New Orleans Pelicans announce coaching staff for 2019-2020, add guru Bzdelik

Late Friday afternoon, the New Orleans Pelicans announced a series of coaching changes, including the addition of defensive guru Jeff Bzdelik.

The 2019-2020 NBA regular season is drawing closer and closer, which means more aspects of the team are becoming concrete pieces. On Friday afternoon, the Pelicans front office announced the full layout of Alvin Gentry’s coaching staff for the upcoming season.

Most exciting for those interested in the Pelicans is the addition of former Houston Rockets defensive guru Jeff Bzdelik. Acting as an assistant under Mike D’Antoni, Bzdelik was a member of the Rockets coaching staff from 2016-2019, before controversially being let go this offseason. His move to New Orleans had been subject to rumor throughout most the last few months, being pictured with Alvin Gentry on multiple occasions.

Bzdelik’s defensive schemes helped the Rockets chase the Golden State Warriors to Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals two years ago and was a sought after coaching free agent this offseason. He previously spent time as the head coach of the Denver Nuggets from 2002-2004, then spent time coaching at the college level before joining as an assistant for the Memphis Grizzlies from 2014-2016.

Interestingly, coaching holdover Chris Finch was given the role of Associate Head Coach, Offense for next season. Finch has continually progressed as a coach since 1993 when he started with the Sheffield Sharks of the British Basketball League. Since, he’s coached in multiple leagues, spending time with the Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets before joining Gentry in New Orleans in 2017.

Another addition to the staff came in the form of Jamelle McMillan. After spending the 2018-2019 season as the bench coach on Igor Kokoskov’s Phoenix Suns staff, but was let go along with the rest of their staff following the campaign. McMillan previously coached with the Pelicans from 2016-2018, and his father, Nate, is the head coach of the Indiana Pacers.

Two members of Gentry’s staff remain but will have new roles entering the new season. Joe Boylan is now the team’s Director of Player Development, in addition to maintaining his role as an assistant coach. Michael Ruffin has also been given a role in player development while remaining an assistant coach for the squad.

The team will also retain Summer League coach and assistant Fred Vinson.

Leaving the staff in June were Darren Erman and Mike Penberthy. Erman was the team’s defensive lead over the last few seasons and will now be the head coach of the Maine Lobsters, the G-League affiliate of the Boston Celtics. Penberthy was the team’s shooting coach a season ago and now heads to the Los Angeles Lakers staff, where he won a ring as a player in 2001.

Now, with the addition of defensive guru Bzdelik and the rest of the staff, the coaches will have to start making their plans to throw this 2019-2020 Pelicans team into gear. How the squad plays and develops this season will have a lot to do with this crew’s performance.