The New Orleans Pelicans should consider these three NCAA head coaches if Alvin Gentry is fired.
As the playoffs approach, the New Orleans Pelicans should at least be in the Western Conference’s play-in tournament but they’re not.
The failures of the New Orleans Pelicans down in the NBA’s Orlando Bubble has fallen solely on head coach Alvin Gentry, and that means his job might be on the line.
With a team stacked full of young talents like Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson. As well as being set with a veteran supporting cast in Jrue Holiday, J.J. Redick, and Derrick Favors most people thought that Gentry finally had the talent he needed to be great.
The argument for Alvin Gentry was that his poor record of 175-224 with the Pelicans was because he just didn’t have the talent he needed on the roster. Was that the same excuse for his mediocre coaching records in Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Detroit?
Even with the talent, the Pelicans had this year, they underperformed. Sure part of that can be attributed to injuries to players and the oddity of the season due to the pandemic but it doesn’t absolve Gentry from the blame.
The New Orleans Pelicans got passed up by fellow young teams in the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs in Orlando. Those teams are up-and-comers sure but don’t have nearly as much talent as the Pelicans do.
Poor defensive performances and very little motivation seem to show that Gentry probably isn’t the coach to lead this team into the future.
What the New Orleans Pelicans need is a leader. They need someone who is going to come in and focus on developing the young talent this team has. Specifically in Ball, Ingram, and Williamson. Preferably someone who is a tactician and can vastly improve the Pelicans defense.
If I’m team president David Griffin one place I’d look into is the NCAA. College basketball coaches are all about building a program and developing talent, so here’s four NCAA coaches the Pelicans should look to hire.