New Orleans Pelicans: How Doc Rivers Can Make the Pelicans A Contender

Doc Rivers is the championship presence that the New Orleans Pelicans need at their head coaching position

Enormous news is developing tonight in the New Orleans Pelicans head-coaching search. Earlier this evening, the Los Angeles Clippers announced that they were parting ways with head coach Doc Rivers after seven seasons.

Following up on that development, NBA Insider Marcus Spears is reporting that the New Orleans Pelicans “have already reached out” to Doc Rivers about being the franchise’s next head coach.

If you’re asking my opinion, I love the possibility of this move. Doc Rivers is the type of coach I’ve written about all offseason that the Pelicans need to pursue.

I know, his run with the Clippers was turbulent as the team consistently failed to advance in the playoffs despite having a talented roster. My counterpoint is just how much of that blame does Rivers deserve when there were numerous reports of infighting between players that Rivers couldn’t stop.

When I look at Doc Rivers, I see a coach who overachieved with talentless Orlando Magic teams in the early 2000s and the coach who brought the Celtics back to championship glory in 2008. For all the perceived pitfalls of Rivers Clippers’ tenure, I still see a sterling 356-208 record.

The qualities in Doc Rivers will make the New Orleans Pelicans a contender regardless of roster upgrades.

How Doc Rivers’ coaching will make the New Orleans Pelicans better

When I evaluate Doc Rivers as a coach, the biggest strength I see in his approach to the game isn’t a schematic one, its communication. Doc Rivers is an amazing communicator with his players. As a former player himself, Rivers walks in and takes command of a room.

Through communication, he builds relationships with his players that become unbreakable bonds. He treats them with respect and they give it back to him. With that method of coaching though, comes accountability.

This is something the New Orleans Pelicans lacked with Alvin Gentry, too often last season the young Pelicans weren’t being held accountable for their questionable decisions on the court. Under Rivers, this will change and we’ll see a more disciplined unit next season.

We can’t underrate Doc River’s ability to put together a coaching staff either. Remember back in Boston, Rivers’ tenure also included a strong assistant coach in Tom Thibodeau helping build a championship defense.

Look at this past season in Los Angeles, and you’ll see a staff that included Sam Cassell and Tyronn Lue two former players who also do a great job at connecting with the players on their roster. Adding Doc Rivers to the New Orleans Pelicans is also adding strong infrastructure to the team going forward.

Finally, let’s talk about defense. We all know that the New Orleans Pelicans defense this past season was passive and borderline atrocious, Doc Rivers will fix that. Rivers is a coach who focuses on putting defense first and putting pressure on opponents.

What he’ll do in New Orleans is help the team’s young core become the solid defensive unit that showed the ability to be for stretches during the past year.

The New Orleans Pelicans need to do everything they can to add Doc Rivers to the organization as the franchise’s next head coach. He’s just the coach this young team needs to develop a culture and leap into playoff contention in 2021.