The New Orleans Pelicans are clearly having a rough year. In addition to becoming bottom-dwellers in the Western Conference standings due to their myriad injuries, they also can't seem to catch a break when it comes to their public perception.
We've seen a few different former players trash the Pelicans' organization recently. New Orleans might be slated to land a top-tier draft pick this summer, but Demarcus Cousins is already actively rooting against the possibility of Cooper Flagg coming to the Bayou.
This season, the Pelicans finally cut bait with Brandon Ingram after years of repeated mediocrity pairing him with Zion Williamson. Ingram's strengths and weaknesses simply overlapped way too much with Zion's for them to be an optimized duo, and his tenure in New Orleans was truly appreciated by many of the Pelicans' faithful. He's been mostly gracious since his departure, but even he couldn't help sneaking a few disses in upon his exit. Recently, Dyson Daniels jumped on to further dogpile the New Orleans Pelicans.
Dyson Daniels may believe that Head Coach Willie Green held him back
I've written a bit about how Head Coach Willie Green's job security may be in danger. While it's unreasonable to blame him for all of the Pelicans' shortcomings in this injury-riddled season, there's usually a casualty after a campaign as disastrous as this one, and the head coach is usually the first to go in a failing NBA regime. It might even behoove them to cut ties with him simply to clear the negative juju surrounding this squad.
If the Pelicans' brass is currently reevaluating Willie Green's future with this organization, Dyson Daniels's recent comments certainly won't help his standing with the team, nor will Taylor Jenkins's dismissal from the Memphis Grizzlies. Speaking with HoopsHype, he was recently asked what the biggest difference between playing with the Atlanta Hawks and his former Pelicans is. He had this to say:
"Confidence. Coach Quin has instilled confidence in me to play freely and be myself. My teammates have given me confidence as well. It’s just that my mindset has changed. I’ve come in wanting to be more aggressive and play more freely without any restrictions. I think it’s been more that my mindset has changed rather than anything between the two organizations."
To be fair, he did take ownership of his own mentality in the latter part of that quote, but it's hard not read this as a subtle dig at Willie Green for not encouraging him and fostering his self-belief. While Trey Murphy III may be the real Most Improved Player this season, Daniels built a decent case for himself in his first year with the Hawks. Hopefully, he'll only continue to develop his game, now that he's free from the shackles of Willie Green's skepticism.
In all seriousness, Daniels has capitalized on his newfound opportunities. Willie Green may have been able to let him a bit looser during his time as a Pelican, but the New Orleans teams he played for had much different aspirations and responsibilities than this rebuilding Atlanta squad he's currently thriving on. I'm sure he recognizes that, though.