The New Orleans Pelicans Need To Consider Billy Donovan

Billy Donovan’s coaching style and system can vastly improve the New Orleans Pelicans

I’m will be very honest, and come out with the fact that I’m a fan of Billy Donovan. I think he’s gotten a bad shake during his time in Oklahoma City. I look back at his coaching career at Florida as well as what he’s done this season to see a strong candidate for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Donovan’s someone who did a lot of growing during his first NBA coaching stint and the New Orleans Pelicans can reap the benefits. Billy Donovan is more assertive now, and he was showing this year that when given a younger roster he’ll influence their play. I think that’ll fit with the New Orleans Pelicans.

What the Pelican’s young roster needs is a teacher and Billy Donovan is the perfect one for the personalities on this roster. As great as the trio of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson are they’ve shown in their careers that they’re sensitive. I think because of their sensitivity, Billy Donovan’s calm demeanor will help foster their growth.

I’m also looking at the construction of the Oklahoma City Thunder this past season, and I see that the New Orleans Pelicans have a similar build. This year’s Thunder used multiple players who can handle the ball, by playing a pick-and-roll heavy system adapted from Donovan’s time at Florida.

With the aforementioned Ball, and the collection of Jrue Holiday, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Ingram this system makes a very appealing case for Donovan’s hiring. On the other side of the ball, his defensive schemes are something that makes him a strong candidate as well.

Over the past two seasons, Billy Donovan crafted two top-10 defenses in the NBA that played very different styles. With the long athletic Russell Westbrook and Paul George duo, it was an aggressive defensive schemed that used his players’ abilities to force turnovers. During this season, the scheme was much more conservative relying on smart defenders helping and using drop coverages.

Having a coach who is a schematic wizard on the defensive side of the ball will be engaging for the New Orleans Pelicans after struggling for many years on that end of the floor with Alvin Gentry.

Overall if the New Orleans Pelicans want a head coach that can build relationships with the players on this roster and make the schematic adjustments needed to win, then they need to strongly consider Billy Donovan.