Jazz and Warriors, two sides of the same coin. . .who fits in the vending machine the NBA’s future? Part I

Even though both favor a true team game, Nellie and Sloan have completely contrasting strengths and styles. Nellie is the master adjuster. If someone doesn’t perform well on the court, the cane comes out from behind the curtain immediately. A new player is sent onto the stage. Nellie sits in the director chair eying whether their performance is worthy of a few rotten vegetables. The man doesn’t play favorites.

Where as, if history were kind enough to provide the opportunity. . . Sloan would start a line up that included—Dexter, Hornacek on his deathbed, David Benoit, Matt Harpring dressed in women’s shoulder pads, and Mark Eaton.

All you have to do to crack Sloan’s regular rotation is dress poorly, talk to him about tractors, and brag about the number of turnips you can fit in your mouth (Eaton holds the record with twelve!) . Really, that's it. If you do those three things he will put you into the game over more talented players at the same position.

Besides playing favorites, Jerry is a zealot who sticks to his game plan come hell or high water. You can set your clock to Sloan’s substitution patterns and play sets. They aren’t going to change based on anything that happens on the court. If Stockton has hit five shots in a row, he is still taken out with four minutes left in the first period. Williams. . . erghh. . .Stockton will return after 3 and a half minutes have passed in the second quarter.

On the other hand, Nellie is the opposite -- a complete secular empiricist. He doesn’t seem to come to the games with any preconceived notions about his player's capacities. Nellie adapts. What’s happening on the court? Monte Ellis might have been a major part of his team's regular season success, but he wasn’t bringing it in the playoffs. Nellie had no problems benching him. The reverse was true for Michael Pietrus.

When Al Harrington let off a big-old-nasty fart of a performance in the beginning of the Mavs series, Barnes ended up getting his minutes. These are the kinds of adjustments Sloan never makes. Even though Ronnie Brewer exploded for 21 points and completely shut down Jason Richardson in their April meeting, don’t expect Sloan to bring him into the series. Sloan is of the belief that Ronnie is too green to contribute. He will never provide a real chance for his notion to be disproved.