Gentry’s Firing Sets Up Huge Offseason for the New Orleans Pelicans

Alvin Gentry’s firing sets up huge offseason for the New Orleans Pelicans.

The bubble has burst not only for the New Orleans Pelicans‘ season, but also for coach Alvin Gentry as the Pelicans have dismissed him after a disappointing showing in Orlando.

During Gentry’s tenure with the Pelicans, he amassed a 175-225 record as many of his teams were often plagued by injuries. Gentry had one season left on his contract.

This offseason will be an especially important one for the Pelicans as they will be on the hunt for a new coach and looking to lock up a cornerstone of their future in Brandon Ingram, who will be a restricted free agent. Couple that with a full offseason of a healthy Zion Williamson and this upcoming offseason could be the most important in the franchise’s history.

Initial reports suggest that part of the Pelicans’ coaching search will include Los Angeles Lakers assistant Jason Kidd, Clippers assistant Tyronn Lue, and former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson. Executive VP of the Pelicans David Griffin has history with Lue as they worked together in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, capturing the NBA championship that season.

Everything wasn’t all on Gentry, as because of the injuries he had to contend with 140 different starting lineups in his coaching tenure. According to Elias Sports, that was the most in the league during that time frame. However, the inconsistency in which the team played while healthy was probably the straw that broke the camels back.

Having a legitimate chance to make the playoffs after reaching the bubble, the New Orleans Pelicans lackadaisical play especially on the defensive end was mind boggling considering the stakes that were at hand. In the end, having a young team a more aggressive and accountable coach may be the ticket this team needs to have the success they want.