New Orleans Pelicans: Does Alvin Gentry Listen to The Gentrys?

The secret key to the New Orleans Pelicans’ success this season can be found in their coach’s relationship to a classic rock band and its ability to innovate in their own little way.

Before Memphis, Tennessee was home to any Grizzlies named Mike, Marc or Zach – it was home to The Gentrys. They were an American Rock and Roll band, and mildly famous in the 60’s & 70’s. They were also largely a one hit wonder (sorry if you disagree).

“Uhh…” (this is you speaking to me, thinking I’m crazy for keeping up with obscure classic rock stories)

That one hit wonder was called Keep on Dancing. It reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1965.

“OK.”

Keep on Dancing was notable because it was one short recording repeated and stretched to two minutes. No song could make it on the airwaves at less than a minute. Two-minutes was a popular length for a hit song during that time.

“Yeah, man. Real cool.”

Okay, I’ll explain myself. After some exhausting investigative reporting, I found that the Pelican’s head coach, Alvin Gentry has a very similar name to that of this band. If you are having trouble following, the band is named “The Gentrys.” I spent a day listening to their work forwards and backwards and as I suspected, it provided little insight into the game of basketball. It did, however, give me some interesting perspective heading into the season.

Dedicated fans know the much-maligned Coach Gentry has hit a crossroads. His blueprint from the 2010 Western Conference Finalist Phoenix Suns team wooed GM Dell Demps, and after the hire, much was said about how this style of play would squeeze out every ounce of Anthony Davis’ greatness. Reputable basketball pundits (Me) proclaimed he would average 40-15-5-5… (Don’t @ me bro, it’s my thing).

That was the plan, but we all know how it ended up: An uninspiring season cut short by injuries for Anthony Davis, and a 30-52 record that led to a lottery pick named Buddy.

For those of you who want to grade Coach Gentry’s first season as head coach of the Pelicans an “Incomplete”, that’s fair. The injuries they suffered considerably slowed the development of his team. If you’re far more critical, that’s fair too. His questionable lineups and substitution patterns were deservedly examined throughout the season.

Regardless of your position on Gentry, the 2015 season is in the rear view mirror, and year two of the Alvin Gentry regime is almost here. This season provides Coach Gentry with a unique opportunity to show us that the Pelicans made the right hire.