WIth some important dates looming, it is time for the New Orleans Pelicans to get moving on a coach.
It has now been more than a month since the New Orleans Pelicans fired head coach Alvin Gentry and there is still no idea who his replacement will be.
The Pelicans have done a good job of keeping their head coaching candidates secret, as no names have leaked since they fired Gentry.
There have been plenty of rumors, but none of them came out of the Pelicans’ camp.
Of course it is good to do due diligence, as this is a decision the Pelicans need to get right if they want to help their chances of keeping Zion Williamson for the long-term.
But they also need to hurry up, as there are important NBA dates looming that they will certainly want their new coach to be a part of.
The NBA and NBPA have agreed to push back key dates such as Oct. 16 draft, Oct. 18 free agency and 2020-21 season, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. New dates will be determined later.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 8, 2020
Even though the NBA and NBPA have agreed to push back the draft, free agency and possibly next season, those dates are still approaching quickly.
New Orleans Pelicans are running out of time in their head coaching search.
The new date for the draft is tentatively November 18th, though commissioner Adam Silver already said that this decision is fluid and will be changed if necessary.
It is almost October already, so the new head coach won’t have much time to get involved in the Pelicans’ scouting or to give their opinion about who to take in the draft.
Training camps and the opening of next season have not been announced, but they are expected to come shortly after the draft, with December the target for the start of the season.
If the new coach were hired today they would have just over a month and a half to prepare for the draft and then training camp is right around the corner. This person still hasn’t met the team, started installing a new system, or hired any assistants, which will all take time.
It’s possible the Pelicans’ next coach is still one of the assistants in the bubble, and if so, they will have to wait out the playoffs. But if the Pels aren’t waiting to interview one of these people, it’s time to make a choice, or they will be putting their new coach in a very difficult situation.