New Orleans Pelicans: The Impact of the Bulls Hiring Billy Donovan

Another head coach is off the market but the Chicago Bulls hiring Billy Donovan is a positive for the New Orleans Pelicans

Well, that’s another coaching vacancy filled for all you New Orleans Pelicans fans keeping track. As we all wait patiently for the Pelicans to make their coaching move, the Chicago Bulls made theirs by hiring former Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan.

Initially, I was feeling bummed that Donovan went to the Bulls, I thought his fit with this New Orleans Pelicans roster was a fascinating one. After mulling over the Bulls move though, I think this great for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Don’t get me wrong, I still believe that Billy Donovan is a fantastic head coach, that’s why I wrote about him for the Pelicans vacancy when he was fired. After his hiring though, I started thinking is Billy Donovan the best coaching candidate available? No, he’s nowhere close.

What the Chicago Bull’s hiring of Donovan means for the New Orleans Pelicans

The Chicago Bulls hiring Billy Donovan means that there’s still plenty of top tier candidates available to the New Orleans Pelicans, and their vacancy looks better now.

See, the whole offseason I viewed Chicago as a threat because the market of Chicago would interest some coaches more than New Orleans. Now the Bulls have their guy and the New Orleans Pelicans opening becomes alluring again to candidates.

What makes me even happier is that two compelling candidates that the Bulls were reportedly interested in are still open for the New Orleans Pelicans. Those coaches are Darvin Ham and Wes Unseld Jr.

Darvin Ham was one of the first coaches I identified as a possible target for the Pelicans, and all the reported interest Chicago showed in him was concerning to me. I like the fact that Ham comes from the Mike Budenholzer coaching tree because all of his assistants that have become head coaches are great program builders in the NBA, and now there’s still a chance we see that in New Orleans.

In the case of Wes Unseld Jr., I thought for sure that he was Chicago’s guy because of his obvious connection working with Bulls VP Arturas Karnisovas in Denver. Now that Donovan is the Bull’s coach, the New Orleans Pelicans can continue to pursue Unseld who I think is a perfect first-time head coach to consider because of his defensive schemes and player development background.

Ultimately, Donovan’s hiring relieves some pressure on the New Orleans Pelicans’ front office. With vacancies still open in Indiana, Houston, Philadelphia, and Oklahoma City, there’s a lot of teams in the same situation the Pelicans are in.

Some of the hottest coaching candidates on the market will get offers for than just one of these teams and with the Chicago Bulls out of the race, there’s one less team the New Orleans Pelicans need to worry about in their head coaching search.