This seems like deja vu, but the New Orleans Pelicans will once again be looking for a new head coach after parting ways with Stan Van Gundy.
There were rumblings of discontent and rumors that Van Gundy had butted heads with some of his young players, so I don’t think this is shocking, though it was still unexpected, as I thought Van Gundy would at least get another half season to turn things around.
There were some positives to his tenure, as he was the one to unleash Point Zion, but ultimately his style of coaching might not have been a fit.
I give David Griffin some credit here. If something isn’t working it is better to move on from Van Gundy now than to waste another season.
But Griffin also has to take a huge portion of the blame, as this is his roster, not Van Gundy’s and he has done a poor job building it around Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.
Pelicans: David Griffin is officially on the hot seat
Now that Stan Van Gundy is gone, no seat is hotter than David Griffin’s, who has to have a HUGE offseason to make up for some of the glaring mistakes he’s made with this roster.
He’s made some questionable draft picks, overpaid for J.J. Redick and then waited too long to trade him, gave Steven Adams (who I like) a fat extension for no reason and has basically done nothing but the Anthony Davis trade and Zion Williamson pick that really helped the Pelicans.
It’s unclear what his vision for this team is and he appears to be making it up as he goes along. This was his most important offseason even before he decided to fire his coach, so now Griffin is under pressure to get it right.
One option is promote from within so that there is some continuity and the players aren’t having to get to know their 3rd coach in three years.
There are two very good options sitting on the Pelicans’ bench.