NELLIE MUST GO!!!

[kg_veteran]

Funny how that opinion differs from popular opinion among coaches and players.

Nellie really is smarter than the rest of the basketball world, I guess.

[Usually Lurkin]

Nelson believes that the really good players should be able to do everything.

This explains why the team's best player is sometimes used as a role player. It's just one of the many things he's good at. It all makes sense now. Genius. It also explains why Bradley and Fortson sit so much. There are things that they just can't do, like lead the fast break, or take a guard off the dribble, or hit the fadeaway half-courter. Why put them out there if they have such a limited role??? Genius.

[mary]

Okay, I give up, count me in - I'm officially pledging my full support to the "Get his ass outta here" faction. Even though I think these guys are paid professionals and should really have a better work ethic than this, I have to wonder why it is that just about every other coach in the damn league can get his team to put forth some type of defensive effort, regardless of the level of talent.

[Murphy3]

Originally posted by: mary
Okay, I give up, count me in - I'm officially pledging my full support to the "Get his ass outta here" faction. Even though I think these guys are paid professionals and should really have a better work ethic than this, I have to wonder why it is that just about every other coach in the damn league can get his team to put forth some type of defensive effort, regardless of the level of talent.

Well, at least he could have went with man-to-man a little sooner.
When you're playing in a zone, if the offense is patient and waits for the open look, there will be an open look. When the offense hits a few open outside jumpers, usually the opposing coach will do something to counter the outside shooting such as going to man-to-man. Well, in Big-D, I think you have to be down by almost 30 before that change is made.

But regardless of how badly the coach screws up, the Mavs players still need to get the job done.

[mary]

You're right, we should've gone to man-to-man much sooner.

But our zone didn't have to suck as much as it did tonight. You can't play man-to-man or zone defense with your arms dangling at your sides and your feet cemented to the floor. Not to mention our transition defense was pretty pathetic as well.

[Murphy3]

Originally posted by: mary
You're right, we should've gone to man-to-man much sooner.

But our zone didn't have to suck as much as it did tonight. You can't play man-to-man or zone defense with your arms dangling at your sides and your feet cemented to the floor. Not to mention our transition defense was pretty pathetic as well.

I was disappointed to see Nash turn the ball over and then not even make an attempt to get back down the court a couple of times in the first half.

[PubaNWO]

Originally posted by: Murphy3

I was disappointed to see Nash turn the ball over and then not even make an attempt to get back down the court a couple of times in the first half.

Nash actually walked toward his own end instead of hustling back on D after he turned it over.

What's up with that??

[DNNF]

Like it or not, the phrase "DEFENSE WIN CHAMPIONSHIP" always stand. This team will never put a defensive as long as Nellie 's a coach.

[mavsfanforever]

His ass should have been fired when he tried to win games by trying to put Bruce Bowen on the free throw line on every possession to win a game. I cannot imagine a championship calibre coach doing it.

[LRB]

This team is pretty much done for this year barring a miracle turn around in the playoffs. If Cubes doesn't want this year's slide to become an avalanche, Nellie must go this off season and take Walker with him.

[Simon2]

I think Nellie knows his point-forward experiment has blown up in his face and the rigors of the NBA is finally catching up with him. I think Nellie is just plain "tired". The guy is getting up there in age and isn't as youthful as before. He just looks like he isn't having fun anymore out there. Just look at him and tell me that he's energized and having a lot of enthusiasm about the game. That's what I can infer.

[MikeB]

If Nellie would just walk away from coaching that would be the best thing for this team...but I seriously doubt he will do that. I think he will force Cuban's hand and make Mark fire him so he can collect all the money owed him. Its not my money...but I hope Cuban does what is neccessary.

[Murphy3]

Originally posted by: Simon2
I think Nellie knows his point-forward experiment has blown up in his face and the rigors of the NBA is finally catching up with him. I think Nellie is just plain "tired". The guy is getting up there in age and isn't as youthful as before. He just looks like he isn't having fun anymore out there. Just look at him and tell me that he's energized and having a lot of enthusiasm about the game. That's what I can infer.

Would you be having fun if you turned a team with great chemistry and heart into a team of ill fitting parts that struggles to put out an acceptable level of effort on a consistent basis?

