[Simon2]

Originally posted by: chumdawg
Simon, with due respect, I fear you are misinterpreting some of Nellie's comments. He has long had a self-depracating sense of humor with the press. What he tells his team privately is anyone's best guess, but I imagine that it doesn't always match the public comments. As far as I am aware, Nellie's Mavs haven't experienced any problems of players quitting on the coach, or what have you.

I have no qualms about his comments today. In fact, I like them. I was only responding to Erica's comments

Now, about the comments in question today. I'm not sure if you have followed the Cowboys for a while, but perhaps there is an analogy here. Troy Aikman, the All-Pro quarterback and most important member of the team, played for both Jimmy Johnson and Barry Switzer. Jimmy was a taskmaster, Barry was a "players' coach" extraordinaire. It's no secret that Aikman preferred Johnson to Switzer. Why? Because more than anything else, Aikman wanted to win. He was willing to put in all the extra work, and he was happy in an environment where that work ethic would be required of everyone on the team. It gave him a better chance to win.

Now consider the fairhaired Dirk Nowitzki. What does he say when praise is heaped upon him? He quickly points out the areas where he needs to improve. He probably sets his own bar higher than anyone else sets it for him, from what I can tell. He is the Mavericks' Troy Aikman.

Which coach would Nowitzki prefer to play under, do you think? Johnson or Switzer? I say Johnson, and it isn't close.

I agree with your analogy that Dirk is Troy but I don't think Nellie is Johnson and it isn't even close. I think he is more of a Barry Switzer. To me, Johnson was the general and his word was the law. Why do I say this? Nellie keeps saying he emphasizes defense but does it happen? No. If Johnson emphasized defense, you do it or you get cut. Remember when he walked up to a player in practice and cut him right there. To me, Nellie is Switzer and not Johnson. Nellie isn't even Switzer because Switzer was winning in Oklahoma. Did you even hear Switzer or Johnson humilliate a player in public? I liked Johnson's gall when he even guaranteed a win. Nellie would never ever do that. I don't think Nellie has got the killer's instinct. Even though Nellie would have the better team, he would still try to matchup with the other team.

So I would imagine that Nellie's recent comments would be music to Dirk's ears. And it's music to my ears to hear that the coaching staff is on the same page as the most important player. If the entire team had Dirk's work ethic...well, let's just say that it wouldn't be a bad thing.

Now, a final comment about Nellie. You said the following:

One problem with that, and it's the thing that I think a lot of people don't appreciate when critiquing Nellie: Nellie has never HAD the best team. He was ALWAYS outmanned by the Celtics and Sixers when he had his good Bucks teams. He didn't have anything close to championship caliber talent in Golden State or New York. He's never coached a Magic or a Bird or a Jordan--even worse, he's always had to coach against them! I guess what I get tired of is hearing people say things like "Nellie wouldn't play Shaq even if he had him" or your suggestions about how Nellie would handle some of the greatest to ever play the game. It's simply not a fair shake. He's never had those guys. They've always been on teams that were legitimately better than his.

You can only say a team is better because of the history but when you were in the 80s could you really say that Magic or Bird's team was better. The better team was the one who won. Besides, I think the argument that he didn't have a legend is BS. Players become legends when they win. Not the other way around. So, does having a "Legend" on your team make you better? Yes! The problem is the guy only becomes a legend after he wins championships. Ever wonder why Barkley, Malone and Stockton aren't considered in the same breathe as Jordan or Magic? Because they don't have a ring. If Barkley had 2 or three rings, he would be mentioned in the same breathe as Bird and Magic. So, to my argument, Dirk only becomes a legend if he wins and I don't think Nellie can deliver. He hasn't done it in 20 years. So what if he doesn't have the "best" team. He has had pretty good team and has he gone to the finals? Nope. Why? Defeatist attitude.

Now it's true, he may have one of those greats on his hands here. And however he's handled him so far, it appears to have worked very well. I think you will have as hard a time as I will trying to remember anything negative Nellie has ever said about Dirk. Right?

And it seems like he is on the same page with him on this how-good-we-are issue, which I don't mind at all.

All Nellie apologists will say he never had the best team. The best team is the team that wins the ring. Nellie hasn't won on any level and I don't think he can do it. He doesn't have the mindset to do it. Defeatist attitude and no killer instinct. He doesn't think like a champion.