Fox Sports' Take on Missing Mario

by Fantasy Junkie on Sep 21, 2006 11:10 AM PDT in News

In Fox Sports 10 Things We Learned this Week, #6 in their 10 was the departure of Mario Elie and what this means.

6. Item: The Golden State Warriors added Stephen Silas to new coach Don Nelson's staff, adding to the ruminations that Mario Elie will be elsewhere by the start of training camp despite one year left on his contract.

What this really means: It's too bad it has come to this for Elie considering how close it appeared that he would be the heir apparent for the head coaching job here. But general manager Chris Mullin's loyalty to Nelson for helping him through his bout with alcoholism pushed Mullin into making this call for the 66-year-old Nelson.

Elie played with Mullin under Nelson on the Warriors, but it was a completely different deal. There is no denying the help Nelson gave Mullin off the court. Basketball-wise, Elie saw through Nelson's politics and game-playing and never bought into his "basketball genius" way of treating players. Consequently, it's hard to fathom at this point he would stick around for such a minor role under a head coach he never quite saw eye-to-eye with. But make no mistake, a competitor the level of Mario Elie will have no trouble getting a job -- he just deserves to get a head coaching opportunity sooner rather than later.

It's sad to see Mario go because he's got a lot of potential to be a very good coach. Unfortunately, this is what had to happen for the short term success that the Golden State Warriors are expecting with the hiring of Don Nelson.

Mario vs. Nelson. If we don't make the playoffs under Nelson, will the departure of Elie come back to haunt us?

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Comments

The Rebirth

HAHA.....just like the Webber Curse.....we might have actually created on the Ellie Curse. knock on wood For some odd reason i see him putting an less talented team over the hump soon.

by buddarifik on Sep 21, 2006 11:28 AM PDT reply actions

Worry not

I am reminded of how many people thought that Rod Higgins was going to be a dynamite head coach.

It doesn't seem to me that there's a shortage of assistants who are seemingly in line for a head coaching job. I'm just not sure why there's been so much fuss about Mario, as if assistants presently unproven as head coaches are somehow a scarce commodity necessitating that we hold onto them for fear that they'll someday help someone else.

by jae on Sep 21, 2006 11:59 AM PDT reply actions

Fix Attitude

Mario is a promising, unproven head coach candidate. What did he do under Monty that justifies comparing him to Nelson for GSW Coaching position?

Over achieving players seem to be sucessful coaches: Skiles, Rivers, Johnson, .... Mario? Maybe but what would be like?

Are we starting to worry about a coach upsetting the status quo of a losing franchise?

I wouldn't. The attitudes need to be adjusted -- everyone's.

I also think Nelson will be out in 2-3 years.

by joe sez on Sep 21, 2006 12:04 PM PDT reply actions

Hello Nellie-ball, Goodbye Elie-ball

A simple question, who is more likely to win a championship sometime in the future -- who has a better chance of accomplishing that?

Elie. Case closed.

by TruthMaker on Sep 21, 2006 10:05 PM PDT reply actions

Me!

Neither guy.

Forget championship and start thinking about GSW fielding a competitive team.

by joe sez on Sep 21, 2006 11:07 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm curious

What did you see in Elie over the past couple of seasons that made you think he would be a great coach? I know he gets lots of run in the media, but I see no positive signs from his work with the Warriors. Does he get a free ride because Monty wasn't a great coach? If he was really that good of a coach, he would have gotten the team to play better in spite of Monty.

by chrisz42 on Sep 22, 2006 8:56 AM PDT up reply actions