Just stay away Nelly

Don Nelson is sick with pneumonia.

And while no one doubts the seriousness of his condition, the same cannot be said for his Warriors on the whole.

They got trounced 135-107 Tuesday night by an angry Nuggets team coming off a loss to a team that hadn't won since opening night.

They won at home the night before. They had eight guys. They still don't have their coach.

Say what you want about Golden State, you can have all your excuses.

This franchise has been propped up by them for more than 15 years.

One playoff appearance in 15 seasons, one championship since moving to the Bay Area in 1962.

And when you stink, year-after-year like the Warriors do, the culture of losing is all-encompassing.

Last week the Warriors beat the Mavericks with six players. Three played all 48 minutes. It had been more than 50 years since either of those things happened and they managed both on the same night.

They had nine guys the next night for a loss to the Spurs, just eight suited up at the Pepsi Center last night.

When there is nothing to play for guys take a little more liberty in returning. The bench doesn't seem all that bad, the training table that uncomfortable, that couch too cozy.

When you don't play defense, you'll never win consistently but if you stick around long enough you will win sometimes.

So that brings us back to Nelson.

Back with the Warriors after a successful stint from 1988-1995 that included four playoff appearances and a pair of 50-win seasons, Nelly peaked with the Warriors "We Believe" first-round shocker over Dallas in 2007.

Instead of riding off into the sunset with about the closest thing his "smallball" philosophy will ever bring him to a championship, soon-to-be-undermined Chris Mullin and the ownership team led by Chris Cohan brought him back and it's been downhill ever since.

The team won 48 games the next season and should have been a shoo-in to make the playoffs but were two games short in a stacked western conference.

Things have only unraveled since. Asked why he was still coaching 69-year old Don Nelson said last year, "cold hard cash, baby."

But there's one very other significant reason to stay court side for Nelly. In his infinite hubris he is chasing Lenny Wilkens all-time coaching wins total of 1332.

After Monday night's win Nelson is just 17 short at 1315.

That's right, despite being sidelined for the last five games, Nelly still gets credit for wins while acting coach Keith Smart roams the sidelines.

So it seems Nelly has found the perfect solution. He can get paid and win games while sitting out. Sounds like the rest of his players.

So get better coach and cheers to catching Lenny since everyone knows how much you love a cold one.

But don't hurry back, no one else is. You are still owed almost 12 million through next spring and if you can collect those dollars and those wins while home in bed I'm sure you will.

Just be sure to tell your young team when you come back to "just win, baby" and try and leave out the part about the cold hard cash.