
The New Orleans Pelicans entered the season with a whole lot of expectations after making the playoffs final yr. Nonetheless, the marketing campaign become a catastrophe as gamers started dropping like flies because of accidents. The most recent studies recommend that the Pelicans may do a reset heading into the offseason.
In line with Marc Stein and Jake Fischer on Substack, New Orleans’ possession, led by Gayle Benson, might hearth coach Willie Inexperienced and government vice chairman of basketball operations David Griffin. The workforce completed with a 21-61 document, which is the second-worst in franchise historical past.
To make issues worse, the workforce solely had the fourth-worst document within the NBA. Which means they do not have the most effective likelihood 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 for the reason that 2021-22 NBA season, compiling an unimpressive document of 148-179. He made the playoffs twice, however they have been eradicated within the first spherical each instances.
David Griffin, the previous common supervisor of the Cleveland Cavaliers, was signed to take over the New Orleans entrance workplace in April 2019. They rapidly nabbed the primary choose of the draft, choosing 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, reminiscent of 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 because of his impending concern along with his contract extension.
Whereas the strikes seemed improbable on paper, accidents killed the workforce’s probabilities of having an awesome season. Murray suffered two main accidents, limiting him to simply 31 video games, whereas Williamson seemed nice within the 30 video games he performed.
Pelicans rebuild begins with Zion Williamson commerce

It is simpler to switch coach Willie Inexperienced and government 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 obtainable to take over the teaching workers and entrance workplace if the workforce fires Inexperienced and Griffin. They will have a look at Michael Malone, who was not too long ago fired by the Denver Nuggets, as a possible substitute on the sidelines.
Taylor Jenkins was nice with a younger Memphis Grizzlies workforce earlier than a plethora of dangerous conditions and dangerous luck led to his firing. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that New Orleans is open to buying and selling Williamson, who may be higher off beginning recent in a brand new metropolis.
Edited by Juan Paolo David