Source: Nelson expected to leave Warriors Monday

Coach Don Nelson is expected to part ways with the Golden State Warriors on Monday, an NBA source told The Associated Press, possibly ending the career of the league’s victory leader.

The source spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday night because the surprising move by new team owner Joe Lacob likely won’t be announced until the start of the Warriors’ training camp next week.

The 70-year-old Nelson has a record 1,335 victories in 31 seasons coaching Milwaukee, Golden State, New York and Dallas. The former Boston forward won five championships largely as a sixth man with the Celtics, but he has never led a team to a title or even reached the NBA finals.

He passed Lenny Wilkens’ NBA record of 1,332 wins on April 7, near the close of the fourth season in his second stint with the Warriors. Golden State finished 26-56 last season.

The source wasn’t certain whether Nelson technically would resign or be fired, but the sometimes-litigious coach is expected to be paid the full $6 million he’s owed for the final year of his contract.

ESPN.com first reported Nelson’s departure. Assistant coach Keith Smart, the former player and Cleveland head coach long considered Nelson’s heir apparent in Oakland, is expected to succeed Nelson.

Nelson and general manager Larry Riley didn’t immediately return phone calls seeking comment. Riley was Nelson’s assistant coach until the 2008-09 season, when he took over personnel decisions while the Warriors phased out top basketball executive Chris Mullin.

The Warriors waited until the final days before camp to make a major change under new owners Lacob and Peter Guber, who bought the club for a record $450 million in July from Chris Cohan, the long-reviled owner who’s blamed by Bay Area fans for the franchise’s absence from the playoffs in 15 of the past 16 seasons.

Nelson was hailed when Mullin hired his former coach to return to Golden State in 2006, and Nelson immediately led the Warriors into the postseason, where the eighth-seeded club upset the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in 2007. Golden State then won 48 games but barely missed the playoffs after the 2007-08 season.

Golden State won just 55 games over the past two seasons while dismantling the core of the 2007 and 2008 teams led by Baron Davis(notes) and Stephen Jackson(notes). Nelson was criticized for sticking with his style of run-and-run offense and little defense, while some young players got extensive minutes and others never got off the bench.

The sale is expected to be ratified by the NBA later this year, but Lacob and Guber already are heavily involved in running the Warriors.

Nelson is a three-time NBA coach of the year, but he’s also the only coach with more than 1,000 career victories who hasn’t been enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

His teams won at least 50 games in 13 seasons, but he also went through several lows—notably a tumultuous 59-game stint with the Knicks in 1995-96.

Nelson began his career as coach and general manager of the Bucks in 1976, making the playoffs nine times in his 11 seasons. He took over the Warriors in 1988 and immediately installed the uptempo offense that led to the “Run T-M-C” era of exciting hoops led by Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Mullin.

But Nelson clashed with No. 1 overall draft pick Chris Webber(notes) and eventually left the Warriors during the 1994-95 season. After a short stint on Broadway, he took over the struggling Mavericks in 1998 and transformed them into a playoff team by his fourth season, surviving a bout with prostate cancer along the way.

Dallas reached the Western Conference finals in 2003, losing to the San Antonio Spurs. His parting with the Mavericks in March 2005 eventually turned acrimonious, with Nelson and owner Mark Cuban eventually getting involved in litigation over Nelson’s compensation.

Nellie-Ball rules.

minneapolisFunq said:

Nellie-Ball rules.

His style never wins championships. He's always been a gimmick coach.

uPtoWnNY said:

minneapolisFunq said:

Nellie-Ball rules.

His style never wins championships. He's always been a gimmick coach.

I've never really understood why anyone would hire this guy as a head coach. Asst maybe....

Graycap23 said:

I've never really understood why anyone would hire this guy as a head coach. Asst maybe....

He'll take your team to a certain point, but that's it. If you want to go deep in the playoffs, it's all about tough, hard-nosed defense, rebounding and smart offense. Look at the way Boston and LA played Game 7. Complete opposite of Nellie-ball. And Nellie has no clue on how to coach big men. He actually wanted to play Patrick Ewing at forward and Anthony Mason at center. We all know how that worked out.

uPtoWnNY said:

minneapolisFunq said:

Nellie-Ball rules.

His style never wins championships. He's always been a gimmick coach.

Thank you! I'm so glad he's gone.

