Official GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 2008-09 Season Thread
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Nelson's recent struggles look like a recurring nightmare
Bucher
By Ric Bucher
ESPN The Magazine
(Archive)
Updated: December 23, 2008
Warriors coach Don Nelson appears to be reliving the dramas of his last stint in Oakland.
Being taken down memory lane is usually a pleasant experience, but not when the road leads back to the meltdown of the Golden State Warriors franchise I witnessed firsthand 15 years ago.
It was gut-wrenching then, as a beat writer, to cover a team so full of hope and promise, then a year later watch it all come apart in such spectacular fashion that the franchise remained radioactive for years afterward. Now that the Warriors are one of 30 teams I'm responsible for keeping tabs on, their current state is no less dispiriting. Especially because the script and the culprits are nearly identical.
Two seasons ago, the Warriors were one of the most captivating teams in the league. Led by Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson -- and a masterful coaching job by Don Nelson -- they made it to the second round of the playoffs, upsetting the top-seeded Mavericks before bowing to the relentless execution and physical pounding of the Utah Jazz.
Davis is gone. Jackson, according to several sources, recently told teammates he'd happily accept being sent elsewhere. Al Harrington already got his wish to be dealt. Sources also say rookie phenom Anthony Randolph, who some believe has the talent to one day be among the league's top 10 players, has been told he's not fitting in and could be dealt. Corey Maggette, signed this past summer after Davis signed with the Clippers, is back in Los Angeles rehabbing a hamstring, and one opposing GM said Maggette's agent is quietly exploring his trade options.
However bad it looks at 7-20, it's way worse behind the scenes. According to sources, Jackson, Nelson's staunchest ally in the lockerroom, was called into Nelson's car when he showed up for the team's shootaround before facing Orlando. Nelson apparently told Jackson he was playing poorly and Jackson, who had been fighting through injuries to stay on the court, was so upset he skipped the shootaround. Jackson denied any lingering conflict, but he has since decided not to play until his injuries heal.
The common thread between now and 15 years ago is a major dispute between Don Nelson and others, with owner Chris Cohan supporting Nelson. Cohan's support, in light of what happened last time, is akin to investing with the same stockbroker who already bilked you.
Cohan did it then as a neophyte owner, choosing Nelson over Chris Webber when the latter asked that his coach not be allowed to mess with him in much the same way he's messing with Randolph now. Instead, Cohan approved a deal to send Webber to Washington. The team, coming off an electric regular-season finish and playoff appearance, crumbled. Nelson was forced to resign at the All-Star break.
Amazingly enough, Cohan has done it again. This time, the battle pitted the Warriors' top executive, vice president Chris Mullin, against Nelson, both of whom entered the summer looking at their final year under contract. Mullin wanted assurances, sources say, that Nelson would not have a voice in personnel decisions. Cohan responded by approving a five-year extension for team president Bobby Rowell, according to a source, and a two-year extension for Nelson. Cohan has never said a word to Mullin about an extension, according to multiple sources.
This is right about where George Santayana's well-worn observation seems particularly apt: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
[+] Enlarge
Don Nelson and Stephen Jackson
AP Photo/Ben Margot
If Don Nelson has alienated Stephen Jackson, the team's return to winning might prove hard.
Nelson insisted 15 years ago that he had no problems with Webber, just as he insists now that no problems exist between him and Mullin. Or with Randolph. Or with Jackson. He also insists he has no interest in running the franchise, that he is content being the coach.
Whether that last statement is true or not, this is indisputable: According to sources, Davis would still be in a Warriors uniform if Mullin had remained in control. It was not Mullin who fired his right-hand man, Pete D'Alessandro, a quiet, hardworking capologist respected leaguewide. Mullin also did not replace D'Alessandro with Larry Riley, Nelson's right-hand man and closest confidant. Nor did Mullin replace Riley on Nelson's coaching staff with Larry Harris, someone whose entire career has been in the front office and the son of one of Nelson's other longtime confidants, Del Harris.
So, even if those were Rowell's moves, as Nelson claims, every single one has Nelson's fingerprints all over them, and each only bolsters his authority. And even those in the organization who support Nelson will tell you he works best when someone or something can keep him focused on coaching up his team rather than fiddling around with his roster.
In that, he is not so different from Larry Brown or George Karl or any number of accomplished coaches. Brown was at his best under Pat Croce in Philadelphia and in Detroit under Joe Dumars. Karl made his only NBA Finals appearance squirming under the authority of Wally Walker.
When will all this end? Those who support Nelson hope the realization that this is his last stop and his desire to surpass Lenny Wilkens in all-time victories (Nelson has 1,288, Wilkens has 1,332) will keep him motivated for the length of his contract, unlike when he became disenchanted in Dallas and essentially handed over the reins to Avery Johnson long before he was officially fired. The theory is that the Hall of Fame, which so far has denied entry to the former NBA player, couldn't do so if he's the all-time winningest coach.
