Sources: Golden State Warriors on verge of replacing Don Nelson as coach

[ace3g]

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Sources: Golden State Warriors on verge of replacing Don Nelson as coach - http://es.pn/9BETYm

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ESPN.com link to Nellie out as Warriors coach, Keith Smart in: http://es.pn/cyfEEL

[Giuseppe]

Denver should follow suit with Karl.

[Ashy Larry]

The Golden State Warriors (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=gsw), with just a few days to go before the start of training camp, are on the verge of making a coaching change.


Sources with knowledge of the Warriors' thinking told ESPN.com that the club's new owners, Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, have decided to part company with Don Nelson -- who late last season became the winningest coach in league history -- and replace him with assistant Keith Smart.


The move is scheduled to be finalized by the end of the week, sources said, with Smart taking charge of the team in time for media day Monday and the team's first practice of the season Tuesday.



Nelson had one year remaining on his contract at $6 million. Sources said Nelson, as per the terms of his contract, will receive his full salary.


Although the sale of the Warriors from the much-maligned Chris Cohan to Lacob and Guber has not been formally ratified by the league, sources said that Cohan's successors have had their say on the bulk of the team's moves for much of the summer.


Sources said it was the new owners' preference to make the change before camp started and replace Nelson with Smart, who has previously served as a head coach in Cleveland before joining the Warriors as an assistant in 2003.


The Warriors and Nelson did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Nelson has said for months that he intended this season to be his last in coaching if the Warriors' new regime did want him back. One source close to the situation told ESPN.com on Thursday that Nelson, after celebrating his 70th birthday in May, is unlikely to coach again now that the Warriors have informed him that they want Smart to take over in conjuction with the ownership change, which could be made official through league ratification as soon as next month.


In stints with Milwaukee, New York, Dallas and two tours with Golden State, spanning 31 seasons, Nelson posted a record of 1,335-1,063, winning three NBA Coach of the Year awards with a reputation for innovation. Nelson, however, had his share of critics as well and fell shy of taking his oft-unconventional teams to the NBA Finals, settling for trips to the conference finals with the Bucks and Mavericks after winning five rings as a player with the Boston Celtics.



Damn @ G Dub ...... every since Webber skated, G Dub has only really had a couple of decent season worth mentioning .....

[Pistons < Spurs]

About fucking time. Should have been fired years ago.

[Red Hawk #21]

^^Exactly, for years Nellie has just wanted to cash his checks and get drunk. Let the man go. I just hope Smart can implement a good system because they really have some talented kids on that team.

[HarlemHeat37]

This really sucks for the NBA..

Nelly-ball is arguably the most entertaining form of basketball in the league..anybody with LP knows that Warriors games are arguably the most entertaining games on a nightly basis, they always bring a lot of excitement, unorthodox basketball, and they usually have exciting finishes..

Yes, this could potentially make the Warriors better, but it's not like they're going to be good either way..

The Warriors have very poor management anyways, so the coach was just 1 problem, speaking from strictly a basketball perspective..

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

What a stupid time to fire Nelson. Why wasn't it done the minute their season was over and before Nelson wasted a draft pick on Anthony Randolph pt. 2 just so he could trade Anthony Randolph away?