Watching the Golden State Warriors is Becoming Painful

It is not that they just wrapped up their East Coast road trip with an abysmal 138-125 blowout against the New York Knicks, but it's how the future for the Golden State Warriors seems, to say the least, lackluster. In an article I wrote a month before the 2008-2009 season was underway, I asked if head coach Don Nelson can "adapt to the Golden State Warriors' transformation?" The answer to this rhetorical question is slowly becoming apparent to the fans. In fact, it may have been obvious way before. The way Nelson has handled the inexperienced core has been frustrating, inexplicable, and mind-boggling. Inserting Marco Belinelli into the starting lineup, then benching him five minutes later against the Knicks, seems puzzling and unjustified. Wait, let me take that back. It's justified in Nelson's mind. If he were asked why he would take the Italian sharpshooter off the floor right away he would probably say: "He missed a defensive assignment and forgot to close out on a shooter!" Hmmm... ... (link)