A first-round loss to Kings may break up Nellie, Big Three

[MavsFanFinley]

Mavs' season, makeup in jeopardy
A first-round loss to Kings may break up Nellie, Big Three

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Don Nelson called it a day of mourning and, yes, the Mavericks clearly had gone from believing to bereaving.

Precisely what it was that kicked the bucket was left to the imagination. Most likely, Nelson was talking about the Mavericks' playoff hopes that all but flat-lined Monday night at American Airlines Center when the Sacramento Kings went up 3-1 in the best-of-7 first-round series.

But it could have been the six-year collaboration of the Big Three that Nelson was alluding to. Or perhaps Nelson's seven-year tenure as coach of the Mavericks. At times like this, everything is open to speculation.

"You can't worry about any of that," Nelson said Tuesday in the downcast aftermath of the Kings' 94-92 win. "Nobody knows the future. All that talk doesn't really matter."

Nelson worries less about his future these days, regardless of what happens in the playoffs. His contract calls for two more seasons as coach. But if the Mavericks lose in the first round, changes will be inevitable, and they may include a coaching change. This is a fact of life that was reiterated at what could be the last practice session at AAC this season.

"You can't worry about things you can't control," said Michael Finley, who with eight seasons is the player with the longest tenure among the Mavericks. "We won 60 games last year and we still made changes."

Changes that are one defeat away from rendering the Mavericks as first-round fodder a season after they reached the Western Conference finals. Reverse is not a gear that goes over well with any sporting organization, but the Mavericks could be faced with that reality by Thursday in Game 5 at Arco Arena.

Tuesday's mood was glum. Dirk Nowitzki slumped in a chair and talked about how dire the situation is.

The spring in their steps that was so obvious on Sunday had turned into tired souls on Tuesday.

"It hurts," said Antawn Jamison. "It was like a funeral in the locker room it was so quiet."

For now, it is Nelson's job to try to prop his team back up as best he can. It won't be easy. Only seven teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 hole to win a playoff series.

"It's not a pleasant place to be," Nelson said. "All we care about at this point is getting one win and getting it back to our place.

"It sounds insurmountable when you talk about [winning] all three. It's not so bad if you talk about [winning] one. We just need to seize the moment and win one game."

That's been a problem all season on the road. It was a problem Monday when the Mavericks couldn't hit a shot. And that's why they must win three in a row to avoid a first-round ouster for the first time since 1990, when Portland beat them, 3-0.

"We haven't played up to our capabilities, so we have to believe we can come back and win this series," Jamison said.

The belief is waning, although Nelson mentioned that the Mavericks are not far from being ahead 3-1 in the series. And after the 83-79 near-miss in Game 2 at Arco, there is no doubt in the Mavericks' collective mind that they can break through there.

"We know we're capable of winning in that building," Finley said. "We were up 3-0 last year against Portland, and then it went to 3-3. We were down 3-1 to San Antonio last year and won a big game down there without Dirk. You never know what can happen if you win one game."

Right now, that's the only hope to which the Mavericks can cling.

[EricaLubarsky]

good riddance to this underacheiving team. The success of this team is more important than any single player or coach.

[ddh33]

I have a ton of thoughts that I will express about this team the day the season ends - hopefully a ways off...

But all I will say to those who want to blow this thing up is, be careful what you wish for.

[MightyToine]

Originally posted by: EricaLubarsky
good riddance to this underacheiving team. The success of this team is more important than any single player or coach.

The success of this team is more important than Walker or Nellie, you mean.....eh, Erica? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

[Mavs Rule]

Its funny but I think that Sefco was pressured into changing the title of this article since he originally put it on the website last night. The new title is "Nellie, Big Three may not be done" instead of "A first round loss to Kings may break up Nellie, Big Three". Personally I like the latter title better, specifically the inference of Nellie leaving.

[Murphy3]

Norm just said that if he were Cuban and if the Mavs were to lose game 5, he would strongly look at replacing Don Nelson.

[dirno2000]

^^^That's a pretty strong indictment.

The way they come out tomorrow night will tell me a lot.

[madape]

This upcoming game may very well be the last game Nelson coaches.

Big moves are coming.

[MavsFanatik33]

I really can't see Nellie leaving
He shouldn't leave....HE'S not the Maverick problem...maybe he's not a good GM but he is one of the greatest coaches of all time....

[Murphy3]

Originally posted by: MavsFanatik33
I really can't see Nellie leaving
He shouldn't leave....HE'S not the Maverick problem...maybe he's not a good GM but he is one of the greatest coaches of all time....

He's a very big part of the problem To claim anything else is nothing more than hiding from the truth.

