1.21 Gigawatts! Nelson Is Back

In case you haven’t heard, the Golden State Warriors rented a DeLorean today — $43.99/weekday from Budget — and went back in time to re-hire Don Nelson. Janny Hu reports:

In a bold and surprising attempt to end 12 years of playoff futility, the Warriors severed ties with Mike Montgomery this week and will replace him with former coach Don Nelson, the Chronicle has learned.

Nelson has agreed to an incentive-laden three-year contract that is worth up to $18 million, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. As part of the deal, Nelson will receive $1 million if the Warriors make the playoffs this season.

If you’re a Warriors fan you’ve got to be happy. (And they are.) Nelson, 66, should bring instant offense back to this club with his “score first, worry about d later” mentality. He’s got a lot of solid, young talent in that locker room — Baron, J-Rich, Ellis, Murphy, Lil’ Dun, Ike — so it’ll be fun to see what type of line-ups his old man brain will conjure up.

Steve Kerr thinks the Warriors’ success weighs heavily on whether or not Nellie can connect with Baron Davis:

By midseason Davis and Montgomery had almost no relationship whatsoever, according to Golden State insiders, and the situation severely hurt the team’s chances for success. The Warriors had no chemistry or direction.

Nellie will come in with a resume that includes helping develop a couple of point guards (Tim Hardaway and Steve Nash) into NBA stars. Each became the leader of an up-tempo basketball team, and the opportunity changed both players’ careers.

Davis is ultra-talented, but he has been both injury-prone and moody over the years. It is Nelson’s job to turn Davis into the leader he can become. One thing is for sure: Davis will enjoy playing Nellie’s style. The ball will be in his hands, and he will have full authority to run the club. Ultimately, the relationship between the two men will be the key to whether this union is a success. That and Davis’ health.

Can’t say I disagree. Hi-Five, Steve Kerr!

And oh, here’s a fun little nugget: Nelson will bring the Warriors to Dallas in the first week of the NBA season, matching up with Coach Avery Johnson on Nov. 6.

Oh you sly NBA schedulers you!

Montgomery Out, Nellie Back In… [SF Chronicle]
Whoa, Nellie? [Yahoo! Sports]

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By J.E. Skeets at 8:09 pm on 08.29.2006 — Tags: Coaches, Warriors

Comments

3 Responses to “1.21 Gigawatts! Nelson Is Back”

  1. Atma Brother #1 at 10:02 pm on 08.29.2006

    Thanks for the shout out Skeets! GSoM = Nellie mania!

  2. Slim at 11:24 pm on 08.29.2006

    The Fans by the Bay need to ask themselves 1 question: Are you satisfied with just getting to the playoffs and scoring 100 points a game. Your team will score, no doubt. They may (not for sure in the tough West) make the playoffs. But they aren’t going anywhere in the playoffs, thats for certain.

  3. J.E. Skeets at 6:59 am on 08.30.2006

    “The Fans by the Bay need to ask themselves 1 question: Are you satisfied with just getting to the playoffs and scoring 100 points a game?”

    After 12 years of playoff futility? I think the answer is yes. Look, the Warriors are projected to win 45-50 games basically every year … it’s about time they do.

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