Gimmick coaches don't win the most games in the history of the league.

Haters can suck on Nellie's nuts!

minneapolisFunq said:

Gimmick coaches don't win the most games in the history of the league.

Haters can suck on Nellie's nuts!

The guy has never won anything.................haters? Haters of what?

minneapolisFunq said:

Gimmick coaches don't win the most games in the history of the league.

Haters can suck on Nellie's nuts!

GTFO...talk to me about playoff series wins and rings.

minneapolisFunq said:

Gimmick coaches don't win the most games in the history of the league.

Haters can suck on Nellie's nuts!

Dude. Seriously? Why do you think he kept coming back? I'll tell you why, because NOBODY cares how many games he won as a coach. Ask Phil Jackson about that. Do people quote his win total or how many TITLES he's won?

Oh well.

LOL@these haters

How can you discredit the most wins EVER in NBA history?

Nellie has a ring, he hit the game winning shot as a player

Look at all of the dominant teams in the NBA and please rethink your opinions

Only 7 different teams have won it all in the last 25 years and he has coached for 31.

Do the math.

You don't have to win a ring to be considered great. This stands for players and coaches should not be overlooked due to the lack of a championship.

Laker dickriders can die slow btw.

Rethink my OPINON?! What? Ummm, no. I live a stones throw from the arena. I've been a hard core fan since the Run TMC years. I've had season tickets. Nellie can swing on BOTH my nuts. His wins = nothing.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Don-Nelson-quits-on-the-Warriors-Officially-th;_ylt=AnCrO39ujoWnTHbfJGjncUu8vLYF?urn=nba-272141

Don Nelson quits on the Warriors. Officially, this time

By Kelly Dwyer

One would have to assume there is a fair bit of jubilation and relief sweeping across Warrior nation. Golden State boasts a massive and long-suffering fan base, and with the news that Don Nelson is stepping aside as Warriors coach ringing in their ears, it's right to assume this is about as great a feeling as they've had in years, save for that engaging playoff run in 2007.

Because Nellie kept this team from the ranks of the mediocre with his coaching decisions. He destroyed that team from the inside out. It wasn't just the unorthodoxy, because he's won before by going against the typical. It was the way Nelson quit on the Warriors while still showing up for work every day. The awful rotations. The laissez-faire attitude. The inattention to detail. The giant cash grab during his final three years coaching this team. (with a smart ass grin on his face the whole time!)

It's not as if Nellie held much back. Phil Jackson's churning gestalt wagon or Larry Brown's incessant fundamentals exercise couldn't have pushed the Warrior roster -- especially with the ridiculous amount of injuries they dealt with last season -- into the playoffs over the last two years. But Nelson's way had the Warriors out of their opponents' way before the game even tipped off. He hamstrung that team from achieving relevance. Destroyed any chance at a proper rebuilding. Just about every promising answer to a question about the Warriors over the last few years was topped off with the caveat, "but as long as Nellie's in charge, it might not even matter."

Now, with new coach Keith Smart comes orthodoxy. Which isn't always the answer, but because the slate is relatively clean (Smart has been around this team as an assistant), you have to like Golden State moving forward.

For one, it's almost as if they just traded for a starting center. Andris Biedrins(notes) wasn't going to play a lick with Nellie around, but now he'll return and possibly start, moving undersized free-agent grab David Lee(notes) down to the power forward slot.

Secondly, though no coach is immune to bias or letting his anger get the best of his rotations, you get the feeling that Smart won't be developing his rotation around those who he dislikes the least. That it might be about winning, more than anything else, and not about cashing checks and soothing your insecurities.

Most importantly? The Warriors -- both the team and the fan base -- won't feel as if they've lost the game before it even starts. The Warriors will be the underdog going against most teams this season, but they'll at least feel like the bench is angling them toward a victory and not some petty, arbitrary personal goal.

This might not put the Warriors in the playoffs, but it does put them on the right track. Don Nelson had held this team hostage for too, too long. And though an incompetent owner and full-of-itself front office were also to blame for the team's continued irrelevance, Nelson topped it all off by undermining Golden State's chances at winning every time out.

This was a move that needed to be made years ago. It's just a shame it took three bum years and a new owner to give Don Nelson his dream job -- that of a guy who doesn't work, yet still allowed to make millions of dollars a year.

uPtoWnNY said:

minneapolisFunq said:

Gimmick coaches don't win the most games in the history of the league.

