Pelica Debrief
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New Orleans Pelicans coach rumors: Rick Carlisle’s defensive specialist

By Aaron Kellerstrass

DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 04: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 04: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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New Orleans Pelicans
Rick Carlisle’s assistant could be the guy for the New Orleans Pelicans next coach ( (Photo by Ashley Landis-Pool/Getty Images) /

New Orleans Pelicans coaching candidates: Jamahl Mosley

Jamahl Mosley’s Credentials

As a player, Mosley played all over the world, doing stints in Mexico, Australia, Finland and South Korea. I like coaches who are well-traveled, as travel broadens perspectives about everything, including basketball.

Coaches are constantly looking for new ways to approach the game, and seeing it played in different countries is one way to build that repertoire.

Mosley’s first NBA job was with the Nuggets in player development and scouting. You may have noticed that the Nuggets are very good in these two areas, so Mosley has experience in one of the best franchises in the game when it comes to developing young players.

Mosley was an assistant in Cleveland during their title run and then joined the Mavericks in 2014. Mosley was put in charge of the Mavericks’ defense, a tall order given the makeup of their roster.

The Mavericks’ defense is middle of the pack, but Mosley has come up with some creative schemes to best use the guys they have. I was impressed with the way Dallas used multiple bigs to defend Zion Williamson late in the season.

They bottled the big man up, blocked his shot five times and had a smart gameplan for how to do it.

Mosley has spent the last six years learning under one of the best coaches in the game, Mavericks’ head coach Rick Carlisle.

Mosley is a young guy at age 42, but he is well-liked and respected around the league, especially after getting a lot of credit from star Luka Doncic.

Mosley has the background to be a head coach, but is he the right guy for New Orleans?