Re: [Celtics' Stuff ] Cuban, Nelson attempt to clear air

[Celtic4Hire@xxxxxxx]

This article is amazing. Cuban blames Nellie for the losses, Nellie blames 
Cuban. If Cuban is the one who made the trades for the two Twans, then it is his 
fault IMO. Breaking up that team was stupid. They overplayed their hand. 
Leaving themselves with no inside player like Raef was double stupid.....Still 
need to know if the pick is lottery protected. If the cocky Cuban is running that 
part of the show, maybe it isn't....

DJessen33

<<     Posted on Thu, Jan. 15, 2004  
      
 
       Cuban, Nelson attempt to clear air
 
       By Art Garcia
       Star-Telegram Staff Writer
 
       DALLAS - Oh, the Drama Kings.
 
       The soap opera that has quickly enveloped Mark Cuban and Don Nelson 
took another twist Wednesday before the Mavericks' game against Philadelphia. 
The Mavericks' owner and coach engaged in a closed-door meeting lasting at least 
30 minutes that didn't break until an hour before tipoff.
 
       The Mavs, up 15 points in the fourth quarter, would need two overtimes 
to beat the 76ers 125-122 at American Airlines Center. The Mavs have won 
their past two games.
 
       "It was a long day," Nelson sighed.
 
       The meeting began as an attempt to clear the air, clouded lately with 
talk of Cuban's imminent/eventual firing of the second-winningest coach in NBA 
history. It ended with some positive words, but questions remained, as well 
as a few unresolved issues.
 
       Cuban maintained he's not about to fire Nelson this season. This 
season. Nelson isn't about to quit, but understands if Cuban lets him go.
 
       Nelson said the makeup of the roster, generally attributed to the 
Mavs' underachieving performance and record, is Cuban's responsibility. Cuban 
believes the current team is just fine and its assembly falls under the 
jurisdiction of president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson.
 
       Cuban also called Don Nelson a "drama queen." Nelson isn't sure what 
that means.
 
       Sound like basketball nirvana?
 
       "Everybody is cranky right now," Cuban said from atop a stairmaster 
after the summit meeting. "There's nothing different there."
 
       Cuban spent much of the past two days responding to questions 
regarding Nelson's future, while also dealing with rumors of interest in former Heat 
coach Pat Riley. (Cuban dismissed the Riley scuttlebutt.) Nelson has heard and 
read the same, prompting the unusual pregame sit-down with Cuban inside the 
coach's office. Cuban said one of the reasons for talking to Nelson was "so he 
has a way to respond to the questions."
 
       Cuban also wanted to reassure Nelson, who has two seasons after this 
one left on the coaching part of his contract and five additional as a 
consultant for more than $10 million.
 
       "I wasn't going to give him the old vote of confidence thing because 
that's the kiss of death," Cuban said. "I just told him I wasn't going to let 
him play golf in Hawaii. I wasn't going to let him get a suntan when I couldn't 
get one."
 
       Cuban would soften and then reinforce that statement.
 
       "I have no plans to make a change this year," he said, leaving open 
the possibility of change after the season. "It would have to be something that 
I don't foresee."
 
       Seconds later he said: "I'm not planning on firing him. Period. I want 
Nellie to be here until the end of his contract. I want Nellie to earn his 
money."
 
       Nelson, a subscriber to the theory that all coaches are "hired to be 
fired," felt just getting a chance to talk with Cuban was positive. The two 
have had communication problems in the past, most notably last season when a rift 
developed after Nelson lobbied publicly for an extension to the coaching 
portion of his contract. The extension didn't come until the off-season, after the 
Mavs reached the Western Conference Finals.
 
       Asked if the speculation is affecting him, Nelson answered that's not 
the point.
 
       "My feelings really aren't important in that situation," said Nelson, 
267-215 in his seventh season with the Mavs. "Really, the owner decides those 
things. If he doesn't feel that I'm doing a good job or my staff is doing a 
good job, and he wants to make a change, that's the way it's going to be."
 
       Responded Cuban: "Nellie has a little bit of drama queen in him. 
You've got to love him. He feeds a little bit on the pressure."
 
       Nelson claims he hasn't talked to the team about rumors, either about 
him or potential trades. The team is doing its best to block out the 
off-the-court tension.
 
       "It's not going to affect any of the players," forward Antawn Jamison 
said. "We have more important things to worry about. I don't think it's 
affecting him whatsoever. I don't think it's the rumors wearing on him."
 
       It's the losses.
 
       "My life revolves around the game," Nelson said. "When things are 
going well and we're winning, of course, it's the greatest life in the world. And 
when it's not, we have to talk about these issues."
 
       Nelson said the owner made the ultimate decisions on the off-season 
moves that reshaped a 60-win team. The Mavs returned only five players, with the 
notable additions being high-scoring forwards Antoine Walker and Jamison.
 
       "The owner is in charge," Nelson said. "We only give opinions. He's in 
charge of his financial package and what he wants to spend, and even who he 
likes. We only give opinions."
 
       According to ESPN analyst Sean Elliott: "Chemistry is the most 
underrated component in this league."
 
       Nelson acknowledged, after a pause, that he has Cuban's support. It's 
just they don't always agree. Cuban has often said that disagreements are 
expected and a natural part of business, and he has had his share of knockout, 
drag-out arguments with high-ranking employees and partners in the past.
 
       "Mark and I both want the same thing," Nelson said. "It's just a 
difference of opinion might be how to get there and how long it might take, but we 
both want to win. This team isn't winning enough. That's the problem. The 
solution is to win every game."
 
       That's never going to happen, but the Mavs didn't expect to be 22-16 
at this point of the season. They were 31-7 at the same point last season.
 
       "The reality of my job is it's a hard job to do," Nelson said. "That's 
why it's a high-paying job. Not very many people are successful for very 
long. I've been here a long time. If things aren't going well, the head coach 
usually gets replaced. It's usually that simple.
 
       "I'm just trying to inform everybody that I understand it's part of 
the business, and if that happens to me I'm not going to shed a lot of tears. I 
understand the way it goes. I'm going to do the best I can do, and if that's 
not good enough, somebody else will take over for me."
 
       Even with the obvious problems and shortcomings, both men want to see 
this thing through. The question remains: Will they?
 
       Mark Cuban: "I want Nellie to be here until the end of his contract."
 
       Don Nelson: "If he doesn't feel that I'm doing a good job . and he 
wants to make a change, that's the way it's going to be." >>