Galloway column - interview with Nelson - pretty good read

[kg_veteran]

This makes for a pretty good read, with plenty of typical Nellie speak...

Galloway column




<< Rested Nellie feeling good about Mavericks


Big Nellie is back in town this week. Been to Hawaii. Been to Europe. I have been eagerly awaiting his summer return. Now there are at least two of us around here who still think the Mavericks are a good basketball team, with an excellent opportunity to be real good.


OK, the Cowboys have a much better chance of winning a Super Bowl before Nellie and the Mavs even win a conference title. But that's only because the NFL is a shack of a league. As opposed to the mighty Shaq who rules the NBA.


But while the Mavs' playoff ouster by Sacramento seven weeks ago caused a negative local reaction, Don Nelson believes the outstanding series that followed - Kings and Lakers - served as bittersweet redemption. Sorta.


&quot;The way I saw it, Sacramento won five of those seven games,&quot; he said. &quot;Whether it was the referees or lucky bounces, LA won the series. Sacramento was certainly better than us in our series, no question. But the argument can be made Sacramento was also better than the Lakers. That says something right there.&quot;


Did Nellie also watch the NBA Finals? &quot;No, there was no reason,&quot; he said, putting him in a vast majority of Americans.


But what about Shaq? Will the coach who invented Hack-a-Shaq be devising any new ideas on containing the big fellow?


&quot;Yeah, one,&quot; Nelson said. &quot;His retirement.&quot;


Other than that, however...


&quot;Now that Shaq has improved his free-throw shooting, there is no stopping him,&quot; Nellie added. &quot;I do think you can beat the Lakers, but you can't beat Shaq. With him, the Lakers are the champs again, and that's that. But now that they've won three straight titles, maybe that helps the rest of us. Maybe they get a little fat and sassy and leave the door open next season.&quot;


Any negative hangover from the Sacramento series?


&quot;I couldn't be disappointed in that we got beat by a better team,&quot; Nelson answered, &quot;but still, there was a lot of initial disappointment. Losing the two home games in the series was a serious kick in the teeth for me. But we've got to take that and learn from it.&quot;


Then again, the Sac series also left no doubt, right, about needed areas of improvement before next season?


&quot;Rebounding. Definitely rebounding,&quot; Nelson said. &quot;And defense, too. We've got to continue to plug away on being better defensively, but if we're a better rebounding team, then we're automatically better in all areas.&quot;


As usual, however, Nelson dropped no hint on possible off-season trades that would improve the rebounding and the defense. Instead, he talked about Shawn Bradley and Evan Eschmeyer, as if that's going to make anyone feel better.


&quot;Maybe I need to play the bigger lineup more,&quot; he said. &quot;We aren't going to totally get away from small ball, but somehow, some way, we've got to get something out of Bradley. All last season, we talked about getting a big lineup on the floor by using Bradley and Eschmeyer, but we were having a lot of success the other way, so we never really did what maybe we should have done.&quot;


Then again, Bradley stayed in the Nelson doghouse most of the season, and Eschmeyer became a forgotten bench-sitter.


Nelson claimed he is not pursuing any big man through summer trades. &quot;There won't be any magic answer in this off-season,&quot; he said. &quot;What we've got, we're going to be going with next season.&quot;


Do note, of course, that in all the major deals Nelson and owner Mark Cuban have made the past few years, none came with any warning or media speculation. Nellie's stance has been those deals all fell into place at the last minute.


Obviously, he's exploring off-season trades.


Also, his trip to Europe was only partly for vacation. He was scouting and doing clinics, and even without a first-round draft pick next week, looking for a secret find overseas.


Did he spot, maybe, a future Dirk?


&quot;I know this much, we saw some good young players,&quot; he said, ignoring the Dirk reference. &quot;There is some talent over there, and we know where that talent is.&quot;


Even here in early summer, Nelson also claimed his golf game was rotten. &quot;A lot of sixs on every scorecard,&quot; he said. &quot;My problem is, I'm ready for next season to start right now. I wish we opened tomorrow.&quot;


That makes two of us.


Randy Galloway's Sports at Six can be heard weeknights, 6-8 p.m., on WBAP NewsTalk 820. rgalloway@star-telegram.com >>

[Murphy3]

<< &quot;Maybe I need to play the bigger lineup more&quot; >>


glory glory

[Drbio]

Please God let the Bigger line-up comment be serious.

[Drbio]

and the off-season trade comment too....amen.

[Drbio]

and the offseason trade line too.....amen.

[TheKid]

&quot;Maybe I need to play the bigger lineup more,&quot; he said. &quot;We aren't going to totally get away from small ball, but somehow, some way, we've got to get something out of Bradley. All last season, we talked about getting a big lineup on the floor by using Bradley and Eschmeyer, but we were having a lot of success the other way, so we never really did what maybe we should have done.&quot;

You all beat me to the punch, because that's the MAIN THING I noticed.. THANK THE LORD!!!!!!!!!! However this is coming from the man who said after Fin came back from his injury he wouldn't play more than 35 minutes a game. Then Fin proceeded to average almost 40 minutes and over 40 minutes in the playoffs. So I HOPE he really means it when he says he should get away from the small ball.

