Not many things are certain about the future of the New Orleans Pelicans, and with the trade deadline approaching, things could look very different in the Big Easy come February 5th. However, one thing that is looking more and more undeniable is that interim head coach James Borrego should be named the franchise's next head coach.
The Pelicans have a record of 6-19 since Borrego took over for Willie Green on November 15th, and while that may not appear to be much of an improvement, the eye test says otherwise. In the Borrego era, the Pelicans are moving the ball at an incredible rate, and the offense is flowing better than it has over the last two seasons. Borrego has also done an excellent job catering to the team’s personnel’s strengths, as he has them playing at an elite pace.
Borrego has always been coveted as an offensive genius, and we have seen that so far during his time running the show in New Orleans. If you need proof, the numbers tell the story.
The numbers back Borrego up
Since Borrego, the Pelicans have seen an uptick in almost every single team stat. Starting with their offensive rating, which was 108.1 (27th) when JB took over and is now 113.7 (19th). The same goes for their defensive rating, which is odd, given that Willie Green was viewed as a defensive coach—previously, the Pels had a 120.7 defensive rating and now carry a 119.0 DEFRTG. Obviously, these upticks on both ends of the floor also mean the Pelicans' Net rating, which has improved by 7.5 points.
A major reason for the Pelicans' improved offensive rating is the pace at which they play and how well they are moving the ball. When Borrego took over, the Pelicans were dead last in assists per game and 26th in pace—now they are fifth in pace and 20th in assists per game.
The only major category the Pelicans haven’t gotten better in since JB took over is three-point attempts, as they are attempting 4.7 fewer threes per game. However, I see that as a positive as Borrego is just catering to his personnel's strengths.
These increases with no roster changes are really encouraging and make Borrego the clear number one candidate for the team's full-time head coaching spot. That being said, numbers aren’t all there is to coaching, but it’s clear Borrego has done way more than just impact numbers.
Elite coaching decisions are already showing
In Sunday's loss to the Miami Heat, Borrego made a decision that likely would not have happened under Willie Green. Karlo Matković had a 16-point performance and brought a ton of energy in the team's game before Sunday's matchup, so Borrego put Matković in the team's starting five. The move also helped the Pelicans better match up with Miami’s sizable frontcourt of Kel’el Ware and Bam Adebayo.
There have been countless other instances like this in which Borrego has run with different lineups based on matchups, which is what good coaches do. This matchup-by-matchup planning has helped Bryce McGowens establish himself as someone who this team will likely upgrade from a two-way player to a standard contract. During Green’s tenure, McGowens was only getting garbage time minutes—now he’s hard to sit.
Based on what we’ve seen since James Borrego took over, it would be a costly mistake not to give him a full season running the show.