The New Orleans Pelicans entered the season with a number of expectations after making the playoffs final yr. Nonetheless, the marketing campaign was a catastrophe as gamers started dropping like flies attributable to accidents. The newest studies recommend that the Pelicans would possibly do a reset heading into the offseason.
In keeping with Marc Stein and Jake Fischer on Substack, New Orleans’ possession, led by Gayle Benson, may hearth coach Willie Inexperienced and govt vice chairman of basketball operations David Griffin. The group completed with a 21-61 report, which is the second-worst in franchise historical past.
To make issues worse, the group solely had the fourth-worst report within the NBA. Meaning they do not have one of the best probability of touchdown the primary general choose on this yr’s draft, led by Duke star Cooper Flagg.
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Willie Inexperienced has been the coach of the New Orleans Pelicans because the 2021-22 NBA season, compiling an unimpressive report of 148-179. He made the playoffs twice, however they have been eradicated within the first spherical each instances.
David Griffin, the previous normal supervisor of the Cleveland Cavaliers, was signed to take over the New Orleans entrance workplace in April 2019. They shortly nabbed the primary choose of the draft, deciding on Zion Williamson, who has been riddled with accidents and weight points since becoming a member of the NBA.
Griffin pulled off some nice strikes over time, resembling drafting Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones. He additionally acquired CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray, however accidents prevented the Pelicans from reaching their full potential. Additionally they traded Brandon Ingram to the Toronto Raptors on the deadline attributable to his impending concern together with his contract extension.
Whereas the strikes appeared incredible on paper, accidents killed the group’s probabilities of having an incredible season. Murray suffered two main accidents, limiting him to only 31 video games, whereas Williamson appeared nice within the 30 video games he performed.
Pelicans rebuild begins with Zion Williamson commerce
It is simpler to exchange coach Willie Inexperienced and govt vice chairman David Griffin than discover a generational expertise like Zion Williamson. That is the explanation why a possible rebuild for the New Orleans Pelicans begins after they commerce away Williamson.
There are many candidates out there to take over the teaching workers and entrance workplace if the group fires Inexperienced and Griffin. They’ll have a look at Michael Malone, who was just lately fired by the Denver Nuggets, as a possible substitute on the sidelines.
Taylor Jenkins was nice with a younger Memphis Grizzlies group earlier than a plethora of unhealthy conditions and unhealthy luck led to his firing. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that New Orleans is open to buying and selling Williamson, who could be higher off beginning contemporary in a brand new metropolis.