Don Nelson’s Salary Conflict Compromises Chris Mullin & Golden State WarriorsJuly 09 07 Janny Hu reports on coach Don Nelson seeking a pay raise from the Warriors:
Player contracts won’t be the only things the Warriors are negotiating this summer. The anticipated meeting between Warriors President Robert Rowell and John O’Connor, the representative for coach Don Nelson, took place last week, and Nelson indeed is seeking a significant pay raise to return to the team, according to league sources. The 67-year-old coach has two years and $6.2 million left on his contract, and he can almost double his salary through playoff-related incentives. The sources said Nelson wants those bonuses to be guaranteed, bringing his annual salary to about $6 million. Nelson declined to discuss the issue, saying that his contract was up to O’Connor and Rowell to handle. Reached by phone late Sunday, O’Connor said his client still hadn’t made up his mind about next season. "All I will say is that Don is very conflicted," O’Connor said. "He is extremely excited about this team, but at the same time, he exhausted himself this last season like he has never done before." Although Nelson’s base salary of $3.1 million ranks in the bottom half of the league, he took home an extra $1 million last season for ending the Warriors’ 12-season playoff drought, then earned another $1 million for advancing to the Western Conference semifinals. Still, he wouldn’t commit to coming back after Golden State’s postseason ended in May, citing health and lifestyle concerns. Nelson said he would return to Maui and unwind before making any decisions; he remains undecided even after helping orchestrate the Warriors’ draft-day moves and being on hand for the summer league.
My Quick Take: Don Nelson is a mad scientist masquerading as an NBA coach. He should wear a lab coat when sitting on Golden State’s bench.
Nelson, like all mad scientists, has a positive and a negative side. The positive is simple. The veteran coach has a refreshing philosophy. He actively searches for mismatches, hoping to bait opponents into a fast-paced, entertaining game. Sound familiar Avery Johnson? Nelson is also engaging. He clicks with players and fans. His personality is a breath of fresh air when compared to most ‘Type A’ sideline bosses.
The positives outweigh the negatives. By a mile.
But Nelson’s negative side occasionally gets him in trouble. There was the Chris Webber beef. The Dallas Mavericks, Nellie’s former employer, are currently suing him for breaking a confidentiality agreement. The Warriors even sued Nelson when he left in the 1990’s to coach the New York Knicks.
Most people overlook these indiscretions because they like the mad scientist. This includes Chris Mullin. The Warriors’ GM took a major risk by firing Mike Montgomery as coach and hiring Nelson as his replacement last August.
Remember, last August, the mad scientist wasn’t mad. He was retired. NBA teams weren’t interested in his on-court experiments.
Mullin threw his friend a giant life jacket, helping the coach who helped him so many years ago. It was the NBA’s version of pay it forward.
The risk paid off. Golden State made the playoffs for the first time in twelve years, creating the ’We Believe’ sensation. The Warriors then upset the Mavericks. They were the first #8 seed to beat the #1seed in a best of seven series.
How does Nelson repay the friend and organization that gave him another chance? He hints at retiring unless he gets a raise on his annual salary of 3 million dollars.
He’s under contract. The wage and terms are fair. Nelson shouldn’t ask the club to renegotiate. The likable scientist has a negative side. It rarely appears. When it does, it’s not pretty.
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Posted by
Mhughes
on 07.16.2007 | I offer my sincere apologies to Janny Hu. to whom I mistakenly attributed the blog. Since Hu normally does a decent job of reporting, I was dismayed that Hu would make such comments. My comments still stand, but are directed toward Oly Sandor, the real author. Before blaming Nelson, Oly should do a little research. . | Posted by
Mhughes
on 07.16.2007 | Horrible job of reporting, Hu! Looks to me as if you are just another person who wants Nelson’s respect but doesn’t get it (or, perhaps, another Cohen shill?): 1) Chris Webber was immature and dishonest, and Sprewell was twisted. Blame Nelson for bad selections or for trading Richmond, but not for being a negative or bad coach. 2) The Dallas lawsuit is pure garbage. 3) Cohen mistreated Nelson and then tried to avoid paying money he owed him (Note that Nelson, not Cohen won the lawsuits). 4) Drafting Webber and not trading Sprewell was dumb, but It is ridiculous to refer to the Dallas and Warrior lawsuits against Nelson as Nelson’s indiscretions. They were completely unjustified. It would have been indiscreet for Nelson not to have sued Cohen and Cuban. 5) It was Nelson who threw Mullin a life jacket; Mullin would have gone under without Nelson’s help. 6) Experiments? Sure, Hu! NBA teams have ignored Nelson’s success in Dallas and Golden State. 7) Nelson does not owe Mullin anything. Chris made a smart gamble on one of the best coaches in basketball and won. Both Nelson and Mullin deserved their success this year. Until this post-season embarrassment, Cohen did too. 8) When Nelson joined the Warriors, the papers said tthat he would probably only stay one year. It should be enought that he saved the Warriors from ignominy. What does he have to prove at this point? He is 67 and well off financially. Why would he sacrifice his well being for Cohen, who treats him like a piece of real estate. 