Don Nelson Returning to Warriors - Fantasy Impact

Don Nelson, Mr. Run-and-Gun himself, is returning to coach the Golden State Warriors in the 2008-09 NBA season. Nelson had previously contemplated retirement but he has decided to coach at least one more year.

Nelson is a fantasy owner’s dream. He doesn’t care much about defense or playing big, plodding centers. Instead, Nelson is all about scoring. He’ll put five perimeter players on the court if he thinks it will give him the best chance to win.

If Nelson were to retire, that would have had a negative impact on the fantasy stock of all the players on the Warriors. However, with him coming back, there really shouldn’t be a change in the value of any of the players. You can expect more of the same that we saw last season.

Baron Davis could potentially opt out of his contract this summer but he’s due approximately $17 million for next season and will most likely return. The Warriors, who missed out on the playoffs despite having a winning record, will aim to return to the 2009 playoffs in what could possibly be Nellie’s last season as coach.

Photo: Newscom