A Look Back at “We Believe”: Hiring Don Nelson
By Eric He
We continue our look back at the “We Believe’ Warriors, revisiting the main storylines from the surprisingly magical season of 2006-2007.
When considering the full line of contributions that led to the Golden State Warriors winning their first championship in 40 years, it would not be a stretch to say that the re-hiring of Don Nelson nine years ago set the stage for success to come.
It’s true that nearly everything about the Warriors is different from 2006 — the owner, the logo, the players, the shiny championship banner — but Nelson was at the helm while the Warriors introduced the concept of winning to the current generation of fans. And while the team hit a lull for a few years after Nelson left, the vibe and culture still existed at Oracle Arena, culminating in the ultimate reward this summer.
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The decision to bring back Nelson came out of the blue. At 66 years of age at the time, Nelson was a year removed from coaching after handing over the reigns of the Dallas Mavericks to Avery Johnson. Despite Nelson’s much-publicized spat with Chris Webber in his first stint with the Warriors in the 90s, he agreed to take over a long-suffering Warriors’ franchise.
If anything, the move brought the team instant credibility, more credibility than Mike Montgomery could ever gain. Additionally, Nelson’s up-tempo style of play brought excitement and intrigue for the fans, even if the team’s defense was suspect and the wins weren’t necessarily pouring in.
By now, we are used to the Warriors playing at a furious pace, pushing the ball up court and running the fastbreak with ease. But the “We Believe” squad was the first time we saw the Warriors go small, leak out, and play a reckless but controlled style.
That’s what Nelson brought to the table, and subtle reminders are seen today in the way Steve Kerr used small ball and up-tempo offense to guide the 2014-2015 Warriors to a championship. Come to think of it, the NBA today is evolving into a position-less league with the idea of the traditional “center” faltering, and it was Nelson who was among the first to use that strategy.
He knew that the Warriors were going to be outmanned down low by any opponent, and that starting Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Jason Richardson, Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington was a huge size disadvantage. But Nelson didn’t care. He used the size discrepancy to his advantage, running wild on teams like the Mavericks, who had no idea what hit them in the first round.
The Warriors today don’t hesitate to play small ball, but they have the luxury of a premier shot blocker and defender in Andrew Bogut while the “We Believe” Warriors were limited to the wonderful basketball skills of Andris Biedrins. Additionally, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala are all strong defenders, contrasting the poor defense the 2006-2007 team put out.
Ultimately, the “We Believe” team was far from the most talented squad in the league. But they played to their strengths under a coach who had credibility and knew exactly what he was doing. It wound up being the perfect storm with a spectacular Round 1 upset over the top-seeded Mavericks, and a resounding confirmation of the decision to hire Nelson.