Haters can suck on Nellie's nuts!

GTFO...talk to me about playoff series wins and rings.

Most wins of all time

Your opinion has no effect on the record books

End of discussion.

[Edited 9/26/10 14:52pm]

Cerebus said:

Rethink my OPINON?! What? Ummm, no. I live a stones throw from the arena. I've been a hard core fan since the Run TMC years. I've had season tickets. Nellie can swing on BOTH my nuts. His wins = nothing.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Don-Nelson-quits-on-the-Warriors-Officially-th;_ylt=AnCrO39ujoWnTHbfJGjncUu8vLYF?urn=nba-272141

Don Nelson quits on the Warriors. Officially, this time

By Kelly Dwyer

One would have to assume there is a fair bit of jubilation and relief sweeping across Warrior nation. Golden State boasts a massive and long-suffering fan base, and with the news that Don Nelson is stepping aside as Warriors coach ringing in their ears, it's right to assume this is about as great a feeling as they've had in years, save for that engaging playoff run in 2007.

Because Nellie kept this team from the ranks of the mediocre with his coaching decisions. He destroyed that team from the inside out. It wasn't just the unorthodoxy, because he's won before by going against the typical. It was the way Nelson quit on the Warriors while still showing up for work every day. The awful rotations. The laissez-faire attitude. The inattention to detail. The giant cash grab during his final three years coaching this team. (with a smart ass grin on his face the whole time!)

It's not as if Nellie held much back. Phil Jackson's churning gestalt wagon or Larry Brown's incessant fundamentals exercise couldn't have pushed the Warrior roster -- especially with the ridiculous amount of injuries they dealt with last season -- into the playoffs over the last two years. But Nelson's way had the Warriors out of their opponents' way before the game even tipped off. He hamstrung that team from achieving relevance. Destroyed any chance at a proper rebuilding. Just about every promising answer to a question about the Warriors over the last few years was topped off with the caveat, "but as long as Nellie's in charge, it might not even matter."

Now, with new coach Keith Smart comes orthodoxy. Which isn't always the answer, but because the slate is relatively clean (Smart has been around this team as an assistant), you have to like Golden State moving forward.

For one, it's almost as if they just traded for a starting center. Andris Biedrins(notes) wasn't going to play a lick with Nellie around, but now he'll return and possibly start, moving undersized free-agent grab David Lee(notes) down to the power forward slot.

Secondly, though no coach is immune to bias or letting his anger get the best of his rotations, you get the feeling that Smart won't be developing his rotation around those who he dislikes the least. That it might be about winning, more than anything else, and not about cashing checks and soothing your insecurities.

Most importantly? The Warriors -- both the team and the fan base -- won't feel as if they've lost the game before it even starts. The Warriors will be the underdog going against most teams this season, but they'll at least feel like the bench is angling them toward a victory and not some petty, arbitrary personal goal.

This might not put the Warriors in the playoffs, but it does put them on the right track. Don Nelson had held this team hostage for too, too long. And though an incompetent owner and full-of-itself front office were also to blame for the team's continued irrelevance, Nelson topped it all off by undermining Golden State's chances at winning every time out.

This was a move that needed to be made years ago. It's just a shame it took three bum years and a new owner to give Don Nelson his dream job -- that of a guy who doesn't work, yet still allowed to make millions of dollars a year.

End of discussion.

NBA basketball is entertainment.

We as fans tend to take things to a personal level and blind ourselves to that fact.

Nellie has coached teams that are fun to watch (and play for, in most cases).

You can discredit him for his shortcomings (Winning a title as a coach is the only one I can think of) but it all boils down to the way the game is played, and he established an aesthetically pleasing style of ball whether it undermined the goal of winning a championship or not ( I would argue that it did not. Take a look at the caliber of the top teams during his tenure).

Timmy84 said:

Oh well.

My sentiments exactly. It's football season.

