The New Orleans Pelicans entered the season with a lot of expectations after making the playoffs last year. However, the campaign turned into a disaster as players began dropping like flies due to injuries. The latest reports suggest that the Pelicans might do a reset heading into the offseason.
According to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer on Substack, New Orleans’ ownership, led by Gayle Benson, could fire coach Willie Green and executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin. The team finished with a 21-61 record, which is the second-worst in franchise history.
To make matters worse, the team only had the fourth-worst record in the NBA. That means they don’t have the best chance of landing the first overall pick in this year’s draft, led by Duke star Cooper Flagg.
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Willie Green has been the coach of the New Orleans Pelicans since the 2021-22 NBA season, compiling an unimpressive record of 148-179. He made the playoffs twice, but they were eliminated in the first round both times.
David Griffin, the former general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers, was signed to take over the New Orleans front office in April 2019. They quickly nabbed the first pick of the draft, selecting Zion Williamson, who has been riddled with injuries and weight issues since joining the NBA.
Griffin pulled off some great moves over the years, such as drafting Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones. He also acquired CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray, but injuries prevented the Pelicans from reaching their full potential. They also traded Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors at the deadline due to his impending issue with his contract extension.
While the moves looked fantastic on paper, injuries killed the team’s chances of having a great season. Murray suffered two major injuries, limiting him to just 31 games, while Williamson looked great in the 30 games he played.
Pelicans rebuild starts with Zion Williamson trade
It’s easier to replace coach Willie Green and executive vice president David Griffin than find a generational talent like Zion Williamson. That’s the reason why a potential rebuild for the New Orleans Pelicans starts after they trade away Williamson.
There are plenty of candidates available to take over the coaching staff and front office if the team fires Green and Griffin. They can look at Michael Malone, who was recently fired by the Denver Nuggets, as a potential replacement on the sidelines.
Taylor Jenkins was great with a young Memphis Grizzlies team before a plethora of bad situations and bad luck led to his firing. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that New Orleans is open to trading Williamson, who might be better off starting fresh in a new city.
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Edited by Juan Paolo David
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