So that probably means
Nellie is a good coach for a veteran team, but not a coach you’d want for a rebuilding team filled with a bunch of inexperienced players.
Precise Films Productions - November 21, 2009
It’s possible Nellie wears out his welcome over time. Coaching is largely about trust and leadership. If Nellie’s flawed character grates on people over time, he may lose his touch. Maybe the reason he loved Jack so much was because he’s more like him than would appear superficially.
Naticus2 - November 20, 2009
I think it's interesting to read Webber's comment about Nelson explaining stuff to young players ...
… in the context of how Nellie is handling Randolph.
Ronaldinho - November 19, 2009
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