The New Orleans Pelicans Have Dismissed Head Coach Alvin Gentry
With the New Orleans Pelicans finishing their time in the NBA’s Orlando bubble with a putrid 2-6 record, there has been speculation about what missing the playoffs would mean for head coach Alvin Gentry’s future.
We officially have our answer. Just moments ago, ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski announced that the New Orleans Pelicans have dismissed head coach Alvin Gentry. This is big news but it shouldn’t come as a shock to Pelicans fans.
This season with a young core of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson combined with veteran talents like Jrue Holiday and Derrick Favors the Pelicans had high hopes. The goal for this season was very clear, make the playoffs.
Starting with an awful 6-22 record, many thought Gentry was already on the hot seat, but after Zion Williamson’s arrival, things seemed to be looking back up for the team and Gentry.
Once in Orlando, the team began to show more of the initial flaws they suffered from Alvin Gentry’s coaching at the beginning of the season. The Pelicans’ defense, which already allowed the third-most points in the regular season, looked historically bad once play resumed in the bubble.
Making matters worse, Gentry was losing the team with most of the roster’s young talent looking passive and unmotivated during their time in Orlando. The team’s awful play in the bubble has now become the ending chapter to a mediocre tenure in the bayou for Alvin Gentry.
A 175-225 record with poor defenses and an inability to make the most of star talent is how Gentry’s time with the New Orleans Pelicans will be remembered.
This leaves Pelicans fans questioning what happens next? The New Orleans Pelicans will now begin a widespread search for a new head coach. That search will probably include current NBA assistants, NCAA Head Coaches, and former NBA coaches looking for a second chance.
Though this move is going to lead to a lot of speculation, it does make one thing clear. The New Orleans Pelicans are committed to their current young core. The goal now is to find a head coach who will help develop the team’s young talent and take them to a championship level.