<<...Players cannot have any reason to think the coach is on the verge of being tossed out.
If Cuban planned on a coaching switch after this season, he should have removed Nelson last summer to get started on the transition period. The next coach will be different than Nelson, and will want different players.
If Cuban were only considering the possibility, he still should have extended Nelson's contract as coach to eliminate a potential headache...>>
Yeah, this is the part that gets me. Why can't players have a reason to think the coach could be replaced? In Nellie's case in particular, couldn't it be argued that the possibility of a coaching change should make Nowitzki, Nash, Finley, Mantis, LaF et al play harder? If they don't play with any more focus and resolve, doesn't it mean that Nellie has lost the ability to get through to them and motivate them? And doesn't that suggest the need for a coaching change?
Despite the (admittedly very tangential) frustration I've felt this year at having seen no significant upgrades in personnel, and despite the recent frustrataion at having seen some poorly coached games, I really will feel bad to see Nellie go. But it may be time if the Mavericks want to contend for a championship in the next 2-3 years.
The question that has always been recognized on this board is how deeply the reverberations of Nellie's departure will be felt in the organization. Sometimes you have to first take a step backward in order to be able to move forward. The current Mavs team has wandered off to the side somewhere out of sight of the WCF.
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