[Dirkenstien]

Nellie is definitely a part of the problem but we need to be careful with whatever we do. I dont neccessarily believe that we should blow this team up...rather we should bring in a new coach and trade walker for an athletic and strong player down low. I would really like to keep Jamison around...i think hes an important piece to winning a title

[LRB]

I'm with you Dirkenstien. If we move Nellie and Walker, I think that we have a pretty decent team. We have a great shot at getting Ostertag as a FA this off season and with AW out of the lineup and a coach who actully knows how to play a center I think that this team could easily contend next year for a title.

[Chelette]

If Nellie go away,,, Cuban should hired a coach who really like it to work on both ends......because you all can see, Nellie is all offense but not defense.......do not make the mistake of bringing on a full defense coach but almost no offense...........Nellie is good, he is one of the greatest, so is my granpa, but times has changed, and nellie either update his coaching system, or let someone else take the "batan"

[jayC]

If nellie leaves or gets canned. I thank him for ressurecting a franchise that was the biggest loser in all of sports in the 90's.

If Walker and Finley get traded they need to be traded for the right pieces. The best move might to do nothing and add a new coach. This team is close, it just needs new leadership. How many offseasons in a row or moves at the trade deadline. They need to be the right moves even if it means taking a step back. Trade for Chandler might be.

[LRB]

Originally posted by: jayC
If nellie leaves or gets canned. I thank him for ressurecting a franchise that was the biggest loser in all of sports in the 90's.

Nellie did a great job resurrecting the pathetic Mavs of the 90's to be a playoff team once again. He brought us Dirk, and Nash, and help mold Fin into a star player. But that in no way means we should wait until we return to the level of the 90's Mavs until Nellie gets canned. This team needs a change desparately because it's headed in the wrong direction.

[mavsman55]

I do think Nelson is the problem. He was a great coach who has done great things for this team, but it seems he's running out of ideas. A defensive-minded coach would be the best remedy for this team to play up to their potential. As PubaNWO said, this team is too talented not to win a championship and I think the only reason they're behind now is because Don Nelson isn't utilizing the talent well enough. He did a good job while he was here, but his time is up. As they say, out with the old, in with the new.

[u2sarajevo]

I saw this in today's paper with a contradictory article as well. Cuban says that Nelson and the Big-3, with the exception of Nash, are still under contract so he doesn't see any changes coming.

[u2sarajevo]

Here's the article I was referring to above: (edit: one thing I noticed is that I guess it could be taken that he may not have been referring to Nelson... but I don't know)

Nellie, Big Three may not be done

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

Don Nelson called it a day of mourning and, yes, the Mavericks clearly had gone from believing to bereaving Tuesday. Their playoff hopes are all but flat-lined after Sacramento's win Monday night at American Airlines Center. The Kings are up 3-1 in the best-of-7 series. If there was any speculation about other things kicking the bucket, however, owner Mark Cuban helped set the record straight. At times such as this, everything seems like fair game on the talk-show circuit. But the six-year collaboration of Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley and the seven-year tenure of Nelson as coach aren't on trial in what could be the final game of the season Thursday at Sacramento.

"Considering all have contracts going forward except for the possible exception of Steve, I would say it's 99 percent likely their streak continues," Cuban said. Cuban didn't seem like an owner who believes this is the end of the line for the core of his team. Nash is expected to opt out of his contract after the season is finished to test the free-agent market. But Nash has voiced his desire to remain with the Mavericks, and Cuban has acknowledged the point guard's value to the team. Other issues may arise, too. Nelson, like all coaches, knows when expectations are not met, questions arise. "You can't worry about any of that," Nelson said in the downcast aftermath of the Kings' 94-92 win. "Nobody knows the future. All that talk doesn't really matter." Nelson worries less about his future these days, regardless of what happens in the playoffs. His contract calls for two more seasons as coach. Nowitzki and Finley, who with Nash comprise the Big Three, are under contract for several more years. "You can't worry about things you can't control," said Finley, who with eight seasons is the player with the longest tenure among the Mavericks. "We won 60 games last year, and we still made changes." Changes that are one defeat away from rendering the Mavericks as first-round fodder a season after they reached the Western Conference finals. Reverse is not a gear that goes over well with any sporting organization, but the Mavericks could be faced with that reality by Thursday in Game 5 at Arco Arena. Tuesday's mood was glum. The spring in the players' steps that was so obvious Sunday had turned into tired souls Tuesday. "It hurts," Antawn Jamison said. "It was like a funeral in the locker room it was so quiet." For now, it is Nelson's job to try to prop his team back up as best he can. It won't be easy. Only seven teams in NBA history have come back from a 3-1 hole to win a playoff series. "It's not a pleasant place to be," Nelson said. "All we care about at this point is getting one win and getting it back to our place. "It sounds insurmountable when you talk about [winning] all three. It's not so bad if you talk about [winning] one. We just need to seize the moment and win one game." And after the 83-79 near-miss in Game 2 at Arco, there is no doubt in the Mavericks' collective mind that they can break through there. "We know we're capable of winning in that building," Finley said. "We were up 3-0 last year against Portland, and then it went to 3-3. We were down 3-1 to San Antonio last year and won a big game down there without Dirk. You never know what can happen if you win one game."

