Don Nelson Says He Could Have Coached the Spurs

[spurs1990]

Also isn't the timing way off in all of this?

The Webber fiasco he talks about was in 1994 right? Had he joined the Spurs back then he's assuming history would have remained static in that the Spurs would tank...er be injury riddled in 1997 to be in position to luck into Duncan.

[Spursfan092120]

[Obstructed_View]

Also isn't the timing way off in all of this?

The Webber fiasco he talks about was in 1994 right? Had he joined the Spurs back then he's assuming history would have remained static in that the Spurs would tank...er be injury riddled in 1997 to be in position to luck into Duncan.

Pop was made GM of the Spurs that year. He probably would have made Nellie his head coach at that point had he been available.

[The Truth #6]

I think Nelson's revelation is interesting, but not for the scenario he describes. Remove the Nelson coaching Duncan fantasy and instead consider how the Spurs would have done under Nelson instead of Hill.

Who would have done better coaching Rodman: Hill or Nelson? I think it's obvious. Nelson. Rodman's bizarre unique talent and temperatment would have been better managed under Nelson then Hill. Obviously, it's impossible to prove this. But at that time, Nelson's brain wasn't completely submerged in Merlot. He would have responded much better in the Rockets series then Hill in my opinion. He was brilliant at adapting. We may have even won a le that year with Nelson. I mean, it's an interesting conversation and not at all that far fetched.

We had the best team that year but didn't know how to take it through the playoffs. I think Nelson could have been a difference maker for that.

This is not saying Nelson instead of Pop, but as far as Nelson instead of Hill, I think it's a no brainer.

Discuss.

[Obstructed_View]

I don't think this is anything new. I've heard this before, perhaps at the time it happened.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

We still would have had one or two championships with Nelson as coach, given that Pop and RC were still making the GM decisions in that time span.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Nelson coaching with Pop being a GM? I can see the Spurs winning a couple of les, however, Nelson instead of Pop - no way. He would have traded everyone. Pop's role as a GM ( or co-GM, whatever )as well as being a coach shouldn't be underestimated.

[bigfan]

I cant stand Nelson. He may have been something "back in the day" but for the last 20 years the guy has been sucking hind . him .

[SA210]

Feels like he has been coaching the Spurs, at least the last couple of seasons..

[K-State Spur]

then the warriors wouldnt have knocked out mavs like they did in the playoffs

that was during nelly's second tour with GS. this statement was in reference to the end of round 1.

OTOH, if he comes to SA instead of NY/DAL following his first GS run, the Mavs likely never get Dirk.

[ShoogarBear]

This is no hating on Pop, but who knows what would had happened if Nelly would have joined the Spurs at the time.

People associate Nelly ball with his stint as a Warriors coach, but he also demonstrated extensively that he was a of defensive coach all his years in Milwaukee. He never had a true dominant post player his entire career as a coach (as a player he played and was coached by a great one).

Once with the Warriors, when he finally gave up an arm and a leg to get Webber, the prick was young and immature and didn't want to be coached (Webber semi-redeemed himself later in his career and matured, but in my eyes he was always a spoiled child).

He was very unfortunate that before he started as a coach in NY, it was leaked that he would have preferred to trade Ewing for a young Shaq, making his relationship with Ewing irreparable (i.e. Ewing run him out of town after ~60 games).

Don't you think that with DRob and Duncan at his disposal, he wouldn't be able to use them effectively? Nelly was the master of putting players in a situation to succeed, he always adapted to the strengths of his personnel. Who knows, under Nelly the Spurs would have never won a championship or they would have established the longest winning championship dynasty since the '60s Celtics.

IMHO, he is/was the most creative coach in basketball.

Nellie was a good coach in Milwaukee, but then he went off the deep end, started believing his own press too much, wanted to be called an "innovator" and "genius", and was more interested in Coach of the Year awards than championships. When he had opportunities to get decent big men, he dodged them so then he could complain about how he didn't have one. He loved
having unconventional and gimmick teams because when they won, he was a genius and when they lost, oh woe is me I don't have the talent.

At some point he almost became afraid to win. He would have found some way to screw up Duncan and Robinson. Those Dallas; teams had three straight future MVPs AND Michael Finley.

[ChuckD]

-- "I begged the (ownership) to keep Chris Webber and let me go ... and I could have been in San Antonio and had Tim Duncan."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...#ixzz1HLi17wn8

He's a fool. He had Run TMC + Cwebb and ed it up because he couldn't get along with his young star.

[spurspokesman]

don's right. He probably could have had the spurs job.

Sure am glad things didn't work out that way though............

lol