Great aritcle on Avery from GS

[dirt_dobber]

This was posted over at dallasbasketball.com by adamizzle15 and i thought some may want to read it here.

Warriors saw that Avery could coach
'Little General' Johnson returns to Oakland tonight in command of Mavericks
By Dave Del Grande, STAFF WRITER



OAKLAND — There used to be only one reason the Golden State Warriors wished they were in the Eastern Conference.
The annual wide-open playoff race.

Now there's a second.

Avery Johnson.

The Warriors unanimously projected great things for the "Little General" as a coach, a career he officially embarked upon Saturday when he slid into Don Nelson's seat on the Dallas Mavericks' bench.

"I think he's going to be a great coach," assured longtime friend Keith Smart, a Warriors assistant under whom Johnson played last season. "That's a unique situation. It's a team competing for a championship. To go into a situation like that, that's great for him."

But not necessarily great for the rest of the Western Conference. Johnson brings his Mavericks into the Arena tonight on a two-game winning streak afterearlier this season recording a 9-4 record in games when Nelson temporarily stepped aside.

There's nothing temporary about Nelson's absence this time. He insists he's done with coaching, in part because he's confident Johnson can take the Mavericks to even greater heights.

And if it happens, Adonal Foyle won't be surprised.

"He has such an infectious personality," Johnson's former teammate said. "He used to say to me, 'OD, you get down there and set the pick.' He said it in such a way that he always got my attention.

"Even as a player, he built a rapport with each player. He knows where each player's mind is, what each guy needed. You can't teach that kind of skill. That's a gift."

In his last of 16 seasons as an NBA player, Johnson touched Warriors big (Foyle) and small (Speedy Claxton). And just about everybody in between, Mike Dunleavy said.

"Last year I had some tough times with the coach. He helped me through it," Dunleavy recalled. "He's somebody you can talk to because he's been in so many situations.

"And it wasn't just me. He was helpful to everybody."

Smart watched Dallas' win over New Orleans on Monday and noticed how Johnson challenged Mavericks point guards Jason Terry and Darrell Armstrong to take control of matters on the court as he had for much of his career.

Dunleavy likewise was impressed with Johnson's performance, even though he'd seen just a televised news clip without having the volume on.

"He was getting on guys," the third-year Warrior said. "He'll get all over you, but at the end of the day, he'll pat you on the back. That's the kind of guy he is."

Johnson earned a championship ring as a member of the San Antonio Spurs in 1998-99. But as far as Warriors fans are concerned, his greatest accomplishment as a player had to be stepping in for the injured Tim Hardaway and leading the team to the 1994 playoffs — the last time the Warriors have tasted the postseason.

He'll be back in the title chase with the Mavericks next month in a new capacity, and Dunleavy believes Nelson's winning legacy in Dallas will carry on.

"I'd be surprised if he didn't (succeed)," he said. "Everything is in place. Sometimes things don't work out, but I wouldn't bet against it."

It might seem hard to believe, but the Warriors' road to the top might just have gotten a bit steeper.


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[Mavs_fun_fan]

This has already been posted under the game thread.