I'll take Riley, Larry Brown, Poppovich, or Phil Jackson over Nellie and the fraud we have coaching the Knicks anyday. Those cats know what championship basketball is all about. That fast-break, three-point nonsense gets shut down come playoff time when defenses tighten up and size/length matter in the paint. Even the Showtime Lakers defended, rebouned and played smart half-court offense when they had to. Sir Charles was right when he called it "sissyball". Entertainment? To me, it's about going deep in the playoffs and having a shot at the title. What's the point of scoring 130 points in D'Anfoni's system if you can't stop the other team from scoring more than you?

uPtoWnNY said:

I'll take Riley, Larry Brown, Poppovich, or Phil Jackson over Nellie and the fraud we have coaching the Knicks anyday. Those cats know what championship basketball is all about. That fast-break, three-point nonsense gets shut down come playoff time when defenses tighten up and size/length matter in the paint. Even the Showtime Lakers defended, rebouned and played smart half-court offense when they had to. Sir Charles was right when he called it "sissyball". Entertainment? To me, it's about going deep in the playoffs and having a shot at the title. What's the point of scoring 130 points in D'Anfoni's system if you can't stop the other team from scoring more than you?

It is entertainment.

I don't want to sit and watch a bunch of boring half court sets, I would rather watch a D'Antoni squad run the floor.

He led the suns to the playoffs every year he coached in PHX and reached the WCF twice.

Only one team can win at the end of the season and enjoying the ride is part of the fun.

minneapolisFunq said:

NBA basketball is entertainment.

We as fans tend to take things to a personal level and blind ourselves to that fact.

Nellie has coached teams that are fun to watch (and play for, in most cases).

You can discredit him for his shortcomings (Winning a title as a coach is the only one I can think of) but it all boils down to the way the game is played, and he established an aesthetically pleasing style of ball whether it undermined the goal of winning a championship or not ( I would argue that it did not. Take a look at the caliber of the top teams during his tenure).

Actually Doug Moe established that style of ball in the early 80's with those Alex English, Dan Issel, Kiki Vanderweigh(Spelling? lol) Denver Nugget teams that could score 120 on any given night but give up 130 on those same nights.

Nellie's Millwaukee Bucks team during that era was a ruff, rugged, hardnosed, HALFCOURT team who were good teams but they weren't good enough to beat the Sixers or the Celtics.

Abdul said:

minneapolisFunq said:

NBA basketball is entertainment.

We as fans tend to take things to a personal level and blind ourselves to that fact.

Nellie has coached teams that are fun to watch (and play for, in most cases).

You can discredit him for his shortcomings (Winning a title as a coach is the only one I can think of) but it all boils down to the way the game is played, and he established an aesthetically pleasing style of ball whether it undermined the goal of winning a championship or not ( I would argue that it did not. Take a look at the caliber of the top teams during his tenure).

Actually Doug Moe established that style of ball in the early 80's with those Alex English, Dan Issel, Kiki Vanderweigh(Spelling? lol) Denver Nugget teams that could score 120 on any given night but give up 130 on those same nights.

Nellie's Millwaukee Bucks team during that era was a ruff, rugged, hardnosed, HALFCOURT team who were good teams but they weren't good enough to beat the Sixers or the Celtics.

Thanks for your post. You spoke the truth. Nellie's 80's Milwaukee Bucks were indeed great teams

but just couldn't get past the Sixers or the Celts in the East and they were rough and rugged.

You're also correct about the Nuggets of the 80's. These guys could Showtime with the Lakers. The only difference was the Lakers actually played some defense and the Nuggets could not.

Abdul said:

Actually Doug Moe established that style of ball in the early 80's with those Alex English, Dan Issel, Kiki Vanderweigh(Spelling? lol) Denver Nugget teams that could score 120 on any given night but give up 130 on those same nights.

Moe established it when he coached the Spurs in the old ABA, and eventually the NBA.

phunkdaddy said:

Thanks for your post. You spoke the truth. Nellie's 80's Milwaukee Bucks were indeed great teams

but just couldn't get past the Sixers or the Celts in the East and they were rough and rugged.

You're also correct about the Nuggets of the 80's. These guys could Showtime with the Lakers. The only difference was the Lakers actually played some defense and the Nuggets could not.

Yup Phunk, I can rememeber watching quite a few Nuggets games back then and they played no D, lol!

I wish NBA TV showed more non playoff games from that 80's era, the only Millwaukee games they always show are the two game 7's against the 76ers in 82' and the Celtics in 87'.

uPtoWnNY said:

Moe established it when he coached the Spurs in the old ABA, and eventually the NBA.

Yeah I forgot Moe coached the Spurs in the ABA