Great news my golden friends. Nellie's back for one more go to save this franchise and its loyal fanbase from its incompetent owner and front office!
Nellie spots a final unBELIEVEable 30th season as a head coach!
1.. 2... 3... JUMP!
Word on the street is Don Nelson will return to coach the Dubs in 08-09 for his final season at the bench:
- Nelson says he's returning to Warriors [Press Democrat]
- Don Nelson makes it official: He’s back for next season–now it’s time to figure out a successor [Talking Points]
Thank.
God.
Is there any other coach that could squeeze 48 wins out of such a flawed roster this past season in the uber-loaded Western Conference? Is there anyone else in the Warriors organization who's as brutally honest and hilarious in his interviews? Is there anyone else in this perpetually clueless organization that's ready to admit moving Jason Richardson this past season was a silly step back in the short term for a team that FINALLY made the playoffs and is trying to get back on the hoops map? Is there any other coach out there that can salvage his buddy Chris Mullin's poor drafting and churn out 90 regular season wins in two seasons? Is there anyone else out there who can almost single-handedly change the culture of one of the league's worst franchises and revitalize Bay Area pro hoops in the matter of months?
I think not.
For those of you counting at home this will be Nellie's 30th season as a head coach in the National Basketball Association. His coaching record and accomplishments are matched by only a certain select few.
- Don Nelson [Wikipedia]
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GSoM search for Don Nelson
Real quick here's what 1 more year of Nellie means:
- The Greatest Show on Hardwood. There's a reason hoops fans around the league stayed up late to catch the Warriors on national TV or on League Pass. San Antonio Snores they are not.
- Boom Dizzle will bring his best. In all likelihood the Warriors cheap and disloyal front office will not be looking to take of their best player and biggest star in over a decade. I'm honestly conflicted here. I'd love to see the Warriors take care of Baron Davis with a reasonable contract and have his Beardness retire a Warrior (like Jason Richardson should have), but I do understand the worries about BD's health and even his attitude with a poor coach (which Chris Cohan is almost certain to bring on sometime in the near future). Anyhow, Nellie is one of the few coaches Baron respects and will play his heart out for.
- Someone's got to go. There's no way Nellie's going to coach this exact same cast next season. He's not all that confident in the young core that Mullin has assembled (Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright, Marco Belinelli, and Patrick O'Bryant) as indicated by their restricted to zero playing time this past season. POB's a gonner and I'd be shocked if Biedrins, Wright, and Belinelli were all on the Warriors 2008-2009 roster when it's all said and done. I trust Nellie's assessment over any one else in the Warriors front office or in the local media. If he doesn't think they're good enough to play big minutes (at least now), heck they probably aren't. Likewise, don't expect the Warriors to retain all of the Mickael Pietrus, Matt Barnes, and Al Harrington multi-purpose triumvirate. I will definitely miss any of this trio that the Warriors front office understandably doesn't bring back.
- Unlike most of the 1994-2007 drought the Warriors will not get out-coached on most nights.
- The Don Nelson Show on KNBR with The Razor and Mr. T every Thursday!
- There's 110 reasons to watch and care about 2008-2009 Golden State Warriors basketball every... single... night.
The haters will harp on the fact in Nellie's never sniffed an NBA title. Newsflash. It takes all-time great players to make that happen. Great not meaning Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Mullin, Tim Hardaway, or Mitch Richmond. Great meaning Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan. Sorry but Nellie's just never had that kind of talent and won't have it his final season at the bench. If you're expecting a championship this season you were fooled.
Nellie critics will say he doesn't match up to Phil Jackson, Larry Brown, or even Jerry Sloan. Great. I might buy that, but I will contend that Nellie's never coached players as good as the ones they've had. But do you really think any of these even more lengendary head coaches are going to coach THIS team RIGHT NOW? Don't think so. The Warriors lucked into Nellie two years back because Mullin was able to bring back his mentor to help get him out of the awful mess he created in Oakland (Mike Dunleavy, Mike Montgomery, Troy Murphy, and Adonal Foyle, Patrick O'Bryant, Kosta Perovic). Just sit back and appreciate what we've got.
Nellie is the best thing that could possibly happen to this loser organization. Hey you're a loser organization if you miss the playoffs 13 of the past 14 years in a league where over half the teams qualify for postseason action.
This organization is nothing without Nellie.
Are you happy the legend's back to play Captain Save 'em?