There are two problems with such hopes. One, is it really in the best interest of a team this young to constantly change lineups and rotations for the sake of eking out a few more wins? Especially when all that manipulation isn't producing wins? It's one thing to bury Marcus Williams, the point guard acquired from New Jersey whom Nelson publicly demoralized almost from the minute he arrived. But Randolph is a far too valuable asset. According to a half-dozen scouts and GMs, he has the potential to be the best player in his draft class.
Two, Nelson already has left at least one game and one shootaround before it was over and, according to sources, is not nearly as hands-on in practice as he was two years ago. He announced last week that he is relinquishing responsibility for the team's defense, turning it over to assistants Keith Smart and Sidney Moncrief. But even defensive-minded head coaches have an assistant dedicated to that end of the floor. Nelson's announcement sounds less like delegation and more like hand-washing.
I was in full support of the Warriors' bringing back Nelson two years ago because he was the only coach available who could take the existing talent and immediately end the team's 12-year playoff drought. Besides, Mullin knew with whom he was dealing. Nelson questioned after his first year of success whether he had the energy to keep going, hoping to extract a raise and an extension, but Mullin resisted. When Nelson began pushing to have players traded -- Monta Ellis is one example -- Mullin didn't respond, nor let it poison the player or the team.
Whether that's where Mullin and Nelson fell out of step is not clear. But rest assured, their relationship has soured and the power structure has changed. Even if Nelson's extension can be rescinded should he start mailing it in, as one source indicated it can, the damage is already being done. Rumors have floated for months that the minority owners, who are pro-Mullin and anti-Nelson, are attempting to buy out Cohan. If that's true, it can't happen quickly enough.
Not if the Warriors want to avoid another 12-year recovery.
Ric Bucher covers the NBA for ESPN The Magazine.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=bucher_ric&page=warriorsbucher-081223
Bucher
By Ric Bucher
ESPN The Magazine
(Archive)
Updated: December 23, 2008
Warriors coach Don Nelson appears to be reliving the dramas of his last stint in Oakland.
Being taken down memory lane is usually a pleasant experience, but not when the road leads back to the meltdown of the Golden State Warriors franchise I witnessed firsthand 15 years ago.
It was gut-wrenching then, as a beat writer, to cover a team so full of hope and promise, then a year later watch it all come apart in such spectacular fashion that the franchise remained radioactive for years afterward. Now that the Warriors are one of 30 teams I'm responsible for keeping tabs on, their current state is no less dispiriting. Especially because the script and the culprits are nearly identical.
Two seasons ago, the Warriors were one of the most captivating teams in the league. Led by Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson -- and a masterful coaching job by Don Nelson -- they made it to the second round of the playoffs, upsetting the top-seeded Mavericks before bowing to the relentless execution and physical pounding of the Utah Jazz.
Davis is gone. Jackson, according to several sources, recently told teammates he'd happily accept being sent elsewhere. Al Harrington already got his wish to be dealt. Sources also say rookie phenom Anthony Randolph, who some believe has the talent to one day be among the league's top 10 players, has been told he's not fitting in and could be dealt. Corey Maggette, signed this past summer after Davis signed with the Clippers, is back in Los Angeles rehabbing a hamstring, and one opposing GM said Maggette's agent is quietly exploring his trade options.
However bad it looks at 7-20, it's way worse behind the scenes. According to sources, Jackson, Nelson's staunchest ally in the lockerroom, was called into Nelson's car when he showed up for the team's shootaround before facing Orlando. Nelson apparently told Jackson he was playing poorly and Jackson, who had been fighting through injuries to stay on the court, was so upset he skipped the shootaround. Jackson denied any lingering conflict, but he has since decided not to play until his injuries heal.
The common thread between now and 15 years ago is a major dispute between Don Nelson and others, with owner Chris Cohan supporting Nelson. Cohan's support, in light of what happened last time, is akin to investing with the same stockbroker who already bilked you.
Cohan did it then as a neophyte owner, choosing Nelson over Chris Webber when the latter asked that his coach not be allowed to mess with him in much the same way he's messing with Randolph now. Instead, Cohan approved a deal to send Webber to Washington. The team, coming off an electric regular-season finish and playoff appearance, crumbled. Nelson was forced to resign at the All-Star break.
Amazingly enough, Cohan has done it again. This time, the battle pitted the Warriors' top executive, vice president Chris Mullin, against Nelson, both of whom entered the summer looking at their final year under contract. Mullin wanted assurances, sources say, that Nelson would not have a voice in personnel decisions. Cohan responded by approving a five-year extension for team president Bobby Rowell, according to a source, and a two-year extension for Nelson. Cohan has never said a word to Mullin about an extension, according to multiple sources.