[MavsFanFinley]

LOL @ all the amens from Nellie's talk of playing more of a bigger lineup next season.

I did the same thing when I read it.

However, I have hard time believing what he says until I actually see it.

Same goes with his talk/lack of trade talks.

[FilthyFinMavs]

<< LOL @ all the amens from Nellie's talk of playing more of a bigger lineup next season.

I did the same thing when I read it.

However, I have hard time believing what he says until I actually see it.

Same goes with his talk/lack of trade talks. >>




Yea I have a hard time believin it to. When u have Eschmeyer and Bradely as ur Big man I dont see him playing them to much more than last season. The Best thing for him to do is let Eschmeyer and Lafrentz stay in becasue ive had it with everyone wanting to dunk on bradely when he is in the game.

[Drbio]

Anyone else think Mellie shopping Bradley?

[scooterj5]

Of course he is, but we could probably only get someone from Utah where he is popular (We would have to throw someone else in a sign-and-trade for Donyell Marshall) What do you guys think about Marshall? He's big and he rebounds, and would be an excellent 6th man.

[kg_veteran]

I'd trade Bradley and something else for Marshall. In a heartbeat. He'd be a very nice bench guy. He has somewhat of a low post game, a decent jumpshot, and has size and bulk.

[MavKikiNYC]

Marshall: Bad hair. We have Nash already.

Marshall didn't fit in at Utah, and he just crowds the queue of semi-skilled forwards on the Mavs. What about him suggests he'd be better-than-average sixth-man material?

He didn't fit in Sloan's system, and the situation he'd be coming into wouldn't be all that different from the one he'd be leaving. If he were competent, they'd be holding onto him.

Harpring is the target.

[Drbio]

I wouldn't mind seeing Bradley + go away for Marshall. Bad hair and all.

[kg_veteran]

<< Marshall didn't fit in at Utah, and he just crowds the queue of semi-skilled forwards on the Mavs. What about him suggests he'd be better-than-average sixth-man material? >>



He was a pretty good starter just a year removed in Utah, and was hurt part of last year, and he still posted 13/7 in 30 minutes for the Jazz, and blocked over a shot a game. I think he'd be a very nice sixth man, because he can rebound, post up, block shots, and is a pretty big body to throw out against opposing PF's. And isn't even an average sixth man a nice acquisition if you're just giving up Bradley and filler?



<< If he were competent, they'd be holding onto him. >>



Actually, they're trying to dump him because their owner is cheap. I really don't think it's a commentary on his skill level.



<< Harpring is the target. >>



Harpring would be a decent addition, but I'd rather have Marshall, frankly. Especially when all you have to pay is Bradley and filler.

[MavKikiNYC]

<< He &lt;Marshall&gt; was a pretty good starter just a year removed in Utah, and was hurt part of last year, and he still posted 13/7 in 30 minutes for the Jazz, and blocked over a shot a game. I think he'd be a very nice sixth man, because he can rebound, post up, block shots, and is a pretty big body to throw out against opposing PF's. And isn't even an average sixth man a nice acquisition if you're just giving up Bradley and filler? >>



Marshall as a 3 or a backup 4? If a 3, while he does have some very NBA-average athleticism, he doesn't have the outside game that the Mavs would seem to need from a 3, nor does he impress much as a threat slashing to the basket, nor has he ever shown 3-defensive skills. If a backup 4, you're looking at 10-12 minutes per game max behind Dirk, which N&aacute;jera, Manning, Wang and LaF can more than cover. Marshall does have some average ability, but this sounds like a trade for trade's sake.





<< Actually, they're trying to dump him because their owner is cheap. I really don't think it's a commentary on his skill level. >>



To hear Karl Malone tell it, Miller is cheap. But in the past couple of years, the Jazz have allowed Shandon Anderson to migrate to the Rockets, and Howard Eisley to sign with the Mavericks as free agents. Despite a one-season flash by Anderson with Houston, both of these players have slid down toward the end of the bench (and both, perhaps not coincidentally with the NYKs), which suggests to me that Utah is looking at $/ability ratio, not just bottom line.

[Drbio]

Karla Moan is a crybaby bitch. I don't listen to anything that tard says.

[FilthyFinMavs]

I thought Doneyell hard cornrolls? Well anyway I would still take him for anyone on our bench except for maybe Griff and Buck tho I do think he is a better player then them.

[Hoopsmeister]

I think we can do better than Marshall but he is certainly better than anyone on our bench than NVE--and he is not the defensive liability Nick is. As a pick-up with the exception the Mavs could certainly do worse.

[kg_veteran]

<< I think we can do better than Marshall but he is certainly better than anyone on our bench than NVE--and he is not the defensive liability Nick is. As a pick-up with the exception the Mavs could certainly do worse. >>



Agree completely.

MavsKiki - To answer your question on how I see Marshall, I view him as the first big guy off the bench unless and until we acquire someone better. I think he'd get 25 minutes a game on this team without a problem. As Hoops mentioned, he's better than anyone currently on the Mavs bench except NVE.

[Drbio]

Marshall would be a nice pick up with the exception. And I also think he would serve as the first big man off the bench and would score about 20 minutes a game.