[Maringa]

I wonder if Nellie is fired, would that mean that Donnie leaves as well? As much as people have been hard on Walker, thank goodness we got rid of both Raef and Nick. Raef for his horrible contract, and Nick (although he showed himself as heck of a leader) due to his failing body. Donnie was instrumental in bringing in Nash, Dirk, Jamison, and now drafting Marquis and Josh.

Of all the big guys (Don, Donnie and Del Harris), keep Donnie....

[DubOverdose]

Donnie needs to stay. I think Cuban might try to get Avery Johnson to come and be an assistant coach to Nelson, then in a year or two have Johnson take over as coach or some shift of coaching power. I could be way off, but Nelson does have an open offer for Johnson on the coaching staff, I just don't know where he was meant to be inserted if he does accept the offer.

[1timesportsbeatwriter]

the only problem ive had with nellie is he has done too much to pooh-pooh underperforming veterans. walker has sucked pretty much all year, but nellie has found away to keep him in the starting lineup. The mavs have never had a good starting small forward since the three Js (jamal mashburn) and then befor ethen, mark aguirre, and they finally get one this year in jamison and they dont start him. i understand that nellie wanted a scorer off the bench to make up for van exel, but the differenc is that van exel wasnt startting cuz the mavs already had nash. currently, the mavs dont have a bettter small forward than jamison so it makes no sense to not starthim. i mean, this is a guy who has scored 50 points in a nba game twice. and if my memory is correct, he scored a mavericks-opponent record 25 points in the first quarter against the mavs in a game during the 01-02 season. Nellie always says he will play his best players, but i think you should start your best players and if walker pouted, then too bad. cuz when the other players saw nelie pooh-pooing walker, im sure they lost some respect for nellie.
also, and prolly more important, is nellies scheme just doenst work and im sure thats been disccused ad nauseum here. small ball sucks. i think if nellie doesnt agree to put in a new system and go after aone or two defensive oritented big men, then cuban should prolly fire nellie. Still, nellie is a great coach, i just think he fell in love with all the gadgetsa nd gyzmos and its come back to haunt him now that other teams hve figured out how to stop all that trickery stuff.

[dude1394]

Originally posted by: Murphy3
Norm just said that if he were Cuban and if the Mavs were to lose game 5, he would strongly look at replacing Don Nelson.

Good think he's not making decisions, he's a terrible knee-jerker.

[dude1394]

I think you are right on 1times. This year is my most dissapionting with nellie becasue I thought what he showed was stubborness. I also think that was a big reason that cubes was thinking about firing him last year, because he wasn't open-minded enough.

It makes me want to agree with many on this board that he's actually wanted to get fired.

i think if nellie doesnt agree to put in a new system and go after aone or two defensive oritented big men, then cuban should prolly fire nellie.

Cannot disagree with this.

[Murphy3]

Originally posted by: dude1394

Good think he's not making decisions, he's a terrible knee-jerker.

You think? I don't.
I'm sure it pained Norm to say that on the air. No media member in the Dallas area has given Nellie more of a free pass over the years than Norm. I'm sure that has alot to do with their very friendly relationship.

[dude1394]

Yea I do. I'm not saying he doesn't like nellie, so does galloway for that matter. But norm to me is always way to ready to blow it up in my mind.

[Murphy3]

Originally posted by: dude1394
Yea I do. I'm not saying he doesn't like nellie, so does galloway for that matter. But norm to me is always way to ready to blow it up in my mind.

hmm..ok

I've never gotten that feeling from norm. He's always been the radio equivalent to David on this site when it comes to blindly defending Nellie.

[Psychedelic Fuzz]

Warning: The following might possibly be construed by some individuals as a rant

I don't see Nellie leaving, and I don't want him to.

I've defended Nellie in the past, but I'm over that. What I don't want to see is a coaching change. Does anybody really think a defensive minded coach will come in here and everything will be peachy? A defensive minded coach means some pretty big personel changes and time to adapt to the new guy's system. Does anyone want Pat Riley to run this franchise into the ground like he did Miami? Many of the people calling for Nelson's head now have been doing so for a long time, and I'm cool with that but everyone else needs to realize that it's not a quick fix.

The defense oriented teams don't play very well on offense, and the offensive teams don't play spectacular D. That's just the way it is, unless you are the Lakers.

Defensive minded coach, fine. Goodbye Jamison, hello 70-67 final scores.

whew, that felt good!!