Would you be having fun if you single handedly undermined the team's superstar by throwing together a wild ass experiment that limited his touches compared to the previous season because you thought it was a good idea to run much more of the offense through an inefficient black hole for the first half of the year?

Would you be having fun if you realized that you were the major problem that caused this Mavs team to waste a year when you know that the Big 3's window to win a title isn't open for an infinite amount of time?

[Chiwas]

Nelson is not a bad coach, but the Mavs need fresh air.



Edit: But he is a terrible GM, supossing that he is. And we really need a very good GM; our three-headed GM is not good, out of the question.

[Bookit]

Some of the players on this team are actually Donnie's picks. He should be the next coach, not Avery. Having said that, it might be time for a defensive mindset to dominate practice and it isn't going to happen with Nellie as coach. Avery has that defensive mindset, same as Donnie.

[MavKikiNYC]

Originally posted by: Chiwas
Nelson is not a bad coach, but the Mavs need fresh air.



Edit: But he is a terrible GM, supossing that he is. And we really need a very good GM; our three-headed GM is not good, out of the question.

Nelson is a good coach at making a bad team better, but NOT a good coach for making a good team great.
And I think his time has passed as a GM too.

He looks tired. Every photo I see of him, every camera shot screams his disinterest. I may be underestimating him, but I don't think he'll walk away because of the financial disincentives to doing so. But Cuban needs a GM with more stones, more hunger, more something-to-prove.

Look to Memphis to see how much difference a real GM can make. Real GM with a pulse on today's NBA hires Real Coach (and I admit I was surprised at West's choice of Brown) and doormat goes from 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds.

I wish Kiki could come back, but I think he's too much into his own thing in Denver--but a Kiki-type minus the Nelson-ties/allegiances is what this team needs--a GM who will hire a defense-oriented coach who will assemble players with complementary talents, and use proven approaches to building a contender.

It's not Nellie's unorthodoxy that so frustrates me, it's his pig-headed refusal to recognize failure after failure after failure, and his pig-headed refusal to go with what works.

[PubaNWO]

Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC

Nelson is a good coach at making a bad team better, but NOT a good coach for making a good team great.
And I think his time has passed as a GM too.

He looks tired. Every photo I see of him, every camera shot screams his disinterest. I may be underestimating him, but I don't think he'll walk away because of the financial disincentives to doing so. But Cuban needs a GM with more stones, more hunger, more something-to-prove.

Look to Memphis to see how much difference a real GM can make. Real GM with a pulse on today's NBA hires Real Coach (and I admit I was surprised at West's choice of Brown) and doormat goes from 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds.

I wish Kiki could come back, but I think he's too much into his own thing in Denver--but a Kiki-type minus the Nelson-ties/allegiances is what this team needs--a GM who will hire a defense-oriented coach who will assemble players with complementary talents, and use proven approaches to building a contender.

It's not Nellie's unorthodoxy that so frustrates me, it's his pig-headed refusal to recognize failure after failure after failure, and his pig-headed refusal to go with what works.

When you talk about failures you must mean Walker and the point foward style of play huh?? Typical....

[MavKikiNYC]

When you talk about failures you must mean Walker and the point foward style of play huh?? Typical....

Walker is but one of Nelson's failures, and not even the biggest or most egregious in my book.

As much as I dislike Walker's game, I think he could've been used to positive effect with this year's team. But Nelson refused to acknowledge Walker's limitations as a player, and tried to force him into a role as a starter which failed to take advantage of the strengths he might've had, and didn't work well given his temperment. And IMO, this in turn affected Dirk's game, and the result has been a significant dropoff in team performance from last year.

Nelson's other failures have been much-discussed here, but to recap:

1) failure to establish any sort of defensive mentality with current players
2) failure to acquire players who would add defensive mindset
3) failure to establish a clear offensive identity for the team (other than jackin' the 3)
4) failure to define clear roles for current players
5) failure to establish any sort of rotation (an offshoot of no clear roles)
6) failure to instill a greater degree of mental toughness
7) failure to motivate players to give a consistent effort
8) failure to acquire players who would play a more physical style of play (excepting Josh Howard, but he doesn't look to weigh more than 200 lbs, for God's sake)

[PubaNWO]

I still don't see what you want from Walker.....he took no 3's last night and shot well. He didn't take more than 13 shots and he boarded like he's suppose to. Bonus was his defense in the 2nd half....

