New Orleans Pelicans: 3 Former NBA Coaches to Consider

New Orleans Pelicans coaching candidates: Kenny Atkinson

Kenny Atkinson

His Credentials

Atkinson was one of the first names to surface along with Kidd and Lue. This is not surprising, as he did a great job in Brooklyn and many in the league were shocked he was fired after making the Nets relevant.

Atkinson was an assistant under Mike D’Antoni in New York and Mike Budenholzer in Atlanta, so he has been around some sharp basketball minds.

In his 3+ seasons in Brooklyn, Atkinson always got the most out of his team and it could be argued that they overachieved pretty much every year he was there. He took the Nets to the playoffs in 2018-19 and was a big part of the changing culture in Brooklyn.

No one is really sure why he was let go, but rumors have it that star Kyrie Irving wasn’t happy with Atkinson’s system, what a shocker. Irving is a coach killer and ball hog, so I’m not going to hold that against Atkinson if in fact that is why he stepped down.

Why He Fits the Pelicans

Atkinson was handed a team with few assets or draft picks and turned them into a winner after improving 14 games from the season before.

If you look at the current Nets, the roster is littered with young players who Atkinson helped develop. He is known as a teacher and a guy who can get the most out of a player, which is exactly what the Pelicans need.

One of the reasons Alvin Gentry was let go was that he wasn’t getting the most out of the immense talent on the New Orleans Pelicans’ roster. Atkinson is known as a guy who would, and he is definitely going to get a job soon.

Of these three, Atkinson would be my first choice because he has a better record of development and is a proven winner.

The New Orleans Pelicans can go a lot of different ways with this hire, but these three will almost certainly be considered.