Don Nelson

Don Nelson will be back on the Golden State bench next season.

Nelson reiterated before Tuesday night’s final home game against the Jazz he would return next season to fulfill the final year of his contract for the Warriors, and general manager Larry Riley said that would be the case barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Last week in Minnesota, Nelson earned his 1,333rd victory to move him past Lenny Wilkens for the top spot on the NBA’s wins list.

Inside Hoops

Don Nelson

Don Nelson emerged from the Golden State Warriors locker room all disheveled from a wild celebration after finally overtaking Lenny Wilkens as the NBA’s winningest coach.

His gray hair was soaked to the scalp not with Dom Perignon, but a concoction of fizzy soft drinks after a 116-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night.

In 31 seasons on the bench, Nelson is 1,333-1,061 in a career that has made stops in Milwaukee, Golden State (twice), New York and Dallas. He won five titles as a player, has been named coach of the year three times, but has never made an NBA Finals as a coach.

Inside Hoops

Monta Ellis

Lately, Warriors games have been like that song on the radio that you get tired of hearing.

Guard Monta Ellis goes out and dominates. The rest of his teammates struggle to score and, eventually, the opponent double-teams Ellis. Warriors wind up losing.

It happened again in Wednesday’s 110-101 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Ellis had his best scoring night as a pro, totaling a career-high 46 points on 17-for-23 shooting.

“A remarkable performance by Monta,” Warriors coach Don Nelson said. “Didn’t have a great supporting cast, but he fought and kept us in the game, gave us a chance to win.”

HoopsWorld

Kelenna Azubuike

Kelenna Azubuike’s numbers – 13.9 points and 4.6 rebounds a game – might appear modest, but they are representative of exactly what the Warriors have missed since losing the swingman to season-ending patellar tendon surgery.

“He was a very important part of what we were doing,” coach Don Nelson said.

“He was playing at a very high level, not just shooting from the outside. He could cut into the lane and finish at the basket.

HoopsWorld

Photo by Eric Molina

Keith Smart, the Warriors’ top assistant, is publicly playing the part of timid understudy as the team awaits the full-time return of head coach Don Nelson from a bout with pneumonia.

What Smart is doing in the locker room and on the court, however, might be proving that he is ready for a leading role.

He is widely considered the heir apparent to Nelson, though no one confirmed that verbiage is in writing.

FanNation

Don Nelson

Warriors coach Don Nelson has pneumonia and will not be with the team for today’s game against the Dallas Mavericks and Wednesday’s game at San Antonio.

He might miss Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, as well.

“He’s sick as a dog,” general manager Larry Riley said.

A team source said Nelson was tested for swine flu, and the Warriors are waiting for results. Assistant coach Keith Smart will take over as head coach until Nelson returns.

FanNation

Photo by Greg Ma

Warriors coach Don Nelson and guard Monta Ellis had a war of words during Thursday’s practice in New York.

Ellis kicked off the argument when he asked Nelson: “Coach, why do I get blamed for everything?”

“What have I ever blamed you for?” Nelson asked in response.

“For everything. Everything. People not knowing their plays. I didn’t do this. I didn’t do that,” Ellis said.

Nelson then waved off Ellis and left the practice facility.

Real GM

Don Nelson

Stephen Jackson played only 18 minutes in the Warriors’ 108-94 loss to Indiana because of a mysterious injury.

“He’s got a sore back or hip or something,” Nelson said.

“I didn’t think he was moving very well. I didn’t think he moved very well at the shootaround. I didn’t expect that he’d give me very much.”

Seemingly knowing he would not return to the game, Jackson looked at media row and mouthed, “Do I look hurt?” as he sat down at the start of the fourth.

“I’m fine,” Jackson said postgame at the arena where he played 2004-07. “I’ve got a scratch. That’s all it is. My back is not sore at all.”

FanNation

Corey Maggette

It is not so much the Warriors’ 1-4 start that’s the problem. It is the teams they have lost to and the manner in which they have been defeated.

Nobody expected the Warriors to be among the Western Conference elite. But they should not be a team that can not compete with the L.A. Clippers and Sacramento Kings.

“No identity, that’s it,” Corey Maggette said. “There’s no identity, there’s no chemistry … so we’ve got to figure it out. It’s chaos.”

HoopsWorld

Andris Biedrins

Warriors center Andris Biedrins returned to the court on Sunday, but left after aggravating his lingering back injury.

He played 21 minutes before leaving the game in the third quarter.

“He’s not doing very well,” coach Don Nelson said. “I probably shouldn’t have even played him, but we wanted to have another big guy if we possibly could. He couldn’t do very much when he was out there, and he has injured himself again. So that was a bad decision on my part.”

Real GM