[u2sarajevo]

PFuzz.. I think the idea is a coach with some balance. One that will actually give you a shot at a title.

If it were a choice between our Mavs now or the Fratello's Cavaliers I would want to stay pat as well. But it's time to advance, not step-backward.

[Psychedelic Fuzz]

Ideally some balance would be nice, but I'm just not convinced it will actually happen that way if a head coaching change is made, and I'm not convinced that a more balanced strategy has to come at the expense of Nellie's job.

Nellie has already begun to play the rooks, and what would happen if we land a defensively talented yet not dead weight on offense kind of low post player?

I guess I'm saying that I don't necessarily see a coaching change as a forward move.

[u2sarajevo]

Originally posted by: Psychedelic Fuzz
Ideally some balance would be nice, but I'm just not convinced it will actually happen that way if a head coaching change is made, and I'm not convinced that a more balanced strategy has to come at the expense of Nellie's job.

Nellie has already begun to play the rooks, and what would happen if we land a defensively talented yet not dead weight on offense kind of low post player?

That sounds great. However, if your coach doesn't preach it, it becomes easy to get lazy on the defensive side... because it takes more energy to play it. When your coach constantly gives his players an out by proclaiming that they don't play defense because they can't, well then you got problems.

But yeah, a defensive minded low post player would be great.

[Psychedelic Fuzz]

But he was a solid defensive coach in Milwaukee, so who knows how much he would push a new player that is actually known for defense.

I don't think that Nellie is standing in the way of progress yet, and the experiment hasn't failed to the extent that the team needs a shakeup that a coaching change would inevitably bring. Maybe it's best we agree to disagree. I see this debate heading in the area of an infinite loop...or maybe it's just that my tofu and carrot juice doesn't agree with me[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[u2sarajevo]

Well, I'm not 100% sold on the idea of replacing him either. I am just a frustrated fan.

Something needs to change, however. The Toine era didn't work, and I don't want to see more of it. Give me role players, not offensive/defensively inept 3 point shooting players who complains when he is sat down because of his ineffectiveness.

Know what I mean?

[Murphy3]

Nellie has had his chance to develop a low post player. But, he's continuously decided not to. He had a chance to go to Dirk more and more in the low post after an extremely efficient second half of the season last year on the blocks. But, Nellie decided that he'd rather dirk stay out on the perimeter all the time so that Nellie could play with his precious point forward system.

I have no faith in Nellie. Every time the leopard looks like he's about to change his spots, he reverts to the insanity that has gotten the mavs in trouble in the first place.

[dude1394]

Originally posted by: Murphy3

hmm..ok

I've never gotten that feeling from norm. He's always been the radio equivalent to David on this site when it comes to blindly defending Nellie.

I've changed my mind, norm said today that in hindsight he wouldn't have made the raef trade. He's a genious!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

[MightyToine]

Originally posted by: dude1394

I've changed my mind, norm said today that in hindsight he wouldn't have made the raef trade. He's a genious!! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

Yeah....He would've preferred that we had Raef on the injured list still making MILLIONS of our hard-earned dollars while the Mavs struggle to get the 8th seed in the West..... [img]i/expressions/rolleye.gif[/img]

[mavsman55]

Originally posted by: Psychedelic Fuzz
Warning: The following might possibly be construed by some individuals as a rant

I don't see Nellie leaving, and I don't want him to.

I've defended Nellie in the past, but I'm over that. What I don't want to see is a coaching change. Does anybody really think a defensive minded coach will come in here and everything will be peachy? A defensive minded coach means some pretty big personel changes and time to adapt to the new guy's system. Does anyone want Pat Riley to run this franchise into the ground like he did Miami? Many of the people calling for Nelson's head now have been doing so for a long time, and I'm cool with that but everyone else needs to realize that it's not a quick fix.

The defense oriented teams don't play very well on offense, and the offensive teams don't play spectacular D. That's just the way it is, unless you are the Lakers.

Defensive minded coach, fine. Goodbye Jamison, hello 70-67 final scores.

whew, that felt good!!

You make really great points, PFuzz. But I am convinced that as long as Nash and Nowitzki are on this team, there will be no major problems with our offense. Nash can create for just about anybody you put on the floor with him, and Dirk is an excellent go-to guy. They already have the skill, and I don't think that bringing in a defensive-minded coach would diminish the offensive talent that they already have.

[dude1394]

Yeah....He would've preferred that we had Raef on the injured list still making MILLIONS of our hard-earned dollars while the Mavs struggle to get the 8th seed in the West..... [img]i/expressions/rolleye.gif[/img]

Unfortunately (and I'm being honest) we would be a better team right now without him. We would have played shawn/fortson/jiri welsch. Jamison would be starting. It REALLY would be a better team.