Nellie is so enthralled with Curry's point-guard ability that he (a) repeatedly declared Friday that Curry won't be traded and (b) said Curry is his preferred point guard over Ellis, the embattled but potent scorer.

"Monta still has to work on his point-guard skills as well as his passing skills. That was part of his (offseason) program to get better at," Nellie said. "This guy (Curry) already has that. Monta has some work to do in that area. But they'll be fine together."

They had better be if the Warriors are to succeed in "The Year of Nellie," so-named in honor of his convergence on the all-time-winningest-coach moniker.

Inserting Curry at point guard thus foils Ellis' ambition to play there, shifting Ellis back to his more natural shooting-guard slot. Stephen Jackson then slides back to small forward, and Nellie retreats to his rooftop hideaway to dream up offensive schemes for that high-scoring trio.

Nellie ran this by Capt. Jack via e-mail, to which he said Jackson responded: "Wherever you want me, that's where I'll be."

But where will Ellis' head be after all this? (Please, no moped jokes.)

As of Friday's news conference to introduce Curry at Warriors HQ, Nellie hadn't contacted Ellis, whom he and new general manager Larry Riley visited earlier this month to outline their vision.

"He should be very happy," Nellie said of Ellis. "He's got a sidekick that is very good."

In the world of Nellie Ball, the more offense the better, so perhaps this Curry-Ellis combo can coexist. Ellis should embrace it, not pout over it. But surely Curry can't take over right away, right?

"I didn't say that," Nellie responded. "I don't know that. It depends on him."

Could they rotate at point guard in his fast-tempo scheme?

"Yeah," Nellie responded, "if one guy has it, the other guy is the 'off' guard."

He is not banishing Ellis from running the point. But he is convinced Curry is a natural point guard and, get this, the second coming of Steve Nash.

"I always saw Steve Nash in (Curry), and (Nash) is the greatest player I've ever coached," said Nellie, who had Nash in Dallas from 1998-2004. "I've been looking for another one for a long time, and this is as close as I've ever seen in a young player. He has that same ability that Steve had shooting, passing, knowledge, just the natural things he's done that he's worked on his whole life."

Curry spent his first two seasons at Davidson as a shooting guard leading them to an exciting NCAA Tournament run in 2008 before moving last season to point guard, where he played throughout his high school career in Charlotte, N.C.

Need more convincing that Curry is the point guard the Warriors have yearned for since Baron Davis' departure a year ago?

"We all know Steph can shoot the Basketball. His best attribute is passing," said Dell Curry, Stephen's father, who played 16 seasons in the NBA. "I helped coach his high school team, and we often had to make him shoot. He loves to see his teammates have success."

Success? Warriors ? How soon?

Riley said Thursday that Curry might not be a regular contributor until New Year's Eve-ish, but Nellie said he'd be surprised if Curry doesn't play right away.

That's surprising. We all know Nellie's aversion to playing rookies, at least until they've proved themselves, which can make for a frustrating timeline (see: Anthony Randolph, 2008-09).

"When we get into practice, I know he'll get the best out of me," Curry said. "It might be tough the way he coaches rookies, to try to get a lot out of them quick. So I'm willing to learn. I'm willing to take criticism and try to do something with it."

Nellie fell in love with Curry's skills while watching film of him this spring in Maui, doing so two to four hours a day alongside Bob Longhi, a Maui restaurateur and former Warriors co-owner.

"We watched every game he played. He was our favorite player," Nellie said. "We just hoped that we would get a chance to get him."

They got him. They're keeping him. So says Nellie, and it's his voice that matters most as long as he's here (or in Maui, of course).

Contact Cam Inman at cinman@bayareanewsgroup.com