Pelicans: 2 NBA assistant coaching candidates to replace Stan Van Gundy

New Orleans Pelicans: Ime Udoka could be Stan Van Gundy’s replacement

Another hot name in the NBA assistant coaching ranks is Ime Udoka, who has been a fast riser and is a guy most people think is going to get a shot at some point.

The Pelicans considered him in their last coaching search, so they are familiar with his body of work, which has grown even more.

Udoka was an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers before being hired by the Brooklyn Nets in October of 2020.

Like Lee, he’s a younger option at just age 43 and has never been a head coach. Both Lee and Udoka have another thing in common in that they were both really smart players who got the most out of their limited athleticism.

These are the types of ex-players who end up making good coaches, as they had to be smart and learn the game to succeed.

Udoka is likely to be on the bench of an NBA Finals team this season in Brooklyn and is getting valuable experience working with superstar players.

If the Pelicans choose to look outside of their organization, both Lee and Udoka will likely get an interview and deserve a real shot at the job.