New Orleans Pelicans: Pros and Cons of a First Time Head Coach

New Orleans Pelicans: Pros and Cons of a first-time head coach, the system.

The System

Pro: A first time head coach will get the chance to install their own, new system. This person should have dynamic ideas about how to best use the roster and can build and implement their own system from the ground up. If you look at the teams who are consistently successful, teams like Toronto, Miami and San Antonio, it’s because they have a solid team system that was built by their head coach.

With such a young roster, it’s easy to look at them like a college basketball team. The good ones all have an Alpha head coach who came in, installed their own system and then found guys who fit it. Obviously, it’s much different in the NBA, where you can’t recruit players and have somewhat less control over the roster, but every good team needs a philosophy.

A new coach will have the chance to start from scratch, to build a system that is designed for this roster instead of the other way around. Gentry has been forced to use a style that is not really his and a new coach can start with a clean slate.

Con: The downside of a new system is that the Pelicans will have to start from scratch. They will have to learn a whole lot of X’s and O’s in a short time, and it may take awhile for the team to come around. The Pelicans do not want to get into a situation where Zion Williamson has a new head coach every year, so they need someone who can hit the ground running. A new, unproven playbook in the hands of a young coach and team could be a potential disaster, especially if they start slowly.