View From The Other Side

Dallas Maverick Coach Don Nelson belongs to the unofficial “I Like Mike” club. And after seeing Mike Dunleavy coach the Portland Trail Blazers in the first two games of the Western Conference finals, Nelson feels like extending his membership.

“I’m particularly proud of Mike this series,” Nelson said Tuesday from Dallas. “I think he’s done a remarkable job with his game plans. That’s the most fun for a coach--coming up with strategy.”

Nelson is the NBA’s recognized master at employing strange-but-true maneuvers and matchups--including the Hack-a-Shaq routine the Trail Blazers borrowed in Game 1 against Laker center Shaquille O’Neal.

“Without strategy, I don’t think the Blazers are going to win that series,” Nelson said. “If you don’t do something, with the rules that are in place now, nobody in the league can play Shaq.”

The Trail Blazers didn’t need to hack Shaq as they evened the best-of-seven series, 1-1, with a 106-77 victory Monday in Los Angeles.

“I think strategy will make this a tight series,” Nelson said. “I don’t know who is going to win, but [Laker coach] Phil Jackson is going to play that triple-post offense most of the time, and Mike has figured out a way to make it hard for them to score.”

Nelson coached Dunleavy years ago, then got him interested in coaching and served as a mentor. Nelson said he thinks the Trail Blazers might again choose to foul O’Neal repeatedly and here is why:

“Phil is sitting there, like, ‘Let Shaq shoot 30 free throws. It doesn’t matter to me.’ But it does. It forces Phil to make a hard decision--does he leave Shaq out there?

“It can be good strategy against a player who is 50-55% or less from the line. It also tends to take the other team out of its rhythm, offensively. Their players aren’t running around anymore, they’re standing around watching one guy shoot free throws. And the guy shooting often will shoot a poorer percentage than usual.

“It’s just up to your team to score and stay in rhythm. For whatever reason, Portland just didn’t make shots. If they could have done anything offensively, that strategy would have been very successful.

“I still thought it was effective. It sent a message. Shaq knows that Mike’s got the fortitude to foul him. If the Lakers are in the bonus, Shaq is going to be on the line.”

The strategy also could work in other situations, Nelson said.

“You can use it any time the other team is in the bonus and is playing well or scoring with ease, because it stops their momentum,” Nelson said. “Or even when you have a big lead. The book says, ‘Let the clock run when you have the lead.’ Well, not necessarily.”

O’Neal has been the target of Nelson’s Hack-a-Shaq philosophy too.

“The first time, we did it in L.A. and came from like 20 points down and lost at the buzzer when we missed an open shot. Phil and Shaq were so upset,” Nelson said. “Then we did it early this season in Dallas, and Shaq tore a TV off the wall in the locker room after the game.”