| Former Philadelphia franchise exemplifies Culture Authored by David Mintz - May 7, 2007 - 9:12 pm
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It looked like the lottery was the way to go.
The formerly-Philadelphia now-Golden State Warriors could have very easily slipped into the lottery like everyone else with subpar records. They certainly could use an Oden or even a Durant.
But what transpired might have been more powerful than even winning the NBA lottery. The Warriors pulled off the greatest upset in NBA playoff basketball history (record-wise, maybe not talent-wise).
After a 13-year hiatus, the Warriors returned to the playoffs and found gold. Their coach and players worked as an egoless union, a group that defined the word "team". In an era where players have a reputation to be more about themselves and the money they make, the Warriors were focused on one goal.
Warrior fans were very happy to root for a playoff team, but they wanted to win as well. They believed. The electricity in the Oracle Arena was like that of a major college championship game. The fans have been hungry for just a playoff game for so long, and not only did they get that playoff game, they got a playoff series victory over a top seed.
With the Raiders and 49ers putting their pieces back together, the A’s letting all their best players sign more lucrative deals elsewhere, and the Giants fans with more focus lately on 755 and steroid accusations than winning baseball, the Bay Area fans needed something to believe in. After the trade with Indiana and the return of Jason Richardson and Baron Davis from injury, the Warriors put together a 16-5 record going into the playoffs. It seemed like nobody thought they could really beat the Mavericks except themselves, and that is all that mattered to them.
Don Nelson is not only a great basketball coach, but he is a magician from the sidelines. His ability to make Erick Dampier, DeSagana Diop and Devean George disappear was Copperfield-esque. He turned the Mavericks into a 5-man team, where all he had to deal with was Jason Terry, Dirk Nowitzki, Jerry Stackhouse, Devin Harris, and Josh Howard. A once-deep Maverick team lost Michael Finley and Steve Nash receiving nothing in return, and it showed in this series.
Being a former coach of the Mavericks and Avery Johnson’s mentor only helped Nelson game plan for the Mavericks. Noone knows the team’s tendencies and weaknesses better than Johnson, but Nelson would be a close second. Nelson’s strategies frequently frustrated both Johnson and Nowitzki.
Will the Warriors get to draft Oden or Durant? No. But the Warriors will be able to attract free agents because of what they have just accomplished. Mikael Pietrus and Matt Barnes are more likely to stay even if it required them to take a little bit less in salary. Free agent role players are more likely to want to come to Golden State to play in this
environment.
Sixer GM Billy King said before the season that he was going to “change the culture” in the Philadelphia 76er organization. Right before our very eyes, the Warriors have accomplished just that with help from Don Nelson and former players Chris Mullin, Rod Higgins, and Mitch Richmond who work in the Warriors’ front office. Monta Ellis and Andres Biedrins matured into quality NBA players at only 20 years old. Mullin pulled off a very favorable trade getting rid of two horrible contracts in Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy
while bringing in mercurial yet talented Stephen Jackson and veteran Al Harrington.
One huge difference between the Warriors and Sixers is the coach. Nelson doesn’t even have to demand respect from his players. His Hall of Fame career has earned him that respect. Sixers coach Mo Cheeks has not accomplished nearly what Nelson has, and the players know this. With Allen Iverson and Chris Webber gone, the current group of Sixers do respect Cheeks. But the Sixers could not have pulled off a trade for Jackson and earned his respect. They could not trade for frequent troublemaker Ron Artest even if they
wanted to. They need a coach who can get respect, and
Cheeks is not that guy. One available coach who would
be a great fit in Philadelphia would be Jackson’s
former coach, Rick Carlisle. Carlisle got a raw deal in Indiana dealing with Artest, Jackson, and the numerous injuries the Pacers had. Carlisle is a much better coach than his record there indicates.
If the Sixers want to get back to putting fans in the stands and W’s in the win column, they should consider taking a look at the Golden State blueprint. What works for a former Philadelphia franchise might just work for the current one. |
