How will a brand new coach handle coaching the New Orleans Pelicans in a bubble atmosphere?
Concern #3- Head Coaching
My final concern about the New Orleans Pelicans entering a bubble in 2021 has to do with coaching. The Pelicans will have a brand-new head coach for the 2021 season, how will that coach handle the bubble?
If the team hires a first-time head coach there are concerns about how he’ll adapt to being in a bubble atmosphere for the first time. The new coach may thrive in that situation but a bubble is stressful according to many head coaches.
Even if the Pelicans do hire a coach who was involved in this year’s bubble there are still plenty of concerns. How will the next head coach galvanize the Pelicans roster in a bubble? After all, Alvin Gentry’s laid back nature played a role in the team’s underperformance in this year’s bubble.
These thoughts are just scratching the surface of several variables that will factor into a first-year head coaches’ transition to the Pelicans. There are still questions about families, running practices, and communication that need figuring out.
Overall, a second bubble is not ideal for anyone in the league but its the safest way to play next season. The New Orleans Pelicans will have to adjust like every other team in the NBA, and these three concerns are issues that the team’s management should already be evaluating.