Notebook: Nelson will give Johnson control against Spurs

[ducks]

Notebook: Nelson will give Johnson control against Spurs
12:10 AM CST on Sunday, November 28, 2004
By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Avery Johnson is the heir apparent. That will become even more evident Tuesday, when he will coach the Mavericks against San Antonio.

"It will be good for him," said coach Don Nelson, who will cede control of the game to give Johnson experience. "He could be a head coach tomorrow. He's got the whole package. He has great ideas. I definitely use more of the things he says than the things I say."

Nelson picked Tuesday's game because Johnson is familiar with the Spurs after all the years he spent in San Antonio under Gregg Popovich. Nelson will sit on the bench and serve as the assistant.

"I'll give him my opinion and he'll have to make the call," Nelson said. "Just like when he gives me his opinion, I reject some of them. He can reject mine."

Nelson said he intends to give control of the team to Johnson five or six times during the season.

"This is the most fun I've had coaching I can remember," Nelson said. "Just being around Avery, watching him grow... . He's such a great guy along with a great coaching talent. I'm having a ball. The older I get, the more he can do."
link

[ducks]

so nelson will give him the ruins 5-6 times this year

does nelson know he will get fired if they do not win it all this year and is just going to resign this year or what

what does MOUSE think about this

[ducks]

aj learning from nelson will not bring success
neslon is stupid and does not ever win anything
nelson is lucky to have a JOB

[ducks]

you know nelson had better cleared this with cuban first or he should be fired
nelson signed a contract to be the coach
he is responibliy for being the coach
he needs to do his JOB

[Duff McCartney]

AJ is gonna be a garbage coach.

[ducks]

AJ could be a good coach if he uses what pop taught him not neslon

[Solid D]

It's hard to predict how well AJ will do this time. During the preseason against the Spurs in Dallas, AJ had the team and he did not impress...but that was his first time at the helm.

What Nellie has is tremendous creativity and a crazy confidence to pull stuff off with his matchups. It's still fill in the blanks with Avery although AJ can certainly motivate people and bring enthusiasm to the sideline.

[ducks]

this would be a good vbookie game now

I wonder what vegas thinks about this

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I guess Nelson is sick of losing to SA, so he pawned it off on Avery.

[timvp]

Props to AJ.

Good luck in your coaching career.

[ducks]

I wish aj luck
just not against the spurs


I hope spurs crush mavs again

last time it was blowout
this game will be closer

[samikeyp]

so nelson will give him the ruins 5-6 times this year

ruins? I think you mean reins.

[timvp]

Ducks is a genius. Check his vBookie.

Respect.

[samikeyp]

I respect his VBookie numbers. Its his typing that mystifies me! Although the new sig is great!

[whottt]

While AJ sucked as a PG...I don't have a doubt that he will be a good coach. He will be a better coach than he ever was a PG.

[T Park]

What is AJ gonna do different.

Play Bradley more than Dampier??

Honeslty, what is he gonna do.

Im sure try some different things.

But if he Spurs bring the D they had on last wednesday, and drive to the hole like they should, then the Mavericks honestly wont be in the ball park.

Once again,

all you gotta do is put a hand in Nowitzki's face and the bozo misses.

Watch the game tape is was like clockwork.

I dont want to hear about the BS he was hurt, his cracka ass was running sideways and front to back just fine.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

There's something about TPark calling another white man a "cracka" that makes me laugh.

[adrienne]

There's something about TPark insulting Nowitzki's OFFENSIVE ability that makes me laugh.

[ShoogarBear]

While AJ sucked as a PG...I don't have a doubt that he will be a good coach. He will be a better coach than he ever was a PG.

Could you clarify, whottt, was that left-handed or back-handed?

[LakerGod]

I guarantee a win for the Mavs on Tuesday

[whottt]

Could you clarify, whottt, was that left-handed or back-handed?

Neither, it's sincere

[timvp]

No. 6 for AJ: Avery Johnson made his first appearance at the SBC Center as a full-time coach, but the Spurs haven't forgotten his playing days. Popovich thinks Johnson's No. 6 and Sean Elliott's No. 32 will hang in the arena before long.

"Along with David (Robinson), they were stalwarts of this program for a very long time," Popovich said. "I'm not the final answer — that's a club decision — but I can't imagine anybody in our program or the city having a problem with either of these guys getting their jersey retired."

George Gervin (44), James Silas (13), Johnny Moore (00) and Robinson (50) are the Spurs whose jerseys have been retired. Popovich said the franchise doesn't have a formal process.

Johnson, who announced his retirement last month, hit the clinching shot for the Spurs' 1999 championship and is the franchise's assists leader.

Whottt justtt can'ttt tttake ttthe tttruttth.

STTTFU.

tt

[whottt]

Pop obviously lacks imagination.

Ellliot yes, AJ no.


Edit: Pop sits there and says he can't imagine anyone having a problem with AJ...obviously his perception of what some people might think of AJ is as flawed as his perception of AJ's PG skills...The fact that the man can't imagine anyone not wanting AJ's jersey retired in itself proves he can make huge errors in judgement....you know the truth...and the truth is that quite a few of us don't think the little scrub's jersey deserves to hang up there.

[timvp]

Drink up.

[IcemanCometh]

So let me get this straight. Nelson gives Avery the runs, Dirk likes crackers, and the coyote is a better coach than AJ and Pop?