The Pelicans are about to embark on a five-game stretch of terror, which could bring an end to the Willie Green era in New Orleans. Starting tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Pelicans face two Western Conference contenders, two title favorites, three MVP candidates, multiple future Hall of Famers, and one team playing with an incredible amount of motivation.
The two Western Conference contenders are the Warriors and Lakers. The two championship favorites are the Thunder and Nuggets. The three MVP candidates are Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokić. The motivated team is the Dallas Mavericks, who are fresh off firing Nico Harrison.
Following tonight's game against L.A., the Pelicans will play the Warriors on Sunday, Oklahoma City on Monday, the Nuggets on Wednesday, and the Mavericks on Friday. It’s not far-fetched to think the Pelicans may go 0-5 in this stretch and have a record of 2-14. If that happens, there is a zero percent chance that ownership and the front office can justify keeping Willie Green as the franchise's head coach. This may ultimately put a smile on the face of many fans, but at the same time, it comes with the major negative of this season being an absolute wash.
If it takes five more losses for this franchise's leaders to realize Green is the problem, then there are clearly bigger issues with this organization than just their head coach.
What’s the point of firing a head coach in a season that’s already lost?
Waiting around for your team to be a sinking ship to make a coaching change is just a waste of everyone's time, especially with the talent on this roster.
With the update that Zion Williamson is back, able to do on-court activities, and the eventual return of Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray, this team could turn things around. But for that to be possible, the front office needs to bring a new voice into the locker room soon, before it’s too late.
It would make zero sense to wait for this team to be 2-14 or worse to make a coaching change, as at that point the players will already be checked out. Bringing in a new voice at that point does nothing, as their message is highly unlikely to get through to anyone, because players understand that with a start that bad, their season is already lost.
If this organization wants to be taken seriously, change is needed, and it’s needed before they get too deep into this daunting five-game stretch.