Interesting Timing For Nellie

Ah, now the playoff system needs to be changed, according to Don Nelson.

"Now" would be also known as "the day after the Warriors fell a game out of the playoff picture with three to play," making it abundantly clear that they could very well be out for good by the middle of next week.

As reported by Geoff Lepper of the Contra Costa Times:

"I hope the league makes some adjustments, at least talks about the issues," Nelson said. "Combine everybody and just take the top 16 teams would be probably the most fair thing. ... I think with our own (charter) airlines, (cross-country) trips aren't like they used to be. So what's the difference if you have to play the East a little more? Play everybody as (equally) as you can and take the top 16 and let's go. That's what I'd do."

Certainly, it's no shock to hear Nelson make these claims.  It's just worth noting that this didn't seem to be much of a concern of his until his team's future came into peril.

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Whether the league needs to reformat and how it needs to do it are issues for another day and a much, much longer column.  But that Nelson chooses now to make his complaint is curious to me.

Nelson is a master coach and motivator, and he has done a great job in Oakland.  But it seems that making this an issue the day after the Denver loss comes across as something of a concession that his Golden State team is down for the count.  While it's a long shot to be sure, that's hardly the message one would think he would want to be sending to the team.  Perhaps he is trying to deflect attention from their poor play on Thursday night.  Perhaps he is trying to fire them up by making it sound like they're done.  Perhaps not.  Either way, seems like a confusing tactic, particularly when this same lamentation could easily wait a week.