Nelson subtly demands, gets Warriors' respect

Call it a snapshot, a revealing glimpse that gives a window into reality -- in this case Warriors' reality.

It was a half-hour after the Warriors upset the Celtics Wednesday night, Boston, the best team in the league and the Warriors playing without Stephen Jackson.

It was a time for rejoicing, right? Except coach Don Nelson is not a rejoicer.

Most of the players had dressed and gone home and only a few remained in the locker room -- Baron Davis, Matt Barnes, and maybe another straggler or two.

We reporters were waiting on Davis, who had hit the game-winning shot, a daring, clutch, miracle jumper that went in even though it had no business going in.

Davis takes his time dressing after games, spends many minutes in the shower and sits down slowly, sometimes painfully in the chair in front of his cubicle. He had not given the signal for us to approach.

Enter Nelson. It is rare to see Nelson in the postgame locker room. Usually, he speaks to the team privately, then addresses the media in a conference room and vanishes. But here he was, carrying his late-night dinner in a plastic plate with one of those clear plastic tops. He was wearing a jacket and obviously he was on his way home, but he had made this detour through the locker room. Why?

He approached Davis, and Davis immediately stood up, attentive, alert -- no more tired stuff. Reporters wonder if Davis, the Warriors' only legitimate star, runs the team, if maybe Nelson is overly careful with him or afraid of him.

Check this out. Nelson said, "One thing still bothers me."

He was talking about some play or other that had not worked, and he was questioning Davis' role in the play and his judgment. I wish I could tell you which play it was but the dialogue was technical and I did not understand it.

I understood the more important subject matter -- the Warriors' chain of command. Davis was required to explain what had happened. He explained in great detail, explained with respect the way a student would explain himself to a teacher. In fact, this was a moment of teaching and learning. It also was a moment of exposure. Nelson did not care that a dozen reporters witnessed this scene. He wanted an answer and he wanted to instruct.

As Davis spoke, Nelson nodded his head. From time to time, he said, "OK, OK" in a quiet voice. Clearly, he accepted Davis' explanation. Perhaps Nelson had misunderstood Davis' intention on the court and now they were together again, together in their thinking, together in their intent, coach and player. Clearly, Nelson had held Davis accountable and just as clearly Davis accepted Nelson's right to demand accountability.

Nelson gazed around the room. Down the row of lockers, he spotted Matt Barnes, a controversial figure in the game. The Warriors led by two points with 28 seconds left. The strategy was obvious -- use up time. But Barnes, strangely, drove the lane with 14 seconds left and missed a short jumper, giving the Celtics a chance. It was a dumb play and in his postgame news conference, Nelson had talked about it -- harped on it, frankly. He seemed morally offended by Barnes.

"I would say Matt Barnes had 'goat' written all over him and Baron took that right off him," Nelson had told the media.

And now Nelson saw Barnes and his indignation welled up all over again. He told Barnes it was a bad play and he couldn't understand how Barnes could do that. He said all this in front of the reporters. He kept going on about the play, calling out his player in public.

How did Barnes react? He didn't. He stared straight ahead toward the back wall of his tiny cubicle as he slowly put on his trousers and shirt. His head was slightly bowed, like a man walking home in a downpour. He did not acknowledge Nelson, but he did not argue with him. It must have galled him to be lectured in front of outsiders. He kept dressing.

When he was finished venting, Nelson walked out of the locker room, walked into the night. He showed he's the boss. He showed it to Davis and he showed it to Barnes. And in case anyone wondered who has the most horsepower on the Warriors, he showed it to the media.

You can reach Staff Columnist Lowell Cohn at 521-5486 or lowell.cohn@pressdemocrat.com.