New Orleans Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry will be tested
By Rick Stone
With the New Orleans Pelicans deciding on a complete overhaul of their team this past offseason, Head Coach Alvin Gentry will be tested early and often.
New Orleans Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry did not have a good 2015-2016 season.
Being hired the year after the Pelicans made the playoffs, Gentry’s performance failed to live up to the expectations New Orleans had. Injuries, poor defense and the roster’s struggles to fit Gentry’s system hit the team hard. Fans and ownership were not happy with the result.
The offseason became a complete revamp for the Pelicans. Veterans of the team Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson were replaced by a plethora of new faces. New Orleans stocked up on capable defenders and shooters to compliment Gentry, such as Langston Galloway, E’Twaun Moore, Solomon Hill and first round draft pick Buddy Hield.
Management did its part to give Alvin Gentry the team he envisioned when he came to New Orleans. The pressure will be on him this upcoming season. He will be tested and it will not be easy.
For starters, Gentry will have to adjust these new players to his system quickly. The season starts in just over two months. That is not a great amount of time.
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With the run-and-gun style many of the newcomers have not played in, there will be a learning curve. Not to mention starters such as Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis will need time to adjust to nearly half of their starting lineup changing.
It begins to become a stressful thought looking on the Pelicans early season schedule. Tough games are everywhere in the first month of play. For New Orleans to have a chance at winning those games, the youngsters will need to adjust fast.
The defensive side of the ball will become an even bigger challenge. The defense of the New Orleans Pelicans fell flat last year. Even with new players, the scheme Alvin Gentry drew up was exploitable and inefficient. For this team to compete, it has to change.
The Pelicans seem focused on switching this season, with many of their pickups being capable of guarding multiple positions. Still, Gentry will have to teach his players where to be in order for that to work. He needs to improve his effect on the players’ defensive skill sets.
Will all these problems comes the same expectations, if they’re not already bigger. With the All-Star Weekend now set in New Orleans for next year, the fans will be ready for the team to be worthy of the distinction. Ownership will want the team in playoff talks by that time, to help sell the festivities to New Orleans fans. His seat has become hot before the season has even begun.
The team knows Anthony Davis will not wait forever for a contender, and has shown they will do whatever to make sure it happens. If Gentry does not cash in on the opportunity, it would not be shocking to see management give him the boot. In just his second season as coach, New Orleans has made it clear Gentry needs to improve the team greatly from last season.
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Head Coach Alvin Gentry will have a tall task. With management ready to win now and fans looking for a strong rebound, it is up to him to get the team ready to compete. For the New Orleans Pelicans to make the run fans desire, Gentry will be the key. His effectiveness at turning the tide for the Pels could determine his future as a head coach in the NBA.