unbelievable: Don Nelson, the former head coach of the Warriors, announced his return to the team
For the Golden State Warriors, the last 25 seasons have been, at best, agonizing. Additionally, the head coaches in charge of the team that is always losing have been on a never-ending roller coaster. The Warriors have had 13 different men in charge of the sidelines. Thirteen men, tortured and brave.
It’s no accident that Don Nelson has been the driving force behind the Golden State Warriors’ meager and shortened victories over the previous 20 years of basketball.
Yes, Nelson is the only reason the Warriors have made it to the postseason in two different stints as head coach—13 years apart, to be exact. He serves as the final reminder of how to guide the Golden State Warriors to victory. Nelson was the captain leading the ship in the East Bay from the heyday of the fledgling “Run TMC” era to the overachievement of the “We Believe” team during the 2007 playoff run.
However, Nelson’s influence extends beyond his dazzling Golden State days. It would be unfair to Nelson, a man who has significantly altered the game of basketball, if you were to limit him to his brief tenure with the Warriors. Sufficient to be ranked among the all-time great basketball coaches.
The 12 finalists for possible induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame were revealed last month. Nelson is one of the applicants who can be admitted. To be considered for the Honors Committee, a candidate needs to secure a minimum of 75% of the votes cast by the 24 members. At the NCAA Final Four on Monday, the class of 2012 will be revealed.
Nelson ought to be a lock.
Even though he did not lead the team to an NBA championship while serving as head coach, his greatness is not solely determined by trophies. As a head coach, Nelson was truly revolutionary. He created his own style of basketball, called Nellie Ball, which was a cross between Moneyball, Billy Ball, and the West Coast offense.
He used the skills of lesser-known players, who were usually undersized, and built his system around their advantages. His run-and-gun approach, which he implemented into his rosters, was thrilling and productive. Despite being outsized and outnumbered, his unconventional lineups and rosters played an unconventional brand of basketball, frequently outwitting and outsmarting their opponents. Throughout his outstanding career as a bench warmer, it was his creativity, cunning, and in-game tactics that frequently set the standard.
When Nelson returned to the Milwaukee Bucks in 1977, he started developing his against-the-grain technique. The point forward, or using a small forward to run the offense, is attributed to him a lot of the time. Additionally, Nelson would have his team’s center stand at the top of the key to deflect the opposition’s attention away from the basket during a period of strong center play. Nelson would use these strategies to set up mismatches that would be difficult for the opposition to effectively defend against.
