Solid D
09-29-2006, 12:54 AM
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/09/28/sports/s183815D20.DTL
Updated:2006-09-28 21:40:51
Nelson Worried About Warriors' Foul Shooting
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports
OAKLAND, Calif. (Sept. 28) - Don Nelson is making sweeping changes to the Golden State Warriors , yet the coach's grand scheme begins with simple free throws.
Nelson will demand better free-throw shooting from his players when he opens training camp Tuesday in his second stint with the moribund club. And he won't be afraid to bench stars Jason Richardson and Baron Davis if they can't provide it.
The second-winningest coach in NBA history was hired last month to end Golden State 's league-worst 12-year playoff absence - a drought that began when he ended his first term with the Warriors.
While Nelson has cooked up plenty of ideas to improve the Warriors, ranging from a sophisticated small-ball attack to better conditioning for every player, he sees one glaring statistic from last season: Golden State finished 26th out of the NBA's 30 teams in free-throw shooting, making just 71.8 percent.
"The biggest problem they had in not winning games is their free-throw shooting," Nelson said Thursday in an interview at the Warriors' training complex. "You're never going to be much of a team if you don't make your free throws.
"Unfortunately, two of my best players don't shoot the free throw (well): Jason Richardson and Baron Davis. There's no reason that they don't. ... The onus is going to be on the player, for sure, to make his free throws. You're not in the game (if) you don't make your free throws." :wow :wow :wow
Such simple, confrontational solutions to the Warriors' problems just didn't seem possible last season under coach Mike Montgomery, an NBA neophyte who never seemed to command his players' respect. That shouldn't be a problem with Nelson and his 1,190 NBA victories.
Though Richardson and Davis were the Warriors' highest-scoring players last season, Nelson said he won't hesitate to bench anybody who can't score at the line in the clutch. Richardson and Davis made just 67 percent of their free throws last season while combining to average 41.1 points.
And although Nelson still hasn't met with Davis in person, the coach also said he would like his high-scoring point guard to lose some weight so he'll be at his fittest for the new uptempo offense. Their relationship should be an intriguing subplot to the Warriors' suddenly exciting season.
Nelson is known for his tinkering and innovation, yet he's hoping his track record as a player and a winning coach will make the transition smooth.
Meanwhile, Nelson said Richardson won't be able to practice when training camp opens. He's still recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last month, while young big men Chris Taft and first-round pick Patrick O'Bryant also will be on the sideline with injuries.
After four weeks of videotape study and personal evaluation since his hiring, Nelson has concocted some ideas about getting better results from a club that finished with identical 34-48 records in the last two seasons under Montgomery.
Nelson sees a confused team in those tapes - defensively disorganized and offensively undisciplined. The Warriors launched 22.3 3-pointers per game, more than any team except the Phoenix Suns - yet made just 34.1 percent of them, well below Phoenix's league-leading 39.9 percent.
Though Nelson built high-tempo, quick-shooting offenses in Golden State and Dallas , he won't sanction such rampant long-range shooting.
"It's their decision-making that's my biggest concern," he said. "If these players think we're going to launch as many 3's as they did last year, they're mistaken. We're going to shoot (fewer). We're going to be penetrating more, passing more. We're not just going to be shooting 3's at every opportunity."
Nelson's starting center probably will be 6-foot-11 Troy Murphy most nights, and the smallish lineup behind him will be quick and versatile. But if it doesn't work, Nelson won't hesitate to change.
"The plan that I have is flexible," Nelson said. "I want to get the max out of the team that I have, get them to play the best they can play. We're not talking about winning titles. We're talking about building the best team we have, and then go from there. Hopefully we'll talk about winning titles some time in the future."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2006-09-28 21:40:51
Updated:2006-09-28 21:40:51
Nelson Worried About Warriors' Foul Shooting
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports
OAKLAND, Calif. (Sept. 28) - Don Nelson is making sweeping changes to the Golden State Warriors , yet the coach's grand scheme begins with simple free throws.
Nelson will demand better free-throw shooting from his players when he opens training camp Tuesday in his second stint with the moribund club. And he won't be afraid to bench stars Jason Richardson and Baron Davis if they can't provide it.
The second-winningest coach in NBA history was hired last month to end Golden State 's league-worst 12-year playoff absence - a drought that began when he ended his first term with the Warriors.
While Nelson has cooked up plenty of ideas to improve the Warriors, ranging from a sophisticated small-ball attack to better conditioning for every player, he sees one glaring statistic from last season: Golden State finished 26th out of the NBA's 30 teams in free-throw shooting, making just 71.8 percent.
"The biggest problem they had in not winning games is their free-throw shooting," Nelson said Thursday in an interview at the Warriors' training complex. "You're never going to be much of a team if you don't make your free throws.
"Unfortunately, two of my best players don't shoot the free throw (well): Jason Richardson and Baron Davis. There's no reason that they don't. ... The onus is going to be on the player, for sure, to make his free throws. You're not in the game (if) you don't make your free throws." :wow :wow :wow
Such simple, confrontational solutions to the Warriors' problems just didn't seem possible last season under coach Mike Montgomery, an NBA neophyte who never seemed to command his players' respect. That shouldn't be a problem with Nelson and his 1,190 NBA victories.
Though Richardson and Davis were the Warriors' highest-scoring players last season, Nelson said he won't hesitate to bench anybody who can't score at the line in the clutch. Richardson and Davis made just 67 percent of their free throws last season while combining to average 41.1 points.
And although Nelson still hasn't met with Davis in person, the coach also said he would like his high-scoring point guard to lose some weight so he'll be at his fittest for the new uptempo offense. Their relationship should be an intriguing subplot to the Warriors' suddenly exciting season.
Nelson is known for his tinkering and innovation, yet he's hoping his track record as a player and a winning coach will make the transition smooth.
Meanwhile, Nelson said Richardson won't be able to practice when training camp opens. He's still recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee last month, while young big men Chris Taft and first-round pick Patrick O'Bryant also will be on the sideline with injuries.
After four weeks of videotape study and personal evaluation since his hiring, Nelson has concocted some ideas about getting better results from a club that finished with identical 34-48 records in the last two seasons under Montgomery.
Nelson sees a confused team in those tapes - defensively disorganized and offensively undisciplined. The Warriors launched 22.3 3-pointers per game, more than any team except the Phoenix Suns - yet made just 34.1 percent of them, well below Phoenix's league-leading 39.9 percent.
Though Nelson built high-tempo, quick-shooting offenses in Golden State and Dallas , he won't sanction such rampant long-range shooting.
"It's their decision-making that's my biggest concern," he said. "If these players think we're going to launch as many 3's as they did last year, they're mistaken. We're going to shoot (fewer). We're going to be penetrating more, passing more. We're not just going to be shooting 3's at every opportunity."
Nelson's starting center probably will be 6-foot-11 Troy Murphy most nights, and the smallish lineup behind him will be quick and versatile. But if it doesn't work, Nelson won't hesitate to change.
"The plan that I have is flexible," Nelson said. "I want to get the max out of the team that I have, get them to play the best they can play. We're not talking about winning titles. We're talking about building the best team we have, and then go from there. Hopefully we'll talk about winning titles some time in the future."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2006-09-28 21:40:51