This is right about where George Santayana's well-worn observation seems particularly apt: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
[+] Enlarge
Don Nelson and Stephen Jackson
AP Photo/Ben Margot
If Don Nelson has alienated Stephen Jackson, the team's return to winning might prove hard.
Nelson insisted 15 years ago that he had no problems with Webber, just as he insists now that no problems exist between him and Mullin. Or with Randolph. Or with Jackson. He also insists he has no interest in running the franchise, that he is content being the coach.
Whether that last statement is true or not, this is indisputable: According to sources, Davis would still be in a Warriors uniform if Mullin had remained in control. It was not Mullin who fired his right-hand man, Pete D'Alessandro, a quiet, hardworking capologist respected leaguewide. Mullin also did not replace D'Alessandro with Larry Riley, Nelson's right-hand man and closest confidant. Nor did Mullin replace Riley on Nelson's coaching staff with Larry Harris, someone whose entire career has been in the front office and the son of one of Nelson's other longtime confidants, Del Harris.
So, even if those were Rowell's moves, as Nelson claims, every single one has Nelson's fingerprints all over them, and each only bolsters his authority. And even those in the organization who support Nelson will tell you he works best when someone or something can keep him focused on coaching up his team rather than fiddling around with his roster.
In that, he is not so different from Larry Brown or George Karl or any number of accomplished coaches. Brown was at his best under Pat Croce in Philadelphia and in Detroit under Joe Dumars. Karl made his only NBA Finals appearance squirming under the authority of Wally Walker.
When will all this end? Those who support Nelson hope the realization that this is his last stop and his desire to surpass Lenny Wilkens in all-time victories (Nelson has 1,288, Wilkens has 1,332) will keep him motivated for the length of his contract, unlike when he became disenchanted in Dallas and essentially handed over the reins to Avery Johnson long before he was officially fired. The theory is that the Hall of Fame, which so far has denied entry to the former NBA player, couldn't do so if he's the all-time winningest coach.
There are two problems with such hopes. One, is it really in the best interest of a team this young to constantly change lineups and rotations for the sake of eking out a few more wins? Especially when all that manipulation isn't producing wins? It's one thing to bury Marcus Williams, the point guard acquired from New Jersey whom Nelson publicly demoralized almost from the minute he arrived. But Randolph is a far too valuable asset. According to a half-dozen scouts and GMs, he has the potential to be the best player in his draft class.
Two, Nelson already has left at least one game and one shootaround before it was over and, according to sources, is not nearly as hands-on in practice as he was two years ago. He announced last week that he is relinquishing responsibility for the team's defense, turning it over to assistants Keith Smart and Sidney Moncrief. But even defensive-minded head coaches have an assistant dedicated to that end of the floor. Nelson's announcement sounds less like delegation and more like hand-washing.
I was in full support of the Warriors' bringing back Nelson two years ago because he was the only coach available who could take the existing talent and immediately end the team's 12-year playoff drought. Besides, Mullin knew with whom he was dealing. Nelson questioned after his first year of success whether he had the energy to keep going, hoping to extract a raise and an extension, but Mullin resisted. When Nelson began pushing to have players traded -- Monta Ellis is one example -- Mullin didn't respond, nor let it poison the player or the team.
Whether that's where Mullin and Nelson fell out of step is not clear. But rest assured, their relationship has soured and the power structure has changed. Even if Nelson's extension can be rescinded should he start mailing it in, as one source indicated it can, the damage is already being done. Rumors have floated for months that the minority owners, who are pro-Mullin and anti-Nelson, are attempting to buy out Cohan. If that's true, it can't happen quickly enough.
Not if the Warriors want to avoid another 12-year recovery.
Ric Bucher covers the NBA for ESPN The Magazine.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=bucher_ric&page=warriorsbucher-081223
http://firenelson.com/
heard about this on the radio today. you know the warriors are gonna look at this site. go speak your piece!!!
heard about this on the radio today. you know the warriors are gonna look at this site. go speak your piece!!!
Jackson, Maggette seek trades
things are totally falling apart, as if they werent already...
"Stephen Jackson told his teammates that he would happily accept being traded from the Warriors, according to ESPN.com's Ric Bucher.
Jax wasn't pleased with coach Don Nelson after being told that he was playing poorly -- he was playing with a sore hand at the time, but decided to shut it down after that conversation. Corey Maggette's agent is also said to be exploring trade options. The likelihood of a trade is unknown, but the wheels are clearly falling off in Golden State."
things are totally falling apart, as if they werent already...
"Stephen Jackson told his teammates that he would happily accept being traded from the Warriors, according to ESPN.com's Ric Bucher.
Jax wasn't pleased with coach Don Nelson after being told that he was playing poorly -- he was playing with a sore hand at the time, but decided to shut it down after that conversation. Corey Maggette's agent is also said to be exploring trade options. The likelihood of a trade is unknown, but the wheels are clearly falling off in Golden State."