9) Bay area reporters (and especially Hu) should be ashamed of themselves for their horrific reporting. Amid all this discussion, we still have no idea what Nelson is asking! I have read reports that Nelson is asking that $2M of bonuses be guaranteed. This would cost Cohen nothing since Nelson is almost certain to win these bonuses anyway (playoffs + 1st round win). The Warriors, on the other hand, will reap a much larger reward. Cohen could have avoided problems by immediately making this offer. Instead, he chose to open old wounds. What do you expect from a ’cable guy’? 10) Hu, instead of writing this trash, why don’t you do some investigative reporting regarding what Nelson really wants? Also, you might also ask Mullin and the former owners their opinions on Webber, Sprewell and Cohen. Better, still, why don’t you write an article about the dumbest owner in the NBA? . | Posted by
Nellie and Spreewell (broke)
on 07.11.2007 | If Nellie was only helping out Mully, he should have signed a one year contract and then negotiate for more later on. The fact is that Nellie signed a contract of his own free will. Nellie can either stick to the contract or retire. If I were the Warriors, I would let Nellie go if he doesn’t want to honor his contract. It will look bad on Nellie since he signed a contract. It won’t look bad on Mullins. I think the Warriors will give Nellie a pay raise, but I don’t think they should cave in to Nellie. He is getting paid a ton of money to do what he is doing. The Warriors shouldn’t have to pay more just because there are some stupid teams (like the Lakers) that will pay way way way too much money for a coach who barely gets you to the playoffs or less. Nellie was lucky he got an extra 2 million in incentives just for making it to the 2nd round. If Nellie will break his contract now while leaving the team hanghing, he will find a way to hurt the team later. Let him go and find some othe team that will pay him a ton of money. I can’t believe Warrior fans want their team to cave in to his whining about more money like Latrell Spreewell!! Just let the cry-baby go!! . | Posted by
Run n gun
on 07.10.2007 | We don’t know how much Nelson had to do with Mullin trading for Jackson and Harrington but imagine our last year before him with an ineffective coach following and other and on other and that sterling set of overpaid under-performers, Dunleavey, Murphy. Now we have a truly exciting team that loves playing for Nelson and is suited to his up-tempo game. He has more coaching wins than almost any NBA coach in history, We shouldn’t even be having this discussion. Pay THE MAN. . | Posted by
macmar
on 07.10.2007 | let’s not get over excited. he just won one playoff series... he has a contract, he should honor it. he could ask for the moon if he wants after next season. . | Posted by
Free KG-the movement
on 07.10.2007 | Without the incentives, Nellie is the 17th highest paid coach in the NBA. That is peanuts for a guy who finally got B Diddy to show up, overhauled our roster, scouted the Italian Assassin, and now has the team poised to pick up KG. Yes, Mullin is working hard, but so is Nellie. Give the man his money and let’s get this championship. In a league where Foyle is making $10 mil a year, or Grant Hill is a super sub making $17 mil last year, giving Nellie $6 ain’t no thang but a bbq’d chicken wang!!! . | Posted by
on 07.10.2007 | This is NUTS-The man has a contract. He was out of the NBA .... He owes the Warriors some loyalty. They didn’t win a Title last year, they made the second round...WHy does he have so much pull? . | Posted by
GoldenGod
on 07.10.2007 | Mullin did Nellie a favor? Wow.. someone is taking the medicinal marijuana.. Nellie is the one who did a favor for a guy he conisders a son.. Nellie took the pay cut to help Mully.. Nellie said that from day one. Nellie is the guy mentoring Mullin in the GM department as well. Nellie has turned the entire organization around.. on the court and in the personnel financial department.. he has pushed Mullin to make every one of the great moves he has made. And he likely is the guy who put the Warriors in position to get KG. That actually might be one of the sticking points. Nellie wants the Warriors to pull the trigger on the KG deal so Nellie can try to do the one thing missing from his resume — win a championship as a coach. If not maybe Nellie would rather go somewhere else where he can win a championship. Should he be faulted for that?I also wonder if maybe Nellie is testing the Warriors organization.. if they get KG he wants to know they want him.. he doesn’t want to be a lame duck coach when the organization would rather have a more high profile coahc like Larry Brown or Phil Jackson coaching KG.. it very well could be a test to see how much they still want him. . | Posted by
SoCooL Bob
on 07.10.2007 | Nellie deserves the pay raise.The Warriors hadn’t made the playoffs in twelve years ... and they too deserved it. . |
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Oly Sandor | Daily take on NBA Oly Sandor is an NBA analyst and sports journalist based out of Vancouver, Canada.After years of the free-lance game, Oly Sandor is bringing his unique brand of NBA analysis exclusively to (...) More |
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