Don Nelson & Chris Cohan Must Forget Past For Future Of Golden State Warriors

August 22 07

The San Jose Mercury updates Don Nelson’s contract negotiations with the Golden State Warriors:

Don Nelson wants to be happy, the Warriors want to make him happy, and yet here they still stand, mutually unhappy and staring into the dark void.
Is this long, strange renegotiation standoff between coach and franchise about money? Yes, it’s always about money. About $5.1 million in guaranteed money over the next two seasons, as far as I can decipher.
But it’s also about the root motivations and personal histories of both Nelson, the master strategist and fearsome poker player, and owner Chris Cohan, who has made his fair share of mistakes and has paid dear money for them.
The latest on the talks: Nelson is telling friends that he’s upset with the Warriors’ most recent proposal and that the next week or so could be the tipping point.
Is he serious enough to stay away from training camp in October? Many people familiar with Nelson note that he would be walking away from millions if he quit, and Nelson has no history of monetary sacrifice.

My Quick Take: I have said it before. 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.

I’m not putting all the blame on Nelson. But he must accept some responsibility. And this latest contract squabble is another example of his personal ’quirks’ drawing some negative publicity.

This situation should get resolved. However, Nelson and Warriors’ owner Chris Cohan have history. As mentioned earlier, the two were involved in a nasty lawsuit when Nelson became head coach of the New York Knicks.

Hopefully, the past gets left in the past. And an agreement is soon reached, so Nelson can focus on leading his entertaining and competitive team.

What do you think will happen between the Warriors and Golden State? Get at us in the comment box below with your thoughts.

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Parts of a previous article were used in this post.

4 Comments: Don Nelson & Chris Cohan Must Forget Past For Future Of (...)

Posted by
Topless Chic
on 08.23.2007

Nellie is the greatest coach of all-time, got get yo money baby, then come see me, I love you! .

Posted by
The yes man
on 08.23.2007

Well said TRUE wal! .

Posted by
The TRUE wal
on 08.23.2007

Nelson is a griddy FAT bastard that always has to have it his way or no way. He signed a contract and should honor it. He is a solid coach but I don’t see him bringing in any rings like all the other great coaches at the top of the all-time wins list. Let him go back to Hawaii and forget about him. He’d probably retire one year into his new deal anyway .

Posted by
russell
on 08.22.2007

Nelson’s contract history is filled with disputes and personality grievances. Add the explosive mix of ego-driven owners and you have a recipe for disaster. But Nelson respects General Manager Chris Mullin tremendously. He would have to be unbeievably angry to leave Chris hanging out to dry with this coachable-only-by-Don-Nelson roster that has been assembled. .

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	About 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

Don Nelson & Chris Cohan Must Forget Past For Future Of Golden State Warriors

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