[LRB]

Originally posted by: PubaNWO
I still don't see what you want from Walker.....he took no 3's last night and shot well. He didn't take more than 13 shots and he boarded like he's suppose to. Bonus was his defense in the 2nd half....

1 game does not a season of ineptitude rectify. And 13 shots for Walker is usually at least 5 too many. And as Kiki has stated, Walker is only a small part of Nellie's failure here as a coach.

But I'll add that Walker has almost nothing that this team needs, and a hell of a lot that it doesn't. He's a terrible fit for the Mavs and must be delt, benched, or cut if they are to have any shot at having a successful year next season.

[MavKikiNYC]

Let's keep the burn on Nellie here.

Walker's done.

[LRB]

Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC
Let's keep the burn on Nellie here.

Walker's done.

Amen!!!

[Chiwas]

Originally posted by: MavKikiNYC

Walker is but one of Nelson's failures, and not even the biggest or most egregious in my book.

As much as I dislike Walker's game, I think he could've been used to positive effect with this year's team. But Nelson refused to acknowledge Walker's limitations as a player, and tried to force him into a role as a starter which failed to take advantage of the strengths he might've had, and didn't work well given his temperment. And IMO, this in turn affected Dirk's game, and the result has been a significant dropoff in team performance from last year.

Nelson's other failures have been much-discussed here, but to recap:

1) failure to establish any sort of defensive mentality with current players
2) failure to acquire players who would add defensive mindset
3) failure to establish a clear offensive identity for the team (other than jackin' the 3)
4) failure to define clear roles for current players
5) failure to establish any sort of rotation (an offshoot of no clear roles)
6) failure to instill a greater degree of mental toughness
7) failure to motivate players to give a consistent effort
8) failure to acquire players who would play a more physical style of play (excepting Josh Howard, but he doesn't look to weigh more than 200 lbs, for God's sake)

For retaking the main topic.

[Dooby]

I was working on a brief last night and missed the game. Was Nash's last second shot even close. Did it look like a set play? Did he have any space? Or is this just one more example of the Nellie drawn up play during a timeout that failed?

[kg_veteran]

Originally posted by: Dooby
I was working on a brief last night and missed the game. Was Nash's last second shot even close. Did it look like a set play? Did he have any space? Or is this just one more example of the Nellie drawn up play during a timeout that failed?

One more example of a Nellie drawn up play that failed.

[Max Power]

Originally posted by: Dooby
I was working on a brief last night and missed the game. Was Nash's last second shot even close. Did it look like a set play? Did he have any space? Or is this just one more example of the Nellie drawn up play during a timeout that failed?

I think Nash was the 2nd option but Dirk was covered. We only had 4 seconds to inbound and score so there wasn't a lot of time to find other players. I was shocked that Nash took the ball inside - the refs were NOT going to call a foul in that instance.

[dirno2000]

I wouldn't knock Nellie for the play(a pick and roll at the top of the key with your two hottest players), Atlanta just defended it well. I wish Dirk would have made a dive cut to the basket when Diaw(sp) picked up Nash, but that wasn't Nellie's fault.

This is not to support the coach though. I'd like to a new face in here next season. After a while players just start tuning the coach out and that appears to be what's happening here.

[Murphy3]

There was only 4.4 seconds on the clock. Sometimes it's just impossible to get a high quality shot off in that time period. However, I would think the mavs could have gotten a better look than what Nash got.

[PubaNWO]

agreed....dirk was wide open of nash passed it...

[Murphy3]

I'm not blaming Nash on that play. It was just unfortunate that the shot he took was the best look the Mavs could get. It was a very low percentage left handed scoop from way too far out in the paint.

[chumdawg]

From the Star-Telegram:

Nash scored the Mavs' last seven points and had 15 of his team-high 30 in the fourth quarter. On the last possession, which began with 4.4 seconds left, Nash attempted a pick-and-roll with Dirk Nowitzki, with Michael Finley camped out in the corner. In hindsight, Nash wouldn't have gone wide off the pick, setting up a low-percentage heave over Boris Diaw and Jackson.

"I wish I would have gone harder to the basket or stepped back [for a jumper]," Nash said. "But it's hard to second-guess given the time and because that had worked on the play before."

[Chiwas]

Bump.

(I found it far away, very far...we